Health Promoter Income Security Family Practice Unit

Location
Toronto, ON
 
Full job description
About St. Michael's Academic Family Health Team: The Unity Health Academic Family Health Team is committed to delivering comprehensive primary care to over 40,000 patients, with a specific focus on serving some of the lowest-income households in Canada. Operating in neighborhoods with high rates of low income, lower educational attainment, and increased health challenges, such as St. James Town, Regent Park, and Moss Park, the team strives to address social determinants of health and enhance the overall well-being of its diverse patient population.

Position Overview: The Health Promoter with an Income Security Focus will play a crucial role in coordinating and implementing health education/promotion programs, with a particular emphasis on improving income security and financial literacy for low-income clients within the Unity Health Toronto Academic Family Health Team.

Key Responsibilities:

1.Provide one-to-one expert advice and case management to diverse low-income patients and families regarding their income security.

2.Document findings and action plans in each patient's electronic medical record.

3.Conduct outreach to low-income patients in collaboration with team health providers.

4.Develop and implement targeted large group sessions or workshops on topics such as banking basics, income tax submissions, and seniors' benefits.

5.Develop and maintain up-to-date detailed knowledge of financial issues and services available to low-income people.

6.Assist individual low-income patients and families with income security-focused interventions, including access to tax benefits, applications for income security programs, and navigation of disability support programs.

Community Engagement and Collaboration:

1.Liaise with external organizations, including community social support agencies, legal aid clinics, homeless support agencies, advocacy groups, and agencies focused on vulnerable sub-populations.

2.Develop networks and work collaboratively with community groups to strengthen and expand health promotion programming.

3.Coordinate and communicate program initiatives across the family health team.

4.Provide brief consultations and expertise to other Unity Health providers and external organizations.

Capacity Building and Advocacy:

1.Develop the capacity of Family Health Team physicians and staff to identify low-income patients and address income security.

2.Create educational sessions and communications for physicians and other FHT staff.

3.Develop tools to assist in the identification and intervention of low-income as a health risk.

4.Assess the FHT¿s capacity to address poverty as a health risk using measurable indicators, including an annual progress report.

5.Advocate on behalf of priority population groups (low-income) and individual community members for accessible relevant services.

6.Collaborate and build partnerships around issues of concern to effect change.

Qualifications:

Post-Secondary Education in Social Services or a Graduate degree from a recognized university in health promotion, public health, social science, or a related discipline.
Five years¿ experience in community outreach, social service industry, or equivalent experience.
Excellent verbal and written communication, listening, organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
Experience and knowledge of community organizing techniques, program design, implementation, and evaluation.
Knowledge of issues faced by underprivileged communities and the interface between income security and health.
Demonstrated commitment to and knowledge of community-based health care and resources.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
Ability to work with diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrable knowledge of financial matters affecting low-income people, including federal and provincial income security programs and policies, the Canadian and Ontario tax systems, access to financial services, assets, savings vehicles, and other income support programs such as WSIB and private insurance companies.
Experience in providing one-on-one supports to individuals with diversity in ethnicity/language, income, education, ability, and mental health status.
Experience in building relationships with community partners outside the health care system.
Experience in the development of educational materials targeted at health providers and patients.
Experience with data collection, research, and quality improvement.
Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.

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