Background:
Inner City Health Associates (ICHA) is a group of approximately two hundred physicians, nurses, and administrative staff with a vision of a 'healthy end to homelessness' and committed to improving the health and well-being of the homeless and precariously housed communities of Toronto. ICHA staff work in shelters, drop-ins, community service agencies, encampments, and clinical hub sites. Beyond direct care provision, ICHA trains future healthcare providers, conducts and facilitates research, promotes improvements in health and social service delivery, and advocates for healthy public policies and system changes locally, provincially, and nationally. ICHA continues to make significant contributions to the redesign of our local system of health care for people experiencing homelessness, including those with complex support needs. We aim to ensure that our clients can have meaningful and effective access to the highest quality health care possible. For more information about what we do, visit our website at: http://www.icha-toronto.ca.
Job Details:
Program: Mental Health and Substance Use Care
Position Type: Full-Time, Contract (Contract end date: March 2028)
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., 37.5 hours a week, Monday – Friday
Region: North, East, Midwest, and Downtown
Role Description:
Registered Nurses (RNs) will provide mobile primary clinical care to individuals with complex mental health needs using a holistic, client-centered model of care with an emphasis on harm reduction, psychosocial support and crisis de-escalation. Nurses will use their knowledge, skill and judgment to meet clients where they are at in the community, and to assess and care for clients who may present with complex psychiatric and/ or concurrent disorders as well as varying other health conditions such as unmanaged chronic diseases, infectious diseases, skin conditions, wounds, and substance use issues. The RN will work as part of an interdisciplinary care team as a member of the MATCH (Multi-Disciplinary Access to Care & Housing)- HF4E (Housing First for Encampment) teams. The RN will work collaboratively with MATCH Manager, Coordinate, Case Managers, Peer Support Workers, Personal Support Workers and ICHA Psychiatrists, as well as community partners and other community organizations to provide care and support transitions of care where required, system navigation, case management, access, connections and transitions to social service and health care supports. The RN will provide comprehensive health assessment of clients physical and mental health conditions, substance use, crisis mitigation, and escalate issues whenever necessary to their respective program manager at LOFT or to Emergency Services as appropriate. An ICHA Nurse Manager will provide clinical leadership through indirect supervision and ongoing support.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Actively participates in outreach and engagement providing low barrier expert nursing care with individuals experiencing serious mental health issues, primary care and/or addictions intersecting with Mdot/Scout teams.
- Perform venipuncture, IM injections, and collect other test specimens when deemed appropriate meeting ICHA criteria/referral process for venipuncture.
- Participate in ongoing joint meetings with leadership from LOFT Program Management and ICHA Nursing Management.
- Collaborates with referral sources to assess client eligibility and needs and triages requests and provides referrals as appropriate’ collaborated with outreach workers to build rapport with clients through outreach activities.
- Provides setting-appropriate primary care assessment, supportive counselling, and treatment interventions in assigned housing units throughout the GTA in collaboration with ICHA Psychiatrists and other ICHA primary or substance use physicians (i.e., Wound care).
- Maintains accurate records of client interventions and care through timely documentation in the ICHA Electronic Medical Record (EMR-OSCAR) as per CNO Standards and LOFT’s documentation system.
- Advocates with and on behalf of clients and their self-identified needs through existing organizational policy and procedures as outlined by ICHA leadership and LOFT leadership. As well as part of collective advocacy efforts with other organizations engaged in outreach initiatives, nurses will participate in meetings with service providers and frontline worker groups.
- May participate in ICHA approved data collection/sharing as this position is part of a research initiative.
- Documents all forms of communication with client interactions into the client EMR, as per requirements of LOFT communication policy/ICHA texting policies.
- Engages clients in health problem identification, goal-setting and collaborative decision-making around interventions for disease treatment, prevention, and health promotion.
- Provides expert nursing care for clients’ wounds, skin disorders, infectious diseases and mental health and substance use issues and other presenting concerns.
- Provides health care case management to support clients’ health and social care needs, as much as possible and within the RN scope of practice.
- Administer medications according to the scope of practice. Consults with and/or conducts medication reconciliation in collaboration with community-based pharmacies, and client’s health team, where appropriate.
- Maintains complete and accurate records of client interventions and care through timely documentation in the ICHA EMR-OSCAR as per CNO Standards and LOFT documentation system TREAT.
- Demonstrates conscientious management of supplies; collaborates on supply procurement with ICHA Clinical Coordinator and maintains an administrative log of existing and needed supplies.
- Able to support client accompaniments for clinical appointments or hospital visits on a discretionary basis, particularly when the client would not otherwise pursue follow-up.
Qualifications:
- Current registration and member in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Nurse with no restrictions.
- Current RNAO membership; evidence of liability protection/malpractice insurance.
- Current CPR certification.
- Police check/clearance documentation (i.e. vulnerable sector screen) required.
- Experience working with clients who are street-involved, who have serious and persistent mental illness and/or who use substances.
- Demonstrated experience in administering and monitoring psychiatric medication outcomes.
- Proficient in phlebotomy, including venipuncture and specimen collection with a trauma informed approach.
- Demonstrated commitment to work from a harm reduction and anti-oppression, trauma informed framework to reduce stigma and improve access to care.
- Knowledge and proficiency in current, evidenced-based methods and practices in low barrier health care delivery, with an emphasis on mental health, health promotion and risk management/reduction.
- Experience in autonomous practice (i.e., outpost nursing, community nursing, mental health, northern nursing, or related experience).
- Strong understanding of Nursing Standards of Practice with College of Nurses of Ontario and Best Practice Guidelines.
- Effective organizational and time management skills.Inner City Health Associates encourages applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of our community.
Inner City Health Associates is committed to developing an inclusive, barrier-free selection process and work environment. If contacted, please advise us if you require any accommodation measures to ensure you will be interviewed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Pay: $40.31-$42.44 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- On-site parking
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
