Safer Spaces Team Lead

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Title: Safer Spaces Team Lead
Department: Violence to Resilience
Classification: Full-Time, Salary, Permanent while funding is available

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm; flexibility needed for programming outside of normal hours and rotational on-call
Start Date: As soon as possible
Deadline: April 28^th 2025

Location: HRM; multiple locations with the necessity for a reliable vehicle for travel

YWCA Halifax is a progressive, multi-service, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, girls, Two Spirited and gender diverse people and their families at critical turning points in their lives. We work to transform lives by providing a continuum of services and programs that drive lasting positive change. We strive to change the underlying issues that are root causes of inequality, violence, poverty, and homelessness. Our four program focus areas include: promoting the health, wellness, and leadership of women and girls; advancing women’s economic and housing security; delivering quality, accessible, early learning, and childcare; and working to end violence against women, girls and gender diverse individuals.

Why work for the YWCA

Staff at YWCA Halifax enjoy a supportive and dynamic team environment, a commitment to staff growth, a connection to the national and international YWCA movements, learning from colleagues in a multiservice agency, and a strong shared vision.

Why YOU should apply

Even if you don’t have all the requirements listed in this position, you may be the right candidate. If you are a natural leader with a strong attention to detail and a passion for social justice and gender equity, we want to hear from you. Take a chance and apply. Tell us how you can make a difference through your YWCA.

Program Overview

The current Safer Spaces program provides emergency transitional housing for young-adult survivors of sexual exploitation or human trafficking who are trying to exit the sex trade. Participants staying in the safer spaces home are offered wrap-around supports to build life stability and take steps towards regaining their personal autonomy. The program is growing to provide support for children in care and custody of The Minister of Community Service through a second licensed care home for youth.

Role of the Team Lead

The Team Lead will work closely within the YWCA Violence to Resilience department to support staff and participants of all Safer Spaces programs. The Team Lead will be instrumental in the research and development of the policies and procedures for both existing and new programs for Safer Spaces. The focus of the Team Lead will be to provide support to staff to operationalize the program through participant case management and providing a holistic, continuum of care for participants. The Team Lead will work throughout all stages of participant involvement with the staffing team. This position will support staff in accessing housing suitability, creating care plans and offering solution-focused, strength-based, human-centered support for residents and participants. In addition, the Team Lead will lead the design and implementation of a supportive housing program for youth in care who are entrenched in the sex trade, to support the safety needs of youth participants who are victims and survivors of exploitation and trafficking. The Lead’s role will include engaging in research on best practices in working with trafficked/exploited youth and developing and implementing a Safer Spaces model for the Nova Scotia youth in care context to provide a continuum of care for victims of trafficking/exploitation.

Essential Duties of Position:

• Staff supervision, including hiring, performance management, and scheduling
• Meets regularly as a group and/or with individual team members to review performance targets and develop performance objectives
• Develop and administer multiple program budgets
• Ensure funding requirements are met in accordance with the Department of Community Services funding agreements for programming outcomes and objectives
• Continual review of best practices and supportive models
• Knowledge of the fundamentals of human behaviour including systems theory, family dynamics, group dynamics and theories of behaviour change to assist in: intake assessment, case management, interventions, and programming.
• Develop and manage relationships with community resources and agencies to assist in the continual care model and wrap around supports for participants
• Safety and risk assessments
• Maintaining licensing requirements
• Help to develop and manage relationships with staff and participants
• Work with YWCA staff to coordinate support for residents and participants
• Support in new program operational development
• Ensure all policies and procedures are adhered to at all time

Qualifications and Requirements

The Team Lead will hold a degree in social work or related field such as, international development studies, sociology, child and youth studies, education, health promotion, or equivalent education and experience. They will have a minimum of five years’ experience in program development, administration, experience conducting best practice research, implementing research findings and recommendations and supportive housing programming and two years’ experience in supervision. The Team Lead will have an understanding of feminist theoretical perspectives and intersectionality. Also of issues such as racism/colonialism, violence against women, sexualized human trafficking, sexual health, and poverty. They will have knowledge of, and experience with community-based, trauma-informed, harm reduction practices as well as a strong commitment to ongoing learning and development in these areas and experience working in collaborative environments on complex issues involving multiple and diverse stakeholders.

YWCA Halifax is committed to diversity, and we welcome all suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. YWCA Halifax is governed by, employs, and serves diverse individuals and community members. Self-identification by applicants does not guarantee an interview but we want you to know that we understand that lived experience of racialization, Indigeneity, disability, and gender diversity are their own knowledge and expertise. We value this expertise and consider it as we discern who to interview.

If interested, please send your cover letter and resume in one document to humanresources@ywcahalifax.com Subject Line: Safer Spaces Team Lead.

Application Deadline: April 28^th, 2025