Senior Manager, Access, Prevention and Supports

Position Summary
The Senior Manager, Access, Prevention and Supports plays a pivotal leadership role within the organization, leveraging extensive experience in homelessness services to drive innovation, enhance program effectiveness, and align operations with the agency's strategic vision. This position is essential for fostering cross-functional collaboration, mentoring emerging leaders, and engaging with key stakeholders, including the CEO, community partners, and funders.
Reporting to the Senior Director, Programs, the Senior Manager leads the Sector Supports stream and is responsible for the oversight and strategic leadership of the Coordinated Access system, including its redevelopment; prevention and diversion as a system, to reduce inflow to the By Name List (BNL); Landlord Relations; and Sector Training and Capacity Building. The position leads the Team Lead, Coordinated Access; the Project Lead, Coordinated Access; the Manager, Landlord Relations; and the Programs Training Specialist.

Duties & Responsibilities
Coordinated Access

Own the Coordinated Access system in Edmonton: BNL governance, shared prioritization including Indigenous prioritization, standardized screening tools, the network of 60+ partner agencies, and data-sharing.

Maximizing effectiveness and efficiency of individualized prioritization and matching to housing support programs for all individuals and families in need of housing intervention across our community.

Lead the Coordinated Access Redevelopment Project through the Project Lead, Coordinated Access (1-year contract), to a defined end state: redevelopment design delivered and protocols with provincial recovery partners and data-sharing agreements signed, with ownership then returning to the Senior Manager.
Integrate Coordinated Access with the province's mental health and addiction mandate, including shared assessment and consent with provincial recovery partners and referral pathways from treatment into housing.

Design one access system that serves both recovery-oriented housing and low-barrier Housing First without forcing a choice at intake, with privacy and information sharing designed first.

Lead the Coordinated Access operational team through the Team Lead, Coordinated Access, maintaining consistent screening, BNL maintenance, matching and referral (about 290 people a month connected to housing and supports) while the system is redeveloped.
Lead comprehensive efforts to ensure the By Name List (BNL) most accurately reflects the current needs of those seeking housing support in the community.

Ensure the impact of BNL data to reflect efforts, opportunities and gaps for individuals and families in need of housing support planning across a spectrum of diversion and housing support programs.

Create new partnerships and pathways for the community to benefit from and work within the Coordinated Access system.
Lead Coordinated Access reporting efforts to community, funders, Homeward Trust senior leadership and Board of Directors.
Plan and develop Coordinated Access policies, procedures and program guidelines, and monitor the implementation of those policies, procedures and program guidelines.
Ensure excellence in collection of client outputs and outcomes as recorded by Coordinated Access system partners in Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) -- the client case management data system used by Housing First programs in Edmonton.
Investigating complaints, as necessary, and working to create resolutions that meet the needs of all affected parties.

Prevention and Diversion

Build prevention and diversion into a system that reduces inflow to the BNL, connecting pieces that exist today, including the Housing Team and agencies delivering prevention and diversion programs in community.
Implement a standardized diversion protocol at every Coordinated Access entry point, including the diversion role of Housing Access Representatives.
Develop a network of agencies delivering prevention and diversion programs in community, with shared tools, data and follow-up.
Establish one eviction prevention pathway across Landlord Relations, the Housing Team and municipal partners, including relocation support and programs supporting people at risk of housing loss.
Advance a standing no-discharge-to-homelessness commitment covering hospitals, corrections, child intervention and treatment.
Use BNL data, with Data and Analytics, to identify who is entering homelessness and from where, including first-time entries versus returns.
Measure new entries, returns, and diverted households still housed at 30, 90 and 180 days.
Coordinate with the Manager, Housing Projects on relocation, eviction prevention and the Youth Homelessness Prevention program starting December 2026, which has strong ties to prevention.

Landlord Relations

Oversee the Landlord Relations Team, refocusing its work on tenancy retention and eviction prevention, including landlord partnerships, unit sourcing, tenancy mediation and the damage mitigation fund.
Lead, through the Manager, Landlord Relations, an investigation of returns to the BNL after housing to scope the scale of the issue, working with Data and Analytics.
Lead specialized efforts to equip the sector with knowledge, expertise and technical approaches to working with market Landlords.
Refine and execute the Landlord Engagement Operating Strategy, with emphasis on retention of market Landlords and tenancies.
Maintain relationships with key property management companies and high-volume Landlords; expanded business development is deferred under the current direction.

Sector Training and Capacity Building

Lead the design and delivery of sector-wide training that builds the knowledge, skills and capacity of frontline staff and agency partners across the homelessness-serving system, built around six competency areas.
Develop training modules matched to each new program standard (supportive housing, prevention and diversion, and Coordinated Access mental health and addiction standards), in partnership with the Senior Manager, Community Supports.
Expand the curriculum in recovery-oriented practice and transitions from treatment into housing, alongside Housing First and harm reduction principles.
Deliver specialized training for supportive housing operator teams as part of Homeward Trust's intermediary model.
Identify emerging training and capacity gaps across the sector and develop responsive learning opportunities, workshops, and resources to address them.
Build and maintain relationships with training partners, subject matter experts, and post-secondary institutions to expand the sector's access to specialized learning opportunities.
Evaluate the effectiveness of training and capacity-building initiatives and adjust programming based on participant feedback and sector outcomes.
Sustain training funding, including provincial funding.

Organizational and Sector Leadership

Provide direct leadership, supervision, development and performance management to the Team Lead, Coordinated Access; the Project Lead, Coordinated Access; the Manager, Landlord Relations; and the Programs Training Specialist.
Work with the Manager, Data and Analytics and the Chief of Staff on cross-system data, and with external partners including provincial health and recovery partners, municipal partners and community agencies.
Develop and target key departmental priorities and lead the workplan execution in support of the organization's strategic plan.
Working in an integrated and supportive manner with all other functional and support areas within Homeward Trust.
Representing Homeward Trust on committees, meetings, conferences, symposiums, workshops and the like, as requested and when necessary.
Participating in and supporting other initiatives within Homeward Trust.
Preparing reporting for the CEO, Senior Director, Programs, management team and stakeholders on emerging issues, successes, weaknesses and opportunities.
Preparing reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis (or at other intervals as requested) on the operations and results of programs within portfolio.
Preparing materials for Homeward Trust Board Meetings, as requested.
Accepting other duties as assigned.

Measures of Success and First Year Deliverables
Success in the first year will be measured by the candidate's ability to:

Deliver the Coordinated Access Redevelopment design, with protocols with provincial recovery partners and data-sharing agreements signed, within the Project Lead's 12-month contract.
Implement a standardized diversion protocol at every Coordinated Access entry point, with 30, 90 and 180-day follow-up measures in place.
Define one eviction prevention pathway across Landlord Relations, the Housing Team and municipal partners.
Complete the scoping of returns to the BNL after housing, with Data and Analytics.
Develop a matching Sector Training module within three months of each new program standard's approval, starting with supportive housing standards.
Maintain consistent Coordinated Access intake throughout the redevelopment.
Establish BNL governance and a data-quality baseline agreed with partner agencies.
Fill the Team Lead, Coordinated Access and onboard the Project Lead, Coordinated Access to a defined end state, with clear mandates across the four direct reports.

Education & Experience

University degree or diploma, preferably in the social sciences or human services, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of vulnerable populations - which may include such disciplines and fields of study as: social work; sociology; psychology; social planning; public health; psychiatry; counseling; Indigenous Studies; etc.
Minimum 3 years of related experience in a program management or supervisory role.
Prior work in non-profit sector, preferably with organizations working on homelessness or housing.
Experience in housing related programs is preferred.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

In-depth understanding of homelessness and housing, as well as the needs of particular vulnerable and/or over-represented populations (for example, Indigenous people; youth; newcomers; etc.), and issues affecting many homeless and low-income people (mental health and wellness; substance use and harm reduction; poverty; conflict with the law; trauma; victimization and exploitation; chronic health conditions; etc.)
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the systems, supports, resources and linkages available for successful delivery of access to housing services and supports for persons challenged homelessness. This includes income supports, housing programs, health, mental health and addiction services.
Demonstrated experience leading system-level coordinated access, intake, or prevention and diversion initiatives across multiple partner agencies.
Knowledge of privacy, consent and information-sharing frameworks for cross-system data, and of both recovery-oriented and harm reduction approaches.
Strong understanding of the core concepts and service orientation of the Housing First philosophy, and the application of Intensive Case Management and/or Assertive Community Treatment in the delivery of Housing First. Awareness of adult learning strategies.
Thorough working knowledge of Evidence Based Practice techniques.
Understanding of business processes associated with non-profits and government, as well as the oversight of funding agreements relative to outcomes achieved.
Understanding of communities of practice, and the ability to establish, nurture and support these communities.
Ability to work with comprehensive client data systems, analyze outputs and track outcomes as it relates to program delivery.
Strong writing skills to prepare written reports, emails and develop other communication materials in a timely, concise, and accurate manner, distilling complex issues to salient points.
Impeccable interpersonal skills and the ability to engage with stakeholders of diverse and at times competing interests to work towards achieving a common agenda.
Maturity and experience managing complex issues that do not always have an easily identifiable solution.
Proven ability to teach and coach others -- as well as problem solve client and community issues - in a non-threatening, supportive, reflective and professional manner.
Experience working independently in fast-paced environment with competing demands and often tight timelines.
Demonstrated excellence in leadership and management of teams.
Valid driver's license and vehicle, First Aid certificate, and provide a satisfactory Child Welfare Intervention Record Check and Criminal Record Check.