Career Opportunities

Description: Social Service Housing Supervisor

DANI’s Place is seeking to hire a couple, 2 people, that are ready to have an experience
of a lifetime – something that will help to shape their life experience. DANI will be hiring
a dynamic, fun-loving, caring and warm couple on a long-term full-time contract to be
the first-ever DANI’s Place House parents – a house/home for 8 persons with cognitive
challenges. The couple will live full-time, rent-free at the beautifully adorned home in
Ontario, Canada in Thornhill (which is located just north of the city of Toronto). The
House Parents are responsible for the daily well being of the residents both emotionally
and physically. They will develop supportive relationships with the residents and the
community to ensure a nurturing, secure and caring environment for everyone. The
house parents will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer of DANI’s Place.
Note: Residents are DANI Day Program participants, they will not be in the home during
“business hours”.

Responsibilities:

Ensuring residents safety and well being by:

– Monitoring and encouraging residence in their home routines; hygiene, chores
– Support the residents in establishing and maintaining a positive group dynamic
within the home – and can refer to and liaise with a consultant psychologist/social
worker when necessary
– Intervene and utilize constructive conflict resolution strategies
– Facilitate and participate in social/leisure activities within and outside the house
– Ensure readiness for transportation for day supports and activities in the
community
– Include participants in meal planning, preparation and presentation/packing
meals
– Include participants in the planning and scheduling of their daily activities
– Plan, develop and liaise with day program staff regarding personal goals of the
residents
– Assist the participants in daily Jewish traditions and also festival so that they are
appropriately observed and celebrated
– Ensure all policies around Kashrut and Shabbat are being followed.

Administrative:

– Medication log and administration
– Ensure that house practices align with Quality Assurance Measures (QAM)
– Hiring, supervising and training of all support staff

– Scheduling and coordinating all;
● Resident appointments (medical, extra curricular, daily living),
● House maintenance and support staff shifts
● Household shopping/needs

Relationships:

Liaison with staff and community professionals with respect to the needs of
residents – (including and not limited to medical, psychological, emotional,
physical and social)
– Liaise with DANI’s Place staff
– Liaise with DANI Day Program staff
– Build strong collaborative relationships with parents/families of residents

Daily Operations and Management:

Shopping

The houseparent will be fully responsible for keeping the house
equipped with all foods, cleaning materials, groceries and any other equipment,
furniture, linen, that may be required to maintain the established standard of
living, within the budgetary requirements , while ensuring that all the household
products that are purchased are Kosher. A strong knowledge of Kashrut laws
and practice will be an asset to applicants.

Meals

The houseparent will see to the preparation and provision of all meals,
encouraging the residents to participate/ assist in meal preparation and delivery.
Meals will adhere to high nutritional standards with adequate planning and
balancing the appropriate nutrients while also seeking to ensure variety. As
above, all food preparation will be compliant with appropriate Kosher
requirements. A strong knowledge of Kashrut laws and practice will be an asset
to applicants.

Recreation & Leisure

The houseparent will ensure that recreation and leisure
opportunities are available to the residents and ensure the coordination and
resources needed for such activities

Maintenance

The houseparent will coordinate the maintenance of the house,
with approval of the Chief Operating Officer.

Transport

The houseparent will assume responsibility for the use of the
organization’s vehicle. This may be used for shopping and for transporting
residents, for outings or any other purposes as agreed to by the Chief Operating
Officer.

Accommodation

The houseparent will ensure that her personal place of living
is kept in order (clean, tidy and well cared for) and well maintained.

Skills:

● Minimum 2-5 years management experience
● Strong Organizational/Coordination skills
● Minimum 5 years experience in a social services-style setting
● Knowledge of Kashrut laws, regulations and observance is a strong asset.
● Working knowledge of Microsoft office suite
● Driver’s License

Salary:

The salary starts at $60,000/year for the couple. It is important to note that only one person will
be employed by DANIS Place. The other person is free to take a job outside of the Home.

About DANI and DANI’s Place:

Through our innovative programming and housing projects DANI delivers person-centered,
holistic and strength-based services for adults with diverse abilities, while fostering meaningful
community roles and relationships, within an inclusive setting – predicated upon Jewish values.
DANI – Developing And Nurturing Independence provides meaningful day programs, life skills,
and employment training for persons with cognitive, mild mental health and/or physical
challenges for 17 years, serving over 400+ people each year. DANI is an organization with
charitable status (charity number: 836163329RR0001) which operates 6 successful social
enterprise businesses that help to provide financial support to the program. This structure also
provides on-the-job vocational training and employment opportunities for adults who have
cognitive challenges. DANI operates two in-person campuses.

DANI’s Place Synopsis

DANI’s Place (charity number: 737219725RR001) is a charity that is affiliated with DANI . As the
parents of DANI participants age, and the Ontario housing waiting list continues to grow, DANI
became proactive and developed a housing initiative to support the extensive government
housing wait list and its members. DANI did extensive research, reviewing various supportive
housing models around the world to seek out a cost effective, best practice model that fit with
DANI’s mission and philosophy. The outcome was identifying the Astra Center – Cape Town
South Africa (https://www.astrajse.com/group-homes-2/). The Astra Center is a community-
based organization, with residential homes for its day-program participants. These domiciles are
nestled in the resident’s own community and/or neighborhoods. The persons staffing these fully
accessible homes are “live-in house parents” and not agency staff working in shifts. DANI’s
Place seeks to be community based and modeled after a family home.