Program Assistant

PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Assertive Housing First Team & Housing for Encampments and Street Homelessness - (AHFT & H-FRESH)

One (1) Non-Unionized Position, Permanent Full-Time

Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm

Existing Vacancy

Compensation: $24.75/hour

About Cota

Cota is an accredited not-for-profit organization that has been providing community-based support to people living with mental health and cognitive challenges for over 50 years. At present, our wide array of services delivers much needed support to over 4,000 people/year who live with mental health challenges, psychogeriatric mental health conditions, acquired brain injuries, developmental disabilities, dual diagnoses and/or the experience of homelessness. These services include, but are not limited to, case management, supportive housing and adult day program services. A full listing of our services can be viewed on our website at https://cotainspires.ca/

Cota is presently seeking a dynamic and innovative individual to join our amazing team in the capacity of the role outlined within this posting. Followed by our mission to support individuals with mental health and cognitive challenges to live well within their communities, we strive toward a vision of a supportive, inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. If you feel you have the skills and qualifications to perform the duties of this role while consistently exemplifying Cota’s values Hope, Respect, Dedication, Equity, Accountability, Collaboration and Innovation, we would love to hear from you.

Role Overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic and customer service-oriented individual to play a key role in facilitating the Assertive Housing First Team’s operations with a focus on providing administrative and reception support. Excellent people and problem-solving skills to assist participants dealing with mental health, addiction challenges, and justice involvement are paramount for success in this position.

As a member of this multidisciplinary team, you will work 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm) on-site scheduling client visits, supporting clients visiting the office with but not limited to (making appointments with for ID clinics, booking Income tax appointments, completing applications ex - wheel trans, relaying information to team and primary CM, managing appointments for clients and Doctor and providing crucial administrative support to the team and Psychiatrist, under the direction of the Manager, Community Health Services.

About the Team

The AHFT/H-FRESH teams are an interdisciplinary team operating from a Housing First lens to support individuals who are homeless, living with mental health challenges and addictions. The team is comprised of Case Managers, Nurses, Addictions Specialists, Peer Support, and a Psychiatrist. As a member of these multidisciplinary teams, you will provide administrative support to the team members and Psychiatrist, as well as client supports related to: completing applications, telephone calls to confirm/schedule appointments, resource sourcing e.g. food bank locations, income tax locations, etc., and other tasks as assigned by Program Manager/Supervisor as required.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Program Assistant primary duties may involve, but not necessarily be limited to:

Responding and triaging calls
Coordinating communication between the team and program participants
Receiving clients upon arrival to office, provide support to include greeting of clients and visitors, notifying staff that client or visitor has arrived
Entering appointments into client’s calendar on Teams, scheduling meeting rooms when meeting with clients and board rooms for team meetings
Administrative support to Psychiatrist, Program Manager and Supervisor and team
Document and enter daily tasks from morning meeting
Monthly business team meeting and record minutes
Provide support to team and Psychiatrist uploading assessments, documents (ex housing documents, discharge summaries, other related administrative tasks
Provide additional administrative support for the programs but limited to the above

Qualifications:

Education

Graduate from a recognized Secondary School
Office Administration Certificate or Office Clerk Diploma (preferred)

Experience:

One to three years of supporting a multidiscipline team, word processing, data input and general office experience
Experience working directly with this population is asset

Knowledge & Skills:

Strong knowledge of Windows and Microsoft Office Programs/Applications (Word, Excel with extensive knowledge of formulas and Data integrity, Teams & Outlook
Excellent people and problem-solving skills to assist and support participants with serious mental illness, addiction challenges and justice involvement as well as their families
Demonstrated organizational and analytical skills
Ability to work independently as well as part of the AHFT program
Ability to work under tight pressures and reporting deadlines
Ability to coordinate and delegate to team members on tasks needed to be completed for clients
Strong commitment to the right and ability of each person with a serious mental illness to live in normal community residences; work in market jobs; and have access to continuous supports and services
Skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons with serious mental illness and respect for participant’s rights and personal preferences in treatment are essential
Compliance with all Health and Safety policies and procedures to ensure every reasonable precaution is taken for the protection of workers and participants and that health and safety concerns or incidents are responded to promptly
Commitment to the confidentiality of client, employee and Cota information at all times

Other:

This is an in-person role (no hybrid or remote work) and the successful candidate will be required to work from the office at 550 Queen St East

Application Details:

Please complete the application below before December 12, 2025 at 4:00pm.

Cota is deeply committed to promoting diversity, advancing equity and fostering a culture of inclusion. We are respectful of each individual's dignity, unique experience, potential and protected rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code. As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to ensuring our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities that we serve.

Benefits:

Upon successful completion of a three-month period of employment, permanent full-time and permanent part-time staff working more than 20 hours per week will be eligible for employer-paid group insurance benefits. These employer-paid benefits will include:

Extended health care
Life insurance
Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
Dental care
Travel assistance
Vision care

Permanent full-time and permanent part-time staff working more than 20 hours per week are also required to enroll in employee-paid long-term disability coverage.

Additional Information:

Interview Process: Cota may choose to conduct parts/all of the hiring process virtually. Please note that as part of maintaining an agile workforce, all Cota staff may be required to be reasonably reassigned to support the operational needs of our essential services.

Screening Process: Please note that Cota uses AI to screen potential applicants for all roles.

We would like to thank all those that apply; however, due to high volumes of interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Thank you, Cota's HR Department.

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Hope, Respect, Dedication, Equity, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation are key values of Cota. We are dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, upholding dignity, and acknowledging each person's individual contributions and potential as an equal-opportunity employer. We uphold the Ontario Human Right Code and strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ people, and others who provide various viewpoints. Cota ensures an accessible hiring process in line with the AODA principles, providing accommodations for applicants with disabilities. For any accommodation requests, please contact [email protected]