Supportive Housing Core Competencies: Enhancing Your Skills
Learn how to improve tenant experience and outcomes
Offered in partnership with the Toronto Mental Health & Addictions Supportive Housing Network, this online course will help housing workers develop a common understanding of current and proven supportive housing best practices.
Recommended for: Supportive housing workers and housing staff at every level who support tenants living with mental health and addiction challenges.
Next course: April 8 – July 1, 2025.
What you’ll learn
Build stronger skills in supportive housing
- Ways to communicate effectively with tenants.
- How to navigate the social support system.
- Self-care strategies.
- Techniques to deal with mental health and addictions.
- Ways to promote a culture of teamwork, collaboration and community.
- How to continuously self-improve and learn.
Course content
Here’s an overview of your course curriculum:
Module 1: Core competencies framework
In this module you will be introduced to five key principles and competencies, including: mental health recovery, trauma-informed care, equity and mental health, harm reduction, and responsibilities of tenancy.
Module 2: Communications
In this module you will learn strategies for communication with tenants, tools for active listening, and how to communicate effectively with peers, stakeholders, and external providers.
Module 3: Mental health & addictions
This module provides a broad overview of hands on, direct non-medical support of people with mental health diagnosis and living in supportive housing. You’ll gain a general understanding of the challenges some tenants might face and how to support them in their tenancy.
Module 4: Enhancing tenant/resident quality of life
In this module you will focus on enhancing the tenant’s quality of life and how to proactively work with them to develop a plan and set goals to enhance their self-esteem, motivation, social inclusion, and empower them to determine their path towards mental health and well-being.
Module 5: Navigating the social support system
In this module you will learn how to advocate and guide tenants in navigating the social safety net systems and what programs are available to them.
Module 6: Continuous self-improvement and learning
In this module you will learn how to seek and consider improvements in yourself and your work. This includes how to explore professional development opportunities, how to provide and seek feedback, and how to keep up-to-date on trends and issues in supportive housing.
Module 7: Self-care for the supportive housing worker
In this module you will focus on tactics for self-care and how to find different outlets to alleviate stress and challenges while supporting tenants.
Module 8: Culture of teamwork, collaboration and community
In this module you will learn how to work with everyone, from internal peers and managers to external partners and stakeholders, to meet tenant needs and foster broader community inclusivity.
Pricing
Cost
Service Managers
Upgraded Members
How it works
Developed by experts in the field, this course allows housing professionals to learn through readings, videos, interactive activities such as written exercises and quizzes, and graded assignments.
ONPHA’s online courses can be completed at your own pace and schedule from any internet-enabled device. You will have access to the content and a moderator for a period of three months.
Requirements
In order to access this course, make sure you have:
- Internet connection
- Operating systems: Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10.6 or higher
- Browser: Runs JavaScript
- Additional requirements: Updated versions of Adobe Reader