Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wellness Worker

🎯 Role Definition

The Wellness Worker delivers client-centered wellness and recovery support through assessment, individualized care planning, health promotion, and coordinated community services. Working across community, residential and clinical settings, the Wellness Worker provides practical assistance, therapeutic activities and case coordination for people experiencing mental health challenges, chronic health conditions, social isolation or barriers to participation. This position emphasizes trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, harm reduction, and measurable client outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Peer Support Worker / Peer Mentor
Support Worker or Disability Support Worker
Volunteer Community Outreach or Health Promotion Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Wellness Worker / Team Lead
Care Coordinator or Case Manager
Clinical Support Worker or Mental Health Practitioner
Program Manager, Wellness or Community Services

Lateral Moves:

Outreach Worker
Health Promotion Officer
Residential Support Worker
Behavioural Support Practitioner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive psychosocial and strengths-based assessments with clients to identify needs, risks, functional goals, triggers and supports, using validated screening tools and clinical interviews.
Develop, document and implement individualized wellness and care plans in collaboration with clients, families and multidisciplinary teams that include measurable goals, interventions, timeframes and review dates.
Provide one-on-one support and coaching to clients to build daily living skills, self-management strategies, relapse prevention plans and independent living capabilities.
Facilitate structured group programs and therapeutic activities (e.g., psychoeducation, life skills, mindfulness, peer support groups, exercise and nutrition workshops) designed to improve wellbeing and social connection.
Deliver crisis assessment and immediate de-escalation interventions during behavioral or mental health emergencies, following organizational protocols and safety plans.
Coordinate referrals and warm handovers to allied health professionals, primary care, mental health clinicians, housing services, employment support, substance use services and legal advocacy as required.
Monitor client progress, document clinical notes, update risk assessments and adjust care plans using secure electronic health record systems to maintain compliance with regulatory and organizational standards.
Advocate for clients’ needs with external agencies, landlords, employers and community providers to remove barriers to care and promote equitable access to services.
Administer or assist with medication support within scope of practice and organizational policy, including observing adherence, documenting medication events and communicating medication concerns to prescribers.
Implement harm reduction strategies, safe use education and overdose prevention measures where relevant, including naloxone training and distribution.
Support clients with housing stability tasks: tenancy sustaining support, assistance with applications, liaising with housing providers and coordinating temporary accommodation when needed.
Provide transport or accompaniment to appointments, work placements and community activities; complete vehicle checks and maintain travel logs when transporting clients.
Perform structured risk management, incident reporting and follow-up investigations, ensuring timely escalation to clinical leads and regulatory authorities as required.
Deliver culturally safe care by adapting interventions to clients’ cultural backgrounds, liaising with cultural support services and ensuring trauma-informed approaches.
Build and maintain trusting therapeutic relationships that promote client autonomy, informed consent and strengths-based recovery planning.
Participate in multidisciplinary case reviews, team care planning meetings and referral network workshops to ensure holistic, coordinated care.
Use motivational interviewing, solution-focused and strengths-based approaches to support behavior change, goal setting and readiness for change.
Support employment, education and volunteer access by providing job readiness coaching, resume help, interview practice and referral to vocational services.
Maintain confidentiality, privacy and professional boundaries while providing empathetic, respectful client-centered care and demonstrating sound ethical judgment.
Track program outcomes, collect client-level data for quality improvement, and contribute to reporting requirements and funding acquittals.
Support transition planning and discharge coordination, creating step-down supports, community linkages and follow-up contacts to reduce re-admission and support continuity of care.
Identify gaps in service delivery, propose operational improvements, and participate in program evaluation and service development activities.

Secondary Functions

Contribute to service improvement initiatives, program evaluations and evidence-based practice updates by collecting data, participating in audits and writing short reports.
Support and occasionally deliver staff training sessions on trauma-informed care, cultural safety, CPR/First Aid, motivational interviewing and de-escalation techniques.
Participate in community outreach, engagement events and health promotion campaigns to increase awareness of services and improve early access to care.
Assist with administrative tasks including scheduling client appointments, managing caseload records, preparing client progress summaries and invoicing documentation.
Supervise, mentor and provide on-the-job coaching for volunteers, students or less experienced support workers as required.
Maintain supply and equipment inventories for program activities, order consumables and ensure safe storage of clinical materials.
Attend regular team meetings, clinical supervision and professional development sessions, and maintain required professional registrations and certifications.
Support policy and procedure reviews and ensure day-to-day operations comply with organizational, funding and regulatory standards.
Drive outreach vehicles for community visits when required and ensure compliance with organizational transport and safety policies.
Represent the organization at interagency meetings, case conferences and community stakeholder forums to strengthen referral pathways and community partnerships.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Clinical and psychosocial assessment using validated screening tools and structured assessment frameworks.
Person-centered care planning and measurable goal setting with demonstrated outcomes reporting.
Case coordination and referral management across health, housing, employment and social services.
Proficiency with electronic health records (EHR), case management software and secure documentation practices.
Competence in basic medication support and adherence observation within defined scope of practice.
Crisis intervention, behavioral de-escalation and formal risk assessment techniques.
Group facilitation and program delivery skills for therapeutic and educational sessions.
Harm reduction practices, naloxone administration knowledge and overdose prevention techniques.
Basic first aid and CPR certification, plus workplace health and safety compliance.
Experience with motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy and trauma-informed approaches.
Data collection for quality improvement, KPI tracking and client outcomes measurement.
Valid driver’s license and experience conducting community outreach visits (where required).

Soft Skills

Empathetic, non-judgmental communication and strong active listening skills that build trust quickly.
High cultural competence and ability to provide culturally safe supports across diverse populations.
Strong verbal and written communication for clear documentation, reporting and interagency liaison.
Excellent problem-solving and crisis-management abilities with calmness under pressure.
Team collaboration and ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
Time management and organizational skills to manage a variable caseload and competing priorities.
Confidentiality, ethical judgment and professional boundaries in sensitive client interactions.
Resilience, self-awareness and capacity to seek supervision and reflect on practice.
Motivational skills to engage clients who are ambivalent or experiencing low motivation.
Adaptability and initiative in community-based settings with changing environments and client needs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent plus a relevant vocational certificate (e.g., Certificate III/IV in Individual Support, Community Services or Mental Health).

Preferred Education:

Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Community Services, Mental Health, Nursing, Psychology, Public Health or related allied health discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Community Services / Human Services
Mental Health / Addiction Studies
Nursing
Public Health
Psychology
Allied Health assisting

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years of paid experience supporting adults or youth in community, residential or clinical settings; exposure to mental health, substance use or housing support preferred.

Preferred:

2–5 years experience in community-based wellness programs, case management or mental health support roles, including demonstrated success in crisis intervention, group facilitation and multi-agency coordination.
Experience working with culturally diverse populations, Indigenous communities or refugee and migrant groups is highly regarded.
Experience using EHR/case management systems and proven ability to collect and report outcome data.