Location: Various locations across York Region.Reports To: Program Team Lead.
Direct accountabilities include:
- Provide youth with a safe place to stay and basic needs (food, bedding and hygiene) while they emerge from crisis.
- Respond to immediate needs, provide supports, and resolve conflicts.
- Follow up with youth regarding their case plan, goals, and activities, and make referrals or do warm transfers as required.
- Responsible for creating and maintaining a clean and welcoming environment for Youth in care.
- Provide ongoing life skills (where applicable), support and mentoring.
- Complete daily documentation, including case notes and daily statistics.
- Work with youth to assess their housing needs and help them look for housing.
- Make appropriate referrals to internal programs and/or external partners.
- Provide youth with encouragement and help connect them to supports that will help them address challenges in their lives.
- Provide ongoing daily support, assistance and encouragement to break the cycles of poverty and homelessness.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS OR SKILLS REQUIRED:
- Post-Secondary degree/diploma in a Child/youth related field (e.g. Child and Youth, Social Service Worker, Social Worker, Psychology, Sociology) or the equivalent combination of education and experience working with youth.
- Minimum of two years' experience working with “at-risk” or street involved youth.
The ideal candidate will possess:
- Extensive knowledge of working with youth, including understanding of harm reduction principals and trauma informed care.
- Demonstrated client focused counselling skills and role modelling.
- Excellent communication skills and have the ability to be adaptable with a flexible approach taking into consideration the unique qualities of each client.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills that promote positive team building, negotiation and conflict resolution.
- A broad knowledge of community resources and the ability to strongly advocate for clients and professional referrals.
- Current First Aid/CPR certification, current Broad record check.
- Candidates must be flexible to work a variety of shifts including evening, weekend and overnight shifts. Shifts will take place on site our Richmond Hill and Markham locations.
- Overnight shifts are awake shifts with ability to respond to incidents as they arise.