Youth Worker

Status : Temp, Full-time

Range : $31.56- $33.28

Location : Renfrew Heights Vancouver, BC

Schedule : Saturday to Wednesdays 1500-2300h.

Typical Duties :

• Implementing PSR programming and activities that provide opportunities for recreation, leisure, and life skill, development, such as cooking, cleaning and other relevant skills.
• Completes daily housekeeping duties and tasks such as cooking dinner, daily cleaning requirements, and supporting youth to complete their assigned daily chores.
• Supports youth residents to identify strengths and needs, and assists youth to find and gain access to resources relevant to their individualized goals.
• Models life skills and strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle while providing opportunities for youth to develop their own life skills, self-care practices, routines for recovery-maintenance, coping strategies, etc.
• Communicates effectively and models appropriate and respectful conflict resolution skills that provides opportunities to collaboratively build rapport with clients.
• Provides the support, information, & tools that allow residents to develop self-esteem and decision-making skills through role modelling and other techniques.
• Assists clients to identify strengths, needs and goals, and gain access to formal or informal community supports related to leisure, vocational, education, etc.

that provide opportunities for successful community integration.

• Observes and records the physical and mental health status of clients and take necessary actions.
• Advocates for and with the clients to encourage them to maintain their rights and dignity.
• Works with clients, peers, supervisors, other agencies and relatives in a cooperative and professional manner.
• Develops individual and group programming that engages youth and provides opportunities to broaden skills, develop meaningful connections and improve overall quality of life.
• Ensures all requirements of the QWIK process and administrative tasks are completed accurately and within the allocated timeframes.
• Uses formal and informal assessment practices such as interviews to develop individualized care plans, which detail client’s areas of need and / or interests.
• Distributes medications safely in accordance with medication policies and procedures.
• Ensures the implementation of the program’s maintenance, housekeeping and cooking tasks.
• Reports and addresses health and safety issues / concerns as they arise.
• Performs administrative tasks, as assigned.
• Maintains records as required.
• Fulfills any other functions / duties that may develop in conjunction with the above.
• May be asked to direct students and volunteers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Diploma in Child & Youth Care, Community Social Service Work, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience or other qualifications determined to be reasonable and relevant to the level of work
• Recent, related experience of two years
• Ability to provide / obtain the following upon hire : Certificates in First Aid + CPR, WHMIS and FoodSafeMinistry of Justice Criminal Record ClearanceNon-violent Crisis Intervention training, or equivalentTB ClearanceImmunization Records BCDL - Class 5, & copy of Drivers Abstract

Knowledge and Abilities

• Knowledge of housing issues, local community resources, and barriers that youth may face while navigating challenging with mental health and / or substance use.
• Firm understanding of harm reduction approaches, abstinence-based models, and implementation in community settings.
• Demonstrated ability to apply de-escalation skills and strategies in crisis or high-risk situations.
• Demonstrated ability to work with marginalized youth who experience barriers to accessing services and supports, and may be exiting homelessness, have history of significant substance use and / or trauma.
• Demonstrated ability working with individuals in early substance use recovery with complex mental illness and who may have cognitive impairments, disabilities or challenges.
• Understanding of and ability to implement trauma informed approaches
• Knowledge of psychosocial rehabilitation practices
• Knowledge of program policy and procedures
• Knowledge and proficiency in relevant software
• Ability to work with youth living with mental illness.
• A good understanding of the issues related to meeting basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in cooperation with others.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.
• Ability to observe and recognize changes in clients.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate groups.
• Some knowledge of the criminal justice system

About Coast

Coast Mental Health (Coast) is one of the largest mental health non-profit societies in Canada, and operates a large array of innovative housing and community based rehabilitation services for people with a mental illness living in and around Vancouver.

Coast operates in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia providing approximately 1000 people with supportive housing and 4000 clients living in the community with a wide variety of programs and services.

Coast fosters a client-driven, recovery-oriented environment that promotes restoring health, personal growth and a return to society for individuals with a mental illness through advocacy and providing direct programs and services.

Why Coast

• We believe in the person, not the disease
• We operate client-centered care under the principles of psychosocial rehabilitation
• There is a variety of work within a particular position and within the organization
• We strive to be the best that we can be
• We hold Exemplary Status accreditation through Accreditation Canada
• We have won numerous awards for our innovative programming
• We care about our employees, and believe in living our values and culture throughout the organization

Employees of Coast must apply within seven days of the posting date with their internal account (Coast email address registered) to be considered as an internal applicant.

Current Coast employees who apply to this posting using external accounts or after the 7 day deadline will be considered as external candidates.

Seniority will not apply.

Coast Mental Health is committed to creating a culture of diversity and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or disability.