QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Post-secondary graduation from a recognized program in child and youth care, social services, or a related discipline and preferably a minimum of one year’s part-time experience related to the work OR completion of an approved diploma course in child and youth care and preferably a minimum of two years’ full-time experience related to the work.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge of the philosophy and objectives of a planned youth community recreation and culture programs.
• Considerable knowledge of working with youth in care, youth and substance use, youth in the criminal justice and social welfare systems.
• Considerable knowledge of how to establish and maintain rapport with youth in the community and work with youth to create youth leadership opportunities in a community centre setting.
• Considerable knowledge of the methods, materials, equipment and practices involved in conducting community recreation and culture programs for youth.
• Working knowledge of standard casework techniques and their application to behavioural, social and family issues related to youth.
• Working knowledge of the youth service agencies and related resources in the community.
• Working knowledge of the fundamentals of program leadership and recreational instruction.
• Knowledge of developing rules and regulations collaboratively with youth, community members, and institutions and dealing consistently and tactfully with groups or individuals to observe these rules and regulations.
• Ability to plan, promote, instruct and participate in youth programs and out trips following established program planning and risk management processes, working collaboratively with other department staff as relevant.
• Ability to recruit, instruct, supervise, and direct the work of full-time and part-time group leaders, part-time staff and volunteers involved in youth recreation programs.
• Ability to identify, recommend and seek approval for youth recreation programs based on input from the youth, demographic data, and practice/theory-based understandings of youth needs in their community.
• Ability to organize, promote and direct others in a variety of youth recreational activities and assign and review the work of youth recreational personnel.
• Ability to act as a resource person for youth by providing general guidance on a wide variety of topics,and to refer to appropriate youth serving agencies and community resources.
• Ability to advocate for spaces and staffing within a community centre setting for youth during the times that youth frequent the facility.
• Ability to maintain working relationships with a wide variety of contacts including parents/guardians, relatives, and agencies engaged in youth services; supports the youth services hubs.
• Ability to advocate for youth in certain situations and assist in facilitating access to services and supports.
• Ability to know and follow provincial legislation for child protection, and to advise centre staff on responding to and reporting issues of child protection.
• Ability to maintain statistical, financial, and clerical records and to write reports.

MAIN PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

The Community Youth Worker (CYW) is responsible for planning, developing, coordinating, promoting and implementing a community-based youth services program in partnership with site programming staff and community members.
CYWs focus on two main activities in youth work: Youth Development (direct work with children, preteens and youth ages 5-18 and their families), and Community Outreach/Development (working with the community, community programs and services on preteen and youth issues and interests). The CYW carries considerable responsibility in ensuring that these programs and the youth spaces in their community centre run effectively, safely, and successfully. In addition, CYWs have site supervisory and administrative functions, and citywide leadership and program development responsibilities.
A CYW exercises independent judgement on coordination and implementation of approved preteen and youth activities and the provision of guidance and resource referral services. Difficult or unusual problems are discussed with a supervisor or the Coordinator, Community Youth Development. The development of new programs by the CYW occurs in consultation with the community and programming staff as needed, and with the final approval by the Centre Supervisor and the Coordinator, Community Youth Development.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Aligns programs with the needs and interests of preteens and youth. Facilitates development and implementation of programs to meet emerging preteen and youth needs and interests. Aligns program development, cultural needs, and VanPlay, the Park Board Master Plan.
• Ensures basic needs of youth are met by one-to-one, outreach, advocacy, problem and crisis intervention, food, shelter, safety, and conflict resolution with individual youth and often their family.
• Supports individual preteens and youth to be integrated in the community centre, community programs and school. Works with community programs, services and schools to transform programs to support the development of individual youth and to support family members where appropriate.
• Provides focused support to youth in community centre programs, encouraging participation to build relationships between youth. Assists in social development and improve group dynamics. Identifies systemic barriers to participation and works with colleagues to address concerns.
• Develops and implements programs that develop health, fitness, sports, arts, culture, social skills, and relationships. This may include day camps and/or playground leader programs, and other large projects or programs involving multiple departments and/or stakeholders.
• Places youth in volunteer positions in the Centre and in community, supports youth as they build their individual capacity as leaders. Creates opportunities for youth leadership of programs.
• Supports youth to recommend and initiate program changes and to engage with the Centre and Park Board in program and policy development.
• Focuses on systemic planning and strategies that connect youth to the community centre and the broader community.
• Works cooperatively with community agencies and services to identify equity denied, marginalized, vulnerable, or unconnected youth; includes youth in community centre programs and advocate for services and the transformation of services on their behalf.
• Meets youth where they are at in the community to connect and build relationships with vulnerable youth connect them back to their community centre and their community.
• Works collaboratively with community agencies, schools, and services to examine systemic youth issues that need to be addressed. Advocates and plans systemically to ensure all Vancouver youth have their basic needs met. Advocacy may require challenging existing practices and procedures of agencies, schools, or government.
• Builds partnerships with service providers and Indigenous service providers. Initiates, participates, and provides leadership in the youth service hubs.
• Finds strategic ways to connect youth to decision-making infrastructures that affect their lives. Works with the Park Board, Community Centre Associations, schools, and community agencies in support of youth as community builders and active community members
• Trains, mentors, schedules, and supervises volunteers and Program Assistants to ensure quality and safe programming. Ensures direction, support, leadership and adequate staffing for youth programs and spaces.
• Reports on current youth programs, services and issues.
• Works with colleagues in the community centre, on the YWAT (Youth Worker Action Team), and in Centre-based and citywide project teams to ensure effective, innovative, responsive community youth development.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.