JOB SUMMARY:

The Youth Worker provides assessment, planning and supportive interventions for the clients of the YRC- Youth Education Support Program. This position will support clients in staying or returning to school, developing job entry skills, facilitating engagement in pro-social activities, understanding and overcoming personal/family problems, reducing violent and aggressive behaviours, complying with court orders, building necessary pro-social, conflict management and life skills, transitioning to independence or other relevant services, connecting or reconnecting to positive community and family networks, and in establishing and achieving realistic goals. A variety of approaches may be used to achieve goals including mediation, one-to-one support, group work, coaching, life skill instruction and support, and outreach-based interventions.

• Works with clients to assess needs and goals, developing each Individual Service Plan, and co-developing strategies for meeting their goals.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of Individual Service Plans and clients’ progress. Assisting each client to resolve identified issues and moving towards defined objectives.
• Works closely with personnel within the School District #34 in developing Individual Education and job placement plans and supporting the youth in attaining the goals set out in those plans.
• Plans, prepares, and conducts individual, family or group sessions.
• Where required, provides short-term conflict-resolution interventions with parents and teens, outreach support to youth and their families, phone and in-person monitoring of court-mandated curfews, or one-to-one support to individual youth.
• Works with clients “where they are” to provide relevant meaningful change opportunities in their homes, on the street or in the Youth Resource Center.
• Links with community service providers as well the business community, faith communities, schools and neighbourhoods to build positive connections for youth, capacity for community sponsorship in youth initiatives, and to shift attitudes about youth in community to “youth as assets”.
• Assists youth in making and maintaining critical transitions, i.e., to independence, between residences, from street to safety/home/foster home, from CYMH to Adult Mental Health services, from treatment to community, from Youth Justice Involvement to positive lifestyle choices.
• Works with at-risk youth, primarily females involved in the justice system and engaging in high-risk behaviours.
  This position is a great fit for someone who is knowledgeable of youth culture and current trends, is able to build rapport and work with youth with high-risk behaviours and has strong crisis management skills.