Youth Outreach Worker

at  Archway Community Services

JOB SUMMARY

The Youth Outreach Worker supports South Asian youth at-risk of criminal involvement, and/or have family members affiliated with criminal activity. The Youth Worker supports youth 12 to 18 years old who are gang involved or at high risk of gang involvement. This position is mostly outreach based with the goal of building trust and relationships with youth. Youth are supported in setting and achieving goals that reduce risks and/or enhance protective factors.

Archway’s Youth Outreach Worker with the South Asian Community Resource Office (SACRO) contributes by:

• Connecting with assigned youth via phone, text, video chat, and in person. In-person meetings may take place in the community, at the youth’s school, or at the SACRO office.
• Building relationships with youth, establishing trust, setting appropriate boundaries and sharing stories and life experiences using the principles of trauma informed care.
• Assisting clients with setting SMART goals and supporting youth in meeting goals.
• Documenting all case work about the clients in the CAMS database, including intake assessments, goals, and case notes, while taking and updating accurate case notes on an ongoing basis.
• Communicating with the school administrator as needed to monitor the youth’s progress in the school setting and with the youth’s family to set and confirm appointments outside school hours.
• Supporting the youth as they attempt to leave gang involvement or distance themselves from gang culture and establish positive connections.
• Aiding clients in identifying, understanding and overcoming personal/family problems, connecting or reconnecting to positive community and family networks, and in establishing and achieving realistic goals.
• Using a variety of approaches to achieve goals including one-to-one and family support, and life-skill instruction.
• Reporting escalating significant changes in youth behaviour to the case manager in a timely manner, while role-modelling appropriate positive behaviours and social norms.
• Retraining negative views and assisting clients in processing negative feelings.

This position is ideal for someone who is empathetic, proactive, and organized. The ideal candidate will have a genuine passion for helping others, particularly youth, and will excel in building trusting relationships. Strong communication skills and the ability to manage fluctuating workloads are essential. Furthermore, the candidate should demonstrate a strong client focus, showing genuine care and empathy for the needs and difficulties of others. They should also possess excellent coaching abilities, providing timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge or skills. The candidate should excel in relationship building, maintaining constructive and professional relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to ensure friendly and effective service.
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