Permanent Dsw

New Directions is a social service agency offering a wide range of resources and services that foster people’s hopes and dreams in their communities.

**Child Home Services (CHS) **is one of the many programs offered by New Directions; this program provides homes for children and youth with behavioural and emotional difficulties. We are currently seeking Direct Support Workers to join our Community Homes for Children program. These community-based resources are designed to promote a sense of belonging and provide opportunities to engage in a meaningful life. This is achieved by creating a home environment that welcomes the participation of the child or youth as a member, supporting his or her pursuit of interests and goals, and helping maintain and strengthen the bond between the child or youth and his or her significant others. We provide an environment that is non-judgmental, safe and caring.

**Responsibilities**:

- Establishing meaningful, caring, and respectful relationships with children and youth
- Maintaining appropriate boundaries and setting limits with children and youth
- Providing care to children and youth in a community and residential setting
- Participating in programming to meet the individual goals of children and youth
- Participating in various recreational and physical activities with children and youth
- Cooking, house cleaning, yard work and other household maintenance duties
- Liaising with the education system and other community resources
- Providing support with personal hygiene routines, lifts and transfers when required

**Requirements**:

- A High School Diploma or equivalent
- Hold a valid Driver’s License and the ability to drive a motor vehicle unsupervised
- **Must be available to work a variety of shifts on a 24/7 basis **(days, evenings, overnights and weekends)
- Fluency in American Sign Language (ASL) considered an asset
- 2 years of directly related education and/or experience supporting individuals with autism, intellectual/developmental disabilities, mental health issues, anxiety, self-injurious behaviour/suicidal ideation, FASD, behavioural problems and emotional difficulties is considered an asset
- Ability to transfer knowledge and awareness into behaviors and expectations recognized as appropriate by members of identified cultures and by people with lived experience
- Effective self-care strategies and ability to remain professional in stressful situations
- A health care background, First Aid /C.P.R., and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training (NCI) certification are considered assets.

The salary range is $17.11 to $23.10 per hour (equivalent to $35,588 - $48,048 per annum), dependent upon education and/or experience. A full benefits package (which include Health and Dental Benefits, Long Term Disability Benefits, and a Pension Plan) is provided to regular full-time staff.