Residential Counsellor

November 10, 2023 Posting # 1393
- **YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth. We are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces. **_**YouthLink works towards equitable outcomes for youth in our community and, as such, is committed to equity-based hiring practices.**_

**YouthLink Benefits are Top of Class**
- Competitive pay
- *Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of **20** working days per year.
- **5**‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
- **3 **paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months’ service.
- Maternity / parental /adoption leave top-up payments (to top-up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).
- Eligibility to participate in pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with generous matching contribution from employer.
- **(pro-rated for part-time employees according to the employee’s full-time equivalency (FTE))**_

**Residential Counsellor**

**(Permanent Part-time, 20 hours/week)**

**(Bargaining unit position)**

This position is responsible for providing high quality residential care for 9 female identified youth (14-18) and youth who are gender fluid, non-binary and transitioning from male to female and female to male in a live-in treatment home. The program is committed to fostering an environment which promotes safety and security for youth who have experienced any or all of the following. Traumatic events, abuse, parental/family conflict, neglect, and/or issues with attachment that more than likely are contributing to a deterioration of their mental health, sense of self and low self-esteem. This position provides direct care and case management, as well as administrative and household functions of the residence.

**Highlights of Your Role**

**Client Centered Approach**:Creates (in consultation with youth/placing agency/parents) specialized plans of care with individualized goals for youth assigned on your case load; including but is not limited to development of self-esteem, healthy relationships with both self and others, self-regulation in stressful times and problem solving, Provides case management progress reports internally and externally as required.

**Documentations and report writing**:Writes reports and other administrative tasks: serious occurrence and incident reports, daily logs, medical logs, missing person, etc. Orients new residents. Works with student placements.

**Maintain daily functions of the Residence**: Maintains the residence, including cleaning, maintenance tasks, garbage removal, snow removal, fire drills and fire safety checks and other routine tasks associated with the care of the residence.

**Supports Organization’s Strategy**: Actively contributes to the Agency’s Strategic Plan by participating in initiatives and committees to support the overall plan. This includes continual learning and growth in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Any other duties as assigned.

**Highlights of What You Bring**

**Education**:

- Child and Youth Worker Diploma or Degree, Social Work, Psychology or a directly related discipline
- Specialized training in attachment theory, developmental lifespan stages, neurobiology of the brain and the impact of trauma.
- Specialized training in relevant interventions to address behavioural issues from a trauma informed attachment lens is an asset.

**Experience**:

- Two (2) years experience working with at-risk adolescents.
- Experience working from a strength-based, relational approach.
- Knowledge of community services, relevant legislation, and social justice issues.
- Familiarity with suicide/risk assessment and crisis support services.
- Familiarity with operating from an Anti-Black Racism lens and knowledge of working with black youth
- Experience working in residential group treatment with adolescent youth is an asset.
- Experience providing Afrocentric programming an asset.

**Skills**:

- Ability to perform tasks involving physical activity, including lifting, bending and prolonged standing as well as the ability to be trained in CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) techniques or any ministry approved physical restraint training program.
- Ability to work within a staff team that provides high quality care for female identified youth (14-18) and youth who are gender fluid, non-binary and transitioning from male to female and female to male who have diverse needs and experience, including knowledge of diversity issues
- Knowledge of working with a diversity of black youth.
- Understanding that team dynamics are an important factor in working with vulnerable people and a necessity for team collaboration.
- Display the capacity and capabil