Youth Peer Support/engagement Coordinator

**Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator**
**Full Time/ Permanent**
**Cranbrook, BC**

**Who We Are**:Foundry is removing barriers and increasing access to health and wellness services for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers through a network of youth-friendly centres across British Columbia and online. Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child & Family Service Society is the lead agency, and as such, will ensure Indigenous values, and the values of all are respected by offering integrated mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer support and social services. Foundry makes it easier for young people to find support in their communities. Online resources and first-of-its-kind virtual care further broaden Foundry's reach.

**The Opportunity**:The Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator will be developed in two stages:
**1. Prior to the opening of Foundry East Kootenay - **Engagement sessions with communities, young people, services and systems to highlight Foundry virtual services. This position will also foster engagement with all sectors to design and implement services for Foundry East Kootenay.

2. **Upon the opening of Foundry East Kootenay** - Participates as a member of the Foundry centre team. Drawing on their own lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges, the Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator helps youth and young adults with enhancing their health and wellness, service navigation, and resource information and connects them with Foundry and/or community resources. The Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator offers peer-based mentoring and emotional support and works collaboratively with youth, their families and members of the care team. An ability to support neurodiverse, gender and sexually diverse, Indigenous, racialized, rural and remote, or youth and young adults with physical disabilities as a peer would be considered an asset. This position assists with the delivery of walk-in services and outreach activities, offering support both on a one-on-one basis and in a group setting. The Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator acts as an advocate and role model, helping young people and their families recognize that with hope, recovery is possible.

**In the Role as a Youth Peer Support/Engagement Coordinator**:

- Plays a key role in ensuring that the centre offers a safe, welcoming, inclusive and youth-friendly environment;
- Establishes a purposeful relationship with young people and supports their engagement and participation in centre services;
- Provides support, guidance and mentorship for youth and their families and assists in sharing information on resources and live experience system navigation;
- Assists youth with the activities of daily living including time management, organization and interpersonal communication;
- Accompanies youth to appointments in the community;
- Develops, leads or co-facilitates group services to promote skill development and mental health and substance use recovery and relapse prevention;
- Coordinates, participates in or assists with planning recreation and social activities;
- Provides support to aid with reducing youth’s distress, improve or maintain functioning and enable independence and active participation;
- Works collaboratively with team members to meet pre-established goals and objectives, facilitates recovery-based peer support meetings and activities;
- Works collaboratively with centre staff, community and hospital-based teams to build relationships between youth, families and systems to enhance the awareness of youth and family needs;
- Completes and maintains related records and documentation in electronic medical records and data systems including service information, progress reports and notes, and care plans;
- Participates in team meetings, case conferences and organizational initiatives;
- Works as a liaison between the Foundry centre, the youth accessing the centre and the Youth Peer Engagement Coordinator on the Foundry Central Office team;
- Participates in various knowledge exchange and learning opportunities facilitated by Foundry Central Office; and
- Performs other duties as assigned.

**What You Will Bring to the Role**:

- Grade 12 plus related experience working with youth and young adults with mental health and/or substance use issues or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience;
- Lived experience of mental illness and/or substance use, completion of, or eligible for completion of a recognized youth peer support training program, and willing to self-identify and share experience of recovery;
- Ability to establish rapport and maintain therapeutic relationships with young people and family members;
- Knowledge of peer support practices and recovery;
- Empathic and compassionate, with good listening skills and creative thinking and a willingness to share one’s own story to facilitate and supp