Youth Worker

360°kids Home Base Drop-in Centre, located in the Richmond Hill Community Hub, supports youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, by providing them with food, clothing, counselling, recreation, employment support, education, life skills, and connecting them with services to meet their needs. The Youth Worker at Home Base will provide client centered, hands on support for all youth attending the 360°kids Drop-In program; deliver ongoing life skills support and mentoring; including registration and daily documentation while promoting an empowering, positive and safe environment.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Provide youth with: resources, recreation, counselling, referrals and advocacy services within their community. - Teach life skills individually and in groups.
- Liaise with participants, parents, community partners, schools, donors, coworkers and volunteers.
- Maintain positive relationships and interact with various segments of the community including York Regional Police, CAS, neighbors and property management personnel
- Develop positive relations with the communities being served by the program and with the general public.
- Provide youth with a safe place off the street, and provide basic needs (food, clothing and hygiene).
- Respond to immediate needs, provide supports, and resolve conflicts.
- Follow up with youth regarding their case plan, goals, activities, and make referrals (internal and external referrals) or facilitate warm transfers as required.
- Be a positive mentor and adult role model.
- Work with youth to assess their housing needs and help them look for housing. (Youth with higher needs will be referred to the Housing Support Worker.)
- Provide access to meals, snacks, food pantry; shower, toiletries; laundry; clothes; computers; telephones and other amenities offered at the Drop-in Centre.
- Liaise with community partners to deliver services, information sessions, and life skills groups to meet the needs of youth.
- Other duties as required.

**Education & Skills**:

- Post-Secondary degree/diploma Child/youth related field (eg. Child and Youth, Social Service Worker, Social Worker, Psychology, Sociology) or the equivalent combination of education and experience working with youth.
- Minimum of three years’ experience working with “at-risk” or street involved youth.
- Minimum one year supervisory or management experience.
- Leadership skills, including motivation, delegation, coaching/mentoring and empowerment and the ability to motivate staff.
- Demonstrated extensive knowledge of working with youth, including understanding of the regulatory environment (eg. CFSA).
- Demonstrated client focused counselling skills and role modelling.
- Must possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to be adaptable with a flexible approach taking into consideration the unique qualities of each client.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills that promote positive team building, negotiation and conflict resolution.
- Will possess a broad knowledge of community resources and the ability to strongly advocate for clients and professional referrals.
- Relationship building and management skills, to support relationships with peers, staff, partners and ministry officials and other stakeholders.
- Current First Aid/CPR certification, current Broad Record Check (criminal background check), car and valid driver’s license with a clean driver’s abstract.
- Post-Secondary degree/diploma in a Child/youth related field, with a focus on Mental Health and Addictions (e.g. Child and Youth, Social Service Worker, Social Worker, Psychology, Sociology) or the equivalent combination of education and experience working with youth.
- Minimum of three years’ experience working with “at-risk” or street involved youth.
- Experience using a case management system or HIFIS and VI-SPDAT an asset.
- Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, suicide prevention training an asset.
- Current First Aid/CPR certification.
- Current Broad Record Check (criminal background check).
- Thorough understanding of issues pertaining to youth and knowledge of relevant legislation.
- Thorough understanding of adolescent development and the impact of mental health and substance use difficulties.
- Client focused counselling skills with the ability to be adaptable with a flexible approach taking into consideration the unique qualities of each client.
- Must possess excellent communication skills, exceptional interpersonal skills that promote positive team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
- Ability to work independently with groups of youth and as part of a team.
- Broad knowledge of community resources and the ability to strongly advocate for clients and professional referrals.
- ** Shifts timings Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm with flexibility.