Youth Wellness Support Worker

**Position Summary**

The Youth Empowerment Society is a non-profit community service agency offering support and services to youth and their families.

The Youth Wellness Support Worker is responsible for organizing and implementing social, cultural, recreational activities for youth (ages 13-19) that foster a sense of belonging and community connectedness. The worker will be responsible for providing short-term individualized support, community-based leisure activities and peer-based workshops.

**Duties and Responsibilities**

To perform the job successfully a Youth Wellness Support Worker must be able to consistently perform each essential duty adequately. Other duties may be assigned.

**Youth Engagement and Service Planning**:

- Works with youth, families, and supports to facilitate inclusion into Youth Wellness programming, and to provide ongoing assessments of their individual needs while accessing the program.
- Facilitates referrals to appropriate community services, including identified medical, mental health, trauma, addictions, legal and family services.
- Provides direct supervision and support of youth accessing the program while in a variety of different environments, dependant on the activity of the day.
- Provides behavioural management skills to best support youth and create a safe and stable environment for the youth themselves, staff, volunteers, and other youth in the program.
- In conjunction with the program supervisor, plans, organizes and implements recreational, social and/or educational activities and programs designed to meet the needs of youth accessing the program.
- Encourages and facilitates the participation of individuals in the program.
- Provides crisis intervention and support for youth when required, particularly around issues such as suicidal ideation, mental health and addictions.
- Demonstrates a level of cultural sensitivity and understanding of the client population.
- Forms mutually respectful partnerships with persons served to address any issues and problems they face.
- Accepts the clients’ rights to self-determination and individuality and must not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, language, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, abilities, socio-economic status, political affiliations, or national ancestry.
- Demonstrates a youth centred strength based approach.
- Maintains a positive conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change.
- Sets appropriate boundaries, intervenes appropriately to meet the needs of the persons served.
- Provides transportation options with a company approved vehicle, and carries first aid kit at all times when transporting.
- Carries a work phone that is to be used strictly for contacting youth, supports, and families who are interested in, or are, attending the program regarding details of the program.
- Recognizes persons with special needs and makes appropriate referrals.

**Program Development and Administration**:

- Maintains a collaborative and cooperative working relationship with other YES programs, agencies, professionals, ministries and the community.
- Collects client and program feedback from youth and stakeholders and initiates on-going program evaluation with youth and referral agents.
- Writes reports as required by the Youth Empowerment Society.
- Fulfills the requirements of health and safety policies and emergency procedures and protocols.
- Works respectfully in partnership with other team members in the Agency.
- Participates in supervision meetings with the Program Supervisor as required.
- Monitors and manages own attitudes, behaviours, well being, and professional development in relation to increasingly challenging client populations and complex or sensitive presenting issues such as trauma and abuse.

**Hours/Conditions of Employment**
- Must have clearance from the Authorization for Criminal Records Search prior to commencing employment.
- Must follow the Code of Ethics, Mission Statement and Policies and Procedures of The Victoria Youth Empowerment Society and abide by the relevant rules and reporting guidelines set out by the Ministry of Children and Families and other appropriate governing bodies.
- This position is required to work in a group environment often dealing with multiple youth at one time.
- Valid First Aid and Food Safe certification, preferred.
- This position is required to work in a stressful environment often dealing with groups of youth and youth in crisis situations.
- There may be moderate exposure to undesirable environmental working conditions which may require certain safety precautions i.e. client aggression, exposure to client health issues etc.
- This position is required to work in a stressful environment often dealing with groups of youth and youth in crisis situations.
- This position requires flexibility in work hours.
- There may be moderate exposure to undesirable environmental working conditions which may require certain safe