Youth Worker

The Rexdale Community Health Centre (the “Centre”) is a multi-service centre providing primary health care, settlement, community social support and community development activities for women, children, families, youth, adults and seniors of diverse cultures.

The Youth Worker will plan and facilitate the Youth Empowerment Program. The Youth Empowerment Program strives to support, empower and improve the lives of youth from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds, MVP youth, and isolated youth between the ages of 13 to 25 in the North Etobicoke Area with a focus on youth that reside in NIAs (Mount Olive, Jamestown and Kingsview Village, The Westway).

The program aims to support, build capacity by increasing leadership, life skills, self-esteem, build confidence, motivation, empathy, respect, character development and self-efficacy This is achieved by providing opportunities, workshops, drop-in programs, cultural arts and activities, health education/promotion, mentoring, special events, inter-generational programs, youth summer leadership programs, support, resources and referrals.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Ensures a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for youth providing age-appropriate activities with adaptations as needed.
- Design, implement, facilitate and evaluate youth-centred programs and supports
- Provides workshops and trainings life skills training from input set out by the youth and other stakeholders.
- Promotes social skills development, and personal growth of youth
- Foster and assist in the development of self-reliance and strong peer connections
- Initiates activity groups, and programs related to the specific needs and goals of the youth and/or addressing current trends
- Provide support, information, resources, referrals and informal counselling to individuals, and groups in the program and the community
- Initiate and maintain participant involvement in decision-making and program planning for all youth programs and activities
- Organize and facilitate youth advisory group to provide a forum for a community, partners and youth input into program planning.
- Develop and implement outreach strategy for youth including contact with schools and community outreach
- Develop close working relationship with youth
- Assists with the development, co-ordination, facilitation and supervision of all program activities (e.g. social skills training, academics, recreation, field trips, work experience, special projects, groups and workshops)
- Acts as a referral source to and for youth, schools and/or community services and partners.
- Maintains awareness of community resources and gaps as well as the socio-economic and geographical make-up of the community.
- Develop and maintain contact and relationships with community partners, schools and appropriate referral sourcesConsults with social workers, Mental Health Therapists and other professionals, when appropriate.
- Participate in staff meetings and on interdisciplinary teams; participate in Centre as may be required
- Keep general program and participant information and records and maintain accurate engagement and outreach statistics, records and reports; ensure weekly data collection and recording of all encounters, either electronically or manually as directed
- Submits verbal and written reports on program goals objectives and outcomes (work plans).
- Develop and maintain a flexible work schedule that accommodates the needs of the community and program and as approved by your supervisor
- Carry out other duties as may be assigned from time to time

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Post-Secondary education in Child and Youth Care, Social Work, other Social Services, or a combination of at least two years related work experience and relevant education.
- At least one year work experience in social service positions working with youth in a community based setting and in a culturally and racially diverse community.
- Experience with program planning and informal counselling for youth
- Demonstrated skills and experience in working with youth
- Experience in program development, implementation, and evaluation.
- Knowledge of community-based health services
- Strong and demonstrated ability to form relationships with individuals while maintaining healthy boundaries
- Group facilitation skills
- Knowledge of services and community organization for youth
- A commitment to interdisciplinary team approach to coordination of health and social services
- Strong communication skills (verbal and written) combined with computer literacy are required. Ability to negotiate, communicate and maintain a supportive, trusting relationship with those being served.
- Excellent interpersonal, decision-making, problem solving and conflict management skills.
- Demonstrated flexibility, organizational and time management skills in a high-pressure environment.
- Ability to work evenings and occasional weekends.
- Knowledge of the Rexdale community
- Bilingual in French and En