Youth Outreach Worker

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Youth Outreach Worker

**Youth Outreach Worker - Full-time Permanent **Competition #82-23

About this Role

Directions Youth Services is a division of Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV), which for more than 90 years has provided a variety of essential resources for children, families and individuals in the Greater Vancouver community. We believe in the resiliency of Vancouver’s youth who are at-risk, homeless, and street-involved. We assist youth under the age of 25 to get counselling for trauma, mental health or substance issues. Our teams strive to create spaces and build connections with youth who are facing challenges of street life, substance use, mental health concerns, and disconnection from their communities. Directions inclusive programs of shelter and drop-in, safe houses and other unique programs are committed to being a community leader in harm reduction work and fostering low-barrier spaces where all youth are welcome.

Working within the mission, vision, values and person-centered philosophy of the Agency, the Outreach program works to promote safer, healthier alternatives for youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The focus is to promote awareness of and connect youth to appropriate services and resources to reduce the harm in their lives. The program focuses support in the areas of the west end, downtown south and downtown east side areas of Vancouver. This position consists of working with youth who are unhoused, precariously housed, or sleeping rough, 24 years of age and under (prioritizing youth 18 and under), struggle with substance use, face mental health challenges, are neurodiverse, are sexually exploited, have criminal involvement, and/or are in crisis. The position actively supports the Agency’s awareness and goals around diversity, inclusion justice and equity.

About our Opportunity:
**Our Valued Benefits**:

- Starting at three weeks’ vacation for full-time staff
- Three paid household leave days a year
- Two paid Wellness Days a year
- Paid sick days
- Two and a half paid Agency days for full-time staff
- Five paid days for education leave/year
- One paid Moving Day/year
- Subsidized professional association annual dues (if applicable)
- A work culture that values transparency, teamwork, learning, fairness and integrity

**Health and Wellness Resources**:

- Generous health/dental benefits after three months.
- Three flex benefit options to meet your individualized needs
- Option of psychological/counselling services (up to $1500/year)
- Employee Assistance Plan
- Long Term Disability Plan
- Insurance, Travel insurance, ++

**Pension**: Pension plan enrollment after twelve months

**Work Hours**: 35 hours/ week (4 day work week - Wednesday-Saturday condensed work week, 8.75 hours a day)

**Salary**: GS 9 Step 1- $48,921 annual salary

**Location**: 1138 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

**Posting End Date**:Posting will remain open until filled

What you bring:

- Provide outreach to youth at all Directions Youth Services sites and areas where youth congregate in order to initiate contact, establish rapport, and build trusting, supportive, therapeutic relationships with street-involved and unhoused youth, and link them with culturally appropriate and relevant services and resources
- Identify youth’s individual needs and provide support, encouragement, collaboration and education to youth in matters related to crisis intervention, harm reduction, conflict resolution, community resources, substance use information, and advocacy with the intention of connecting youth to services.
- Work closely and collaboratively with all of Directions Youth Services, other community agencies, and government ministries in the development of youth case management plans, using best practices.
- Work independently in pairs in the community, responding to emerging needs and crises and prioritizing tasks as they arise.

**Education, Training, Experience**
- Two year post-secondary course/diploma in social work or youth care/certificate in related field
- Minimum one year experience working with unhoused and/or street-involved youth
- Experience with adolescent development and the impacts sexual exploitation, substance use, mental health challenges, poverty, neurodiversity and/or marginalization have on youth
- Lived experience is considered an asset
- A combination of education/experience can be considered

**Knowledge, Skills, Abilities**
- Knowledge of substance use, mental health, and sexual exploitation; knowledge of and belief in the Harm Reduction model.
- Knowledge of community, social, and health resources.
- Knowledge of the ongoing and systemic impacts of colonization.
- Knowledge of how systems impact and make vulnerable individuals and communities.
- Ability to deal effectively with conflict situations, manage aggressive behaviour, and use non-violent crisis intervention and behavioural management techniques
- Physical ability to carry ou