Child and Youth Special Needs Coordinator

**Primary Responsibilities and Duties**
- Support, enhance and improve services to special needs children and youths with regards to their health, development, learning, quality of life, participation and community inclusion.
- Identify and/or make referrals to social, financial, recreational and educational services in the community to further support the identified needs of the person served. Liaise with other agencies, professionals, government officials and the community as necessary.
- Complete intake assessments by acquiring historical and current information regarding the person being served. This process may include interviews with the person, parent(s)/caregiver(s), professionals and others. Functional assessments may also be completed where indicated.
- Create an Individual Service Plan (ISP) based on evaluating individual strengths, needs, abilities and preferences of the person served and their parent(s)/caregiver(s). The ISP embodies goals for support and strategies for goal attainment.
- Ensure that persons served, their parent(s)/caregiver(s), and other family members, as appropriate, actively participate in developing the ISP.
- Plan, organize and implement behavioural, educational, recreational, social, and life skills-based programming as per the ISP. Where behavioural plans are undertaken, they are consistent with established Positive Behavioural Support practices and protocols.
- Support parents/caregivers and family members to implement existing behavioural care plans in-home and community.
- Provide capacity-building education and support to parents/caregivers including short-term service navigation where indicated.
- Monitor, review and evaluate progress made by the person served and modify programming as required.
- Act as a member of any existing or subsequently established multi-disciplinary care team that works collectively on behalf of the child, youth and/or family.
- Act as an advocate for the individual including attending meetings with the person served and their parent(s)/caregiver(s); provide a transition to employment support to youth.
- Recognize, assess, and develop strategies to manage potential and emerging crises.
- Maintain complete, legible, and organized documentation on the activities of the person served, progress made towards goals established in the ISP and all other documentation required by the program.
- Meet timelines for the submission of all documentation established under the program;
- Perform other duties within the scope of the position, as assigned.

**Basic Qualifications**
- All employees of NIFCS are required to submit a Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Screening, comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), its regulations and all occupational health and safety policies and procedures. Further, to work evening and flexible hours and attend cultural awareness training among other training.
- A valid BC Driver’s License.

**Education Requirements**:

- Degree in Social Work (Clinical Specialty or equivalent training/education), Educational Counselling, Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Child and Youth Care, **or equivalent**.

**Related Experience**:
At least two (2) year’s previous social services work experience in program delivery in the Child and Youth with Special Needs sector including:

- Behaviour management (preferably using Positive Behaviour Supports or Applied Behaviour Analysis), life skills training, and crisis management.
- Parental capacity and skill-building development; interviewing to gather information to be used in the completion of functional assessments; preparing goal and action-oriented Individual Service Plans (ISP).
- Working in collaboration and consultation with members of the community and other agencies.
- Group management and facilitation skills.
- Familiarity with mental health conditions that often co-exist with developmental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders; working under pressure to meet tight deadlines.

**Compensation & Benefits**
- You can expect a supportive work environment, a total compensation package that includes a competitive wage, extended health and dental benefits.
- This is a Bargaining Unit position.
- An eligibility list may be established to fill permanent and/or temporary vacancies.

**Submission Deadline**:

- Open until filled.