Social Work Supervisor

Please note: A cover letter and resume are mandatory for all applications.

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth, with absolute respect and unconditional love, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you'll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death. Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other's traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self-awareness and self-care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn't for them, and that is totally fair.

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on-boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

The Impact The Social Work Supervisor Can Make:

As the Social Work Supervisor, you will oversee the Social Workers within our Case Management Team, ensuring compliance with case management policies and procedures, as well as adherence to our mission, philosophies and principles. You will provide direct supervision of 5-6 Social Workers who work across all programs at Covenant House supporting youth in different stages of their journey. You will work alongside the Clinical Counselling Team and Spiritual Care Practitioner as part of a multidisciplinary team that also includes Youth Workers, Team Leaders and Program Managers. Together, you will have the opportunity to build transformative relationships with youth and reduce the risks of street homelessness and substance use. Through relentless engagement, the CHV continuum of care connects with youth where they are at because we feel it should be "one size fits one" when it comes to supporting young people.

How you will contribute:

• Ensure structure and consistency with all social worker practices
• Organize and attend Social Worker Meetings monthly
• Coordinate staffing schedules and manage coverage as needed
• Provide regular reflective practice supervision to Social Workers
• Oversee Practicum Student process, including regular supervision with Social Workers throughout practicum and liaise with schools and HR to ensure appropriate protocols are followed.
• Lead training and team building within the Social Work team
• Orient new social work staff and practicum students (including case management policies and procedures, use of Outcomes Star and ETO, caseload tracking, etc.)
• Provide ongoing training and coaching to Social Workers to enhance skill development, including annual performance reviews and goal setting
• Ensure accuracy and quality of Social Workers documentation, including file reviews, social work notes, case plans, BPSSAs, etc.
• Oversee and monitor caseload assignments to ensure equity and sustainability in workloads
• Liaise with the Research Evaluation and Learning team to address any ETO issues and gaps and ensure high quality functioning of ETO system to meet Social Worker needs
• Ensure adherence to Outcome Star, interpret and document related statistics
• Completion and submission of Social Worker timesheets, monitoring scheduling, pay, and coverage.
• Liaise with outside community resources as needed and as pertains to role of Social Workers with these partners (Foundry, Career Zone, YWCA, 3 Bridges, Directions, etc.) and ensure up to date information regarding community resources utilized by Case Management
• Attend weekly CRMs in CHV programs as well as regular meetings with Program Teams
• Attend and represent CHV among agency and community partner meetings as directed by Manager, Social Work and Clinical Services
• Provide support to the Manager of Social Work and Clinical Services in crisis intervention process, program development, planning, budgeting and other areas as needed

Who are we looking for?

Education and Experience:

• Master of Social Work and be in good standing with BC College of Social Workers
• Supervisory experience in a related field
• Expertise using ETO, Excel, Microsoft Outlook and Word

Competencies:

• An exceptional people manager
• Phenomenal organizational skills and ability to oversee multiple areas of work
• Able to manage competing deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with both community partners and program colleagues
• Experience with direct service to youth population including crisis intervention
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Familiarity with at risk youth and youth homelessness
• Work cooperatively and effectively with others to reach a common goal.
• Strong situational awareness and ability to manage critical incidents
• Ability to adapt decision making based on circumstances or when presented with unclear information
• Familiarity with issues related to substance use and Harm Reduction principles and practices
• Familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety
• Proven case management skills
• Excellent understanding of community service programming
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries with the Youth
• Working knowledge of Trauma Informed Practice

The successful candidate can expect a starting annual salary of between $77,350.00 and $96,678.40 depending on factors such as internal equity, experience, competencies, and education. Once hired, the hourly rates are reviewed annually following the annual performance review and successful employees have the opportunity for their hourly rate to increase, over time, up to the maximum of the pay band, currently $116,006.80.

Beginning immediately, this position has excellent extended health and dental benefits for you, your spouse, and your children, including generous counselling benefits. During the first year, employees receive three weeks' paid vacation, increasing to four in the second year. We have paid sick leave, paid personal leave, a registered pension plan, investment in professional development, and more. If you'd like more information on what we offer, please ask

We were recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2024

Covenant House Vancouver is a secular organization that welcomes and serves young people from all backgrounds. While the international federation to which we belong was founded in the 1970s by members of the Catholic Church, we are not aligned with any specific faith traditions.

CHV is committed to upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:

• Persons from groups marginalized due to race, ancestry, colour, religion/spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
• Persons with visible (physical) and/or invisible (mental) disabilities;
• Persons who identify as women;
• Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; and
• Indigenous persons.

We recognize that many of these identities intersect and that therefore, diversity, equity, and inclusion can be complex. We value the contributions that each person brings and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all at Covenant House Vancouver.

We love what we do and try to make a difference every day. Covenant House Vancouver offers a competitive salary with a great benefits package and excellent opportunity for training and career advancement. If you are looking to join a place where we have a purpose and aim to achieve positive outcomes, please join us by applying.

If our recruitment process does not work for you, let us know. Let's see how we can work together to get to know you and see what might be a great fit