Job Purpose:

This role works closely with Children’s Services, the program provides a continuum of services to improve the outcomes for young adults and youth in Northeast Edmonton. The Transitional Youth Worker will assist youth and young adults in stabilizing their lives, decreasing barriers, and increasing opportunities for success.

Key Areas of Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Child Intervention Practitioners (CIP) at Children’s Services to create an individualized service plan for youth and young adults in northeast Edmonton.
• Actively build and establish relationships with youth/young adults.
• Be willing and able to support the youth/young adults to meet their individualized needs and goals, whatever they may be, as well as to respond quickly in times of crisis.
• Build a support team around the youth/young adults using a wraparound approach, to help ensure that they are able to succeed in meeting their goals.
• Have a deep understanding of the barriers faced by youth/young adults and a willingness to meet them where they are at, and to be relentless and unconditional in their support and positive regard.
• Understand that every youth/young adult is different and has different needs and be willing to be flexible and to work from a client-centered and relationship-based approach that puts the youth/young adults at the centre of their own service plan and allows the youth/young adults to be in the “drivers seat”.
• Coordinate appropriate services and help connect with youth/young adults to resources in the community and reduces barriers for that youth/young adult by helping them to make and schedule appointments, understanding that they may struggle to remember scheduled appointments and often live in a chaos that prevents them from following through despite their best intensions.
• Be willing and able to assist with transportation to appointments when deemed appropriate by the service team.
• Use a harm-reduction model when making decisions about how best to support their youth/young adults, recognizing that baby steps towards a healthier lifestyle may be all that the youth is capable of at that time.
• Provide a sympathetic listening ear to the youth/young adults’ struggles and frustrations and provide a healthy mentoring adult relationship in their life.
• Recognize that sometimes youth/young adults are not able to accept the supports or services that the Service Team may want to give them and is still willing to engage with them where they are at.
• Be a strong advocate for their youth/young adults to other service providers, standing up for their rights and sometime not taking “no” for an answer if youth cannot get their needs met (obviously with a strong sensitivity to professional boundaries and respect for other workers)
• Work in collaboration with CS partners, the C5, and all relevant community resources.
• Complete and upload case notes within 24-48 hours of contact.
• Coordinate and facilitate monthly service team meetings.
• Ensure that progress, goals, and tasks are accurately documented.
• Attend all relevant trainings and share information with the team (including all staff)
• BSCS is more than a workplace. It is a community where everyone helps and contributes to the whole, and there is an expectation that all employees will take part in events (during the work week and occasionally during weekends and evenings). This includes fundraising campaigns, running community meals, medicine picking etc.
• All other duties as outlined by program manager.

Education, Experience & Skills:

• Diploma or Degree in Human Services; minimum of two years of relevant related experience. Must have knowledge and experience working with youth/young adults and families.
• Ability to work in a highly stressful and ever-changing environment.
• Must have excellent boundaries.
• Mental resiliency is key.
• Demonstrate knowledge of philosophies and approaches related to working with youth/young adults, including harm reduction, trauma-informed practices and relationship-based practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of addiction, gangs, sexual exploitation, homelessness, poverty, abuse, and neglect.
• Knowledge of Indigenous Culture, historical trauma, and anti-oppressive practice
• Exhibit an exceptional ability in connecting with youth/young adults and understanding barriers encountered by youth/young adults.
• Knowledge of the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act.
• Demonstrate effective time management skills, strong professional boundaries and quick and efficient problem-solving skills.
• Basic computer and report writing skills, including Microsoft Office and experience working with a database (e.g. SharePoint)
• Strong ability to collaborate with multi-disciplinary service teams, and varied perspectives

Training & Screening Requirements:

• Valid First Aid certificate required.
• Police Information Check kept up to date (every 3 years)
• Child and Youth Intervention record kept up to date (every 3 years)
• Valid Class 5 Non GDL license

Clients, staff, and partners are vital members of the Boyle Street team, so we place emphasis on making sure that we address each other correctly by using preferred pronouns. We invite you to let us know how to properly refer to you and your pronouns as you explore finding a professional home with us.

Boyle Street Community Services aims to foster a work environment that is rich with Indigenous culture, teachings, ceremonies, and activities- as a reflection of the communities we serve and the land we reside upon. Boyle Street Community Services is an equal opportunity employer. We value the diversity of the communities we serve and are committed to engaging and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. Boyle Street Community Services welcomes applications from First Nation, Inuit, Métis, New Canadian, differently abled, and LGBTQ2S communities.