Contract, Outreach Worker, CSS
Top Benefits
About the role
The Impact the Outreach Worker with the Community Support Services Team can make:
Your primary role as the Outreach Worker is to provide services to youth living on the street and/or in the community. You will build trusting, supportive professional relationships with youth who are street homeless, precariously housed, and/or disconnected from services. This role will be to provide street outreach services, primarily in the Downtown Eastside and Granville Street areas of Vancouver, to youth who are experiencing significant mental health and substance use challenges. It is expected that many clients encountered in this role may be in crisis. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to determine the best plan of care to help youth reach their goals and transition to healthy, confident adults. Working in the Community Support Services (CSS) Program you will provide an array of ‘as-needed’ services to young people. You will support the youth with personal planning, referrals to other social services and connections to harm reduction resources. The Outreach Worker must be able to work confidently in an unstructured environment and be comfortable engaging with young adults with significant mental health and substance use concerns. The Outreach Worker is also responsible for planning and implementing all activities related to Covenant House Vancouver’s street reach services.
How you will contribute:
- Responsible for the successful operations of the outreach team activities, which include street-reach, relationship-building, and service coordination with health and community service partners
- Act as a Covenant House Vancouver representative and attend standing community service provider meetings (e.g. Eastside Planning Table, Reconnect, ect).
- Take a lead role in networking with community agencies and sharing information about Covenant House programs and services
- Organize and leads street -reach activities with a shift partner
- Responsible for quality assurance and quality improvements related to outreach services
- Identify, relationship-build, and engage with unhoused or precariously housed youth on an outreach basis
- Meet with individuals experiencing homelessness, in the locations where they are spending time, to provide support
- Assess and respond to youth’s immediate needs, and provide them with practical resources including food, clothing and transportation
- Maintain library of community resources – including mental health, harm reduction, substance use, cultural supports as a resource for all CSS staff
- Liaise and communicate with various service providers regarding joint case management, client plans, risk assessment, and advocacy
- Liaise as needed with other CHV departments regarding Outreach related issues.
- Work collaboratively with other staff to assist youth in identifying attainable short and long-term goals, strategies for meeting these goals, and an action plan for implementation
- Respond confidently to emergencies and behavioral, mental health, emotional, or substance use concerns using trauma-informed practice
- Document client notes in ETO, write Incident Reports, and other routine documentation as required
- Manage youth case files, including all relevant reporting and documentation
- Attend all training as directed by your manager
- Other duties as required
Compensation:
The successful candidate can expect a starting hourly rate of between $28.70 and $35.88 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 $43.06.
Who are we looking for?
Education and Experience:
- Diploma or bachelor’s degree related to social service and minimum 2 years of Outreach experience and 3 years of total experience in a low barrier harm reduction, OR equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum 2 years of experience as an Outreach Worker is essential
- Experience with the challenges facing youth who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability
- First Aid & Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training are assets
Competencies:
- Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to advocate on behalf of youth, and complete appropriate referrals to community resources
- Strong knowledge of community resources – including mental health, harm reduction, substance use, cultural supports
- Work cooperatively and effectively with others to reach a common goal
- Situational awareness
- Ability to reflect on past experience, organizational practices and processes in order to determine the correct course of action
- Ability to adapt decision-making based on circumstances or when presented with unclear information
- Ability to work with culturally diverse and neuro-diverse populations
- Ability to maintain professional boundaries with the youth
- Basic computer skills
- Physically able to carry out the duties of the position (walking for extended periods of time while carrying a backpack full of supplies)
About Covenant House International
No youth should ever be without a home — period. This urgent belief and over 50 years of experience have placed Covenant House at the forefront of the fight against youth homelessness. Founded in 1972, Covenant House is the largest primarily privately-funded agency in the North and Central America offering free 24/7 crisis care, housing, and supportive services for youth, young families, and survivors of human trafficking. Located in 34 cities across 5 countries (the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico) Covenant House provides shelter, food, medical and mental health care, crisis intervention, educational and vocational services, and an array of supportive services to youth facing homelessness regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. The Covenant House mission is centered and built on community, where youth, staff, volunteers, and partners love one another unconditionally, respect each other absolutely, and dedicate ourselves to a covenant of compassion and hope.
Contract, Outreach Worker, CSS
Top Benefits
About the role
The Impact the Outreach Worker with the Community Support Services Team can make:
Your primary role as the Outreach Worker is to provide services to youth living on the street and/or in the community. You will build trusting, supportive professional relationships with youth who are street homeless, precariously housed, and/or disconnected from services. This role will be to provide street outreach services, primarily in the Downtown Eastside and Granville Street areas of Vancouver, to youth who are experiencing significant mental health and substance use challenges. It is expected that many clients encountered in this role may be in crisis. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to determine the best plan of care to help youth reach their goals and transition to healthy, confident adults. Working in the Community Support Services (CSS) Program you will provide an array of ‘as-needed’ services to young people. You will support the youth with personal planning, referrals to other social services and connections to harm reduction resources. The Outreach Worker must be able to work confidently in an unstructured environment and be comfortable engaging with young adults with significant mental health and substance use concerns. The Outreach Worker is also responsible for planning and implementing all activities related to Covenant House Vancouver’s street reach services.
How you will contribute:
- Responsible for the successful operations of the outreach team activities, which include street-reach, relationship-building, and service coordination with health and community service partners
- Act as a Covenant House Vancouver representative and attend standing community service provider meetings (e.g. Eastside Planning Table, Reconnect, ect).
- Take a lead role in networking with community agencies and sharing information about Covenant House programs and services
- Organize and leads street -reach activities with a shift partner
- Responsible for quality assurance and quality improvements related to outreach services
- Identify, relationship-build, and engage with unhoused or precariously housed youth on an outreach basis
- Meet with individuals experiencing homelessness, in the locations where they are spending time, to provide support
- Assess and respond to youth’s immediate needs, and provide them with practical resources including food, clothing and transportation
- Maintain library of community resources – including mental health, harm reduction, substance use, cultural supports as a resource for all CSS staff
- Liaise and communicate with various service providers regarding joint case management, client plans, risk assessment, and advocacy
- Liaise as needed with other CHV departments regarding Outreach related issues.
- Work collaboratively with other staff to assist youth in identifying attainable short and long-term goals, strategies for meeting these goals, and an action plan for implementation
- Respond confidently to emergencies and behavioral, mental health, emotional, or substance use concerns using trauma-informed practice
- Document client notes in ETO, write Incident Reports, and other routine documentation as required
- Manage youth case files, including all relevant reporting and documentation
- Attend all training as directed by your manager
- Other duties as required
Compensation:
The successful candidate can expect a starting hourly rate of between $28.70 and $35.88 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 $43.06.
Who are we looking for?
Education and Experience:
- Diploma or bachelor’s degree related to social service and minimum 2 years of Outreach experience and 3 years of total experience in a low barrier harm reduction, OR equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum 2 years of experience as an Outreach Worker is essential
- Experience with the challenges facing youth who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability
- First Aid & Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training are assets
Competencies:
- Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to advocate on behalf of youth, and complete appropriate referrals to community resources
- Strong knowledge of community resources – including mental health, harm reduction, substance use, cultural supports
- Work cooperatively and effectively with others to reach a common goal
- Situational awareness
- Ability to reflect on past experience, organizational practices and processes in order to determine the correct course of action
- Ability to adapt decision-making based on circumstances or when presented with unclear information
- Ability to work with culturally diverse and neuro-diverse populations
- Ability to maintain professional boundaries with the youth
- Basic computer skills
- Physically able to carry out the duties of the position (walking for extended periods of time while carrying a backpack full of supplies)
About Covenant House International
No youth should ever be without a home — period. This urgent belief and over 50 years of experience have placed Covenant House at the forefront of the fight against youth homelessness. Founded in 1972, Covenant House is the largest primarily privately-funded agency in the North and Central America offering free 24/7 crisis care, housing, and supportive services for youth, young families, and survivors of human trafficking. Located in 34 cities across 5 countries (the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico) Covenant House provides shelter, food, medical and mental health care, crisis intervention, educational and vocational services, and an array of supportive services to youth facing homelessness regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. The Covenant House mission is centered and built on community, where youth, staff, volunteers, and partners love one another unconditionally, respect each other absolutely, and dedicate ourselves to a covenant of compassion and hope.