The youth support worker is responsible for assisting young people ages 12-24 transitioning into adulthood and independence. This position is part-time, 24 hours/week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 4 pm - 10 pm). The youth support worker works at Hope's Haven, a transitional housing program for youth. This program supports youth to have increased independence, allows youth to reconnect with important people in their lives, and to function more successfully in the community, all while residing in a safe and supportive housing environment.

• Connect youth who are living in Hope's Haven with educational, employment, housing, life skills, addictions, mental health and other resources in the communities
• Actively support the practice guidelines, program goals and expectations of Youth in Transition Program
• Spend meaningful and productive time one on one or in groups with the youth
• Maintain regular contact with service supports (guardian, YHSSA, Justice, School, Employers, etc), other professionals and supports involved with the youth as appropriate
• Maintain regular contact with important people in the youth’s lives
• Ensure the youth is involved in the development and ongoing review of their service and transition plans with an emphasis on developing skills (i.e. life skills, communication, problem solving, budgeting, and behavior management) in natural teaching situations
• Facilitate Case Conferences according to program expectations (30 days after intake and monthly ongoing)
• Ensure a safe space for all including 2SLGBTQQIPAA+ individuals
• Connect with the youth in community settings 
• Attend and participate in weekly/as needed meetings with supervisor
• Adhere to the Child and Family Services Caregiver Discipline Agreement
• Ensure the cultural and spiritual beliefs of all youth are supported
• Cook meals for youth and clean the building regularly

Supervision

• Monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of the program, including, where applicable, random and periodic room checks
• Supervise youth in all common areas and ensure that boundaries are adhered to at all times
• Provide supervision that is appropriate for the youth’s developmental age

Intake

• Ensure appropriate documents are signed prior to the youth’s intake
• Participate in the screening process with supervisor
• Coordinate the youth’s transitioning into the program including orientation to the facility 
• Ensure youth are provided with necessary information about routines, schedules and expectations

Crisis Management

• Recognize potential emergency situations and intervene when necessary
• Analyze situations accurately to mitigate risks
• Ensure safety risks are identified and the appropriate intervention is applied
• Complete safety plans with youth where appropriate
• Develop strategies to deal with potentially dangerous situations; i.e., suicide threats, AWOL’s, youth’s aggressive behavior
• Assess, evaluate and plan to prevent crisis situations whenever possible
• Demonstrate knowledge of safety precautions dealing with environmental working conditions such as potential verbal and physical aggression
• Demonstrated capacity to implement suicide risk assessments, appropriate safety planning and response

Teamwork

• Actively support the mission, vision and goals of the Side Door Ministries
• Work collaboratively with other staff within the organization
• Actively participate in team meetings, professional development activities, staff retreat and other Centre activities
• Work in partnership with other community organizations

Reporting

• Document youth’s progress in their electronic file 
• Report all known instances of the youth’s non-compliance to the youth support system (guardian, YHSSA, Justice, School, Employers, etc) when required
• Document any other reports as directed by supervisor

• Punctual and reliable
• Strong social and emotional skills
• Strong communication skills necessary to confidently communicate with youth, coworkers, supervisors, people in the community, professional people, law enforcement, court workers, education workers, etc.
• Experiencing working with youth, youth who are experiencing homelessness, youth who have experienced varying levels of trauma, and youth with disabilities(ies)
• An understanding of homelessness in Canada, homelessness interventions, and factors that lead to homelessness
• An understanding of racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and various forms of descrimination
• An understanding of the history  of  Northwest  Territories  including  impacts  of  colonization  and  residential  schools
• Prioritize cultural safety and cultural humility
• Basic computer skills, the ability to read and write on software including Microsoft Word and Google Docs
• Experience writing case notes
• Experience coordinating case conferences
• Ability to collaborate well with others
• Ability to respond with empathy
• High level of adaptability
• Confidence in crisis and emergency situations
• An equivalent combination of relevant education (college diploma in youth work, social work, or university degree in social work related field) and relevant life experience (lived experience or previous work experience in this field)
• Speak and write in English