Youth Outreach Worker Competition #86-24

About this Role

Directions Youth Services is a division of Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV), which for more than 90 years has provided a variety of essential resources for children, families, and individuals in the Greater Vancouver community.  We believe in the resiliency of Vancouver’s youth who are at-risk, homeless, and street-involved. We assist youth under the age of 25 to get counselling for trauma, mental health, or substance issues. Our teams strive to create spaces and build connections with youth who are facing challenges of street life, substance use, mental health concerns, and disconnection from their communities. Directions inclusive programs of shelter and drop-in, safe houses, and other unique programs are committed to being a community leader in harm reduction work and fostering low-barrier spaces where all youth are welcome. 

Working within the mission, vision, values, and person-centered philosophy of the Agency, the Outreach program works to promote safer, healthier alternatives for youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The focus is to promote awareness of and connect youth to appropriate services and resources to reduce the harm in their lives. The program focuses on support in the areas of the west end, downtown south, and downtown east side areas of Vancouver. This position consists of working with a variety of at-risk, homeless, and street-entrenched youth 24 years and under (prioritizing youth 18 and under) struggling with addiction, intellectual, emotional, and social challenges, mental health issues, concurrent issues, and sexual exploitation; it actively supports the Agency’s awareness and goals around diversity, inclusion justice and equity.

About our Opportunity:

Our Valued Benefits:

•       Starting at three weeks’ vacation for full-time staff

•       3 paid household leave days a year

•       2 paid Wellness Days a year

•       Paid sick days

•       2 ½  paid Agency days for full-time staff

•       5 paid days for education leave/year

•       1 paid Moving Day/year

•       Subsidized professional association annual dues (if applicable)

•       A work culture that values transparency, teamwork, learning, fairness and integrity

Health and Wellness Resources:

•       Generous health/dental benefits after 3 months.

•       3 flex benefit options to meet your individualized needs

•       Option of psychological/counseling services (up to $1500/year)

•       Employee Assistance Plan

•       Long Term Disability Plan

•       Insurance, Travel insurance, ++

Pension: Municipal Pension plan enrollment after 3 months

Work Hours: 35 hours per week (4 day work week – Wednesday-Saturday condensed work week, 8.75 hours a day)

Salary: GS 9 Step 1- $28.81 per hour

Location: 1138 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

Posting End Date: Posting will remain open until filled

What you bring:

•       Provide outreach to youth at all Directions Youth Services sites and areas where high-risk youth congregate in order to initiate contact, establish rapport, and build trusting, supportive, therapeutic relationships with street-involved and homeless youth, and link them with culturally appropriate and relevant services and resources

•       Identify youth’s individual needs and provide support, encouragement, collaboration, and education to youth in matters related to crisis intervention, harm reduction, conflict resolution, community resources, alcohol and drug information, and advocacy with the intention of connecting youth to services.

•       Work closely and collaboratively with all of Directions Youth Services, other community agencies, and government ministries in the development of youth case management plans, using best practices.

•       Work independently in pairs in the community, responding to emerging needs and crises and prioritizing tasks as they arise.

Education, Training, Experience

•     Two-year post-secondary course/diploma in social work or youth care/certificate in a related field

•     Minimum one year experience working with high-risk youth

•     Experience with adolescent development and issues involving sexually exploited youth, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse, poverty and concurrent issues

•     Lived experience is considered an asset

•     A combination of education/experience can be considered

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

•     Knowledge of community, social, and health resources

•     Knowledge of the systemic issues that affect low-income and marginalized people, and the impact of intergenerational trauma caused by colonization, integration, and assimilation.

•     Knowledge of substance misuse, mental health, issues that may affect sexually exploited youth, and knowledge and belief in the Harm Reduction model.

•     Ability to deal effectively with conflict situations, manage aggressive behaviour, and use non-violent crisis intervention and behavioural management techniques

Additional Requirements

•     Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training

•     Valid class 5 BC driver’s licence

•     Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check

Working conditions:

•     24-hour crisis response resource centre, and the streets of the City of Vancouver

•     Ability to work days and evenings

•     Ability to walk with a backpack full of supplies approximately 20-25 km per day

How to apply:

If this describes you, please submit your application to us through our website, https://fsgv.ca/careers/

Only short listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Thank you for your interest.

We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the communities we so proudly serve, while encompassing the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations including queer, trans, and two-spirit people. In our words and actions, we recognize the challenges for those facing inequalities, while acknowledging our privilege, as we continuously strive to remove bias and reduce barriers that individuals may experience in the hiring and job-seeking process. We invite feedback from all applicants who apply for roles with the Agency.

If you require a disability-related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please email your resume and cover letter (indicating the competition number #86-24 in the email subject line) outlining your interest and relevant experience to your contact information to  for follow-up. **If you are an internal candidate, please indicate “Internal Candidate” in the Comments section at the bottom of the online application**

Our programs are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unseeded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh), Qayqayt, Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwekwetlem, Semiahmoo, Matsqui, and Tsawwassen First Nations. Huy ch q’u.