JOB OPPORTUNITY: Full-Time Youth Outreach Worker

Full-Time Youth Outreach Worker Competition #117-22

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 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.

What we offer you:

Benefits of working with us:

• Starting at three weeks’ vacation for full time staff
• Three (3) paid household leave days a year
• One paid Wellness Day a year
• Paid sick days
• Two and a half paid Agency days for full time staff
• Five paid days for education leave/year
• One paid Moving Day/year
• Subsidized professional association annual dues (if applicable)
• A work culture that values transparency, teamwork, learning, fairness and integrity

Health and Welfare benefits:

• Generous group health/dental benefits after 3 months.
• Three flex options for health/dental coverage depending on the coverage you need
• Option of psychological/counselling services (up to $1500/year)
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Long Term Disability Plan
• Group Life Insurance, Travel insurance, ++

Pension: Pension plan enrollment

Work Hours: 35 hours a week, 4 day work week, Sunday – Wednesday
11am-9pm

1 hour unpaid meal break

Salary: GS 9 Step 1  $48,921.60 Gross per year

Location: 1138 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

Posting End Date: Posting will remain open until filled

What you bring:

Education, Training, Experience

• Two years’ post-secondary course/diploma in social work or youth care/certificate in related field
• Minimum 2 years’ 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

Professional Certification, License or Registration Requirements:

• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training
• Valid class 5 BC driver’s licence

Core Competencies

• Collaborative Communication, including teamwork & cooperation, interpersonal communication, diversity and cultural agility
• Personal Effectiveness, including integrity and ethical behavior, personal resilience, adaptability/flexibility, commitment to learning
• Personal Leadership, including influence, initiative, judgment and decision making, creativity and innovation
• Commitment to Excellence, including results focus, client-centered service, planning and organizing, professional expertise and technological proficiency

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Knowledge of community, social, and health resources
• Knowledge of the systemic issues that affect low income and marginalized people
• Knowledge of substance misuse, adolescent development and the problems encountered by chemically dependent individuals; basic understanding of behavioural management
• Knowledge and understanding of the intergenerational trauma caused by colonization, integration and assimilation
• Knowledge and awareness of issues that may affect sexually exploited youth
• Basic knowledge of mental health issues and treatment
• Knowledge of and belief in the Harm Reduction model
• Ability to observe and recognize change in clients
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries with clients
• Ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients
• Ability to deal effectively with conflict situations, manage aggressive behaviour, and use non-violent crisis intervention and behavioural management techniques
• Ability to establish/maintain satisfactory work relationships with the public and other employees to deal tactfully and effectively with co-workers, public and other agencies and to maintain confidentiality
• Basic computer literacy
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position (carrying a full back pack containing harm reduction supplies, water and snacks while walking for 2-5 hours)

Your Key Contributions

• 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 Indigenous youth, and link them with culturally appropriate and relevant services and resources
• Provide appropriate support, service, and referrals in a relevant and culturally supportive manner
• Assist youth in accessing community supports by advocating, referring and escorting clients to outside service referral locations, as appropriate
• Establish and build relationships with youth across Directions Youth Services programs and external community agencies, and facilitate connection to cultural teachings and community resources
• Identify and assess new street-involved youth in Vancouver and, if appropriate, link them with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and/or other relevant services
• Provide crisis intervention support for clients both within Directions Youth Services site and in the community, making safety plans and working towards connecting youth to appropriate services.
• Provide support to youth who are hospitalized, through visitation, advocacy and in collaboration with care teams
• Respond to overdoses in the community, enacting resuscitation procedures when necessary
• Represent the program within the Indigenous community, Indigenous organizations, and community meetings
• 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 Indigenous youth to services
• Develop and provide culturally relevant Indigenous programming and workshops in collaboration with other community agencies
• 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
• Create harm reduction gear packs and distribute appropriately to members of the community
• Attend relevant professional development trainings when appropriate, maintaining an up to date awareness of what concerns clients may encounter and operating from a framework of anti-oppression
• Work independently in pairs in the community, responding to emerging needs and crises and prioritizing tasks as they arise
• Participate in Integrated Case Management meetings as appropriate; respond to youth’s integrated case management plans, other service agencies, and health care professionals in the implementation and revision of client service plans
• Ensure the highest professional standards of ethics, confidentiality, all program and agency policies, procedures, and accreditation standards
• Maintain daily statistics and provide effective verbal and written reports

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 back pack full of supplies approximately 20-25 km per day

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of criminal record check
• Proof of Covid-19 vaccination status will be required

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 #117-22 in 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.