JOB OPPORTUNITY: Street Youth Job Action Support Worker

Street Youth Job Action Support Worker Competition #65-23

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. 

Street Youth Job Action (SYJA) is a low-barrier, pre-employment, same day work and peer engagement program for marginalized, homeless and at risk young people aged 16-24. The SYJA program operates Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:00-4:00 PM. The SYJA Support Worker will provide support to participants by identifying their unique barriers to employment; help develop basic life and job readiness skills. The SYJA Support Worker will travel on foot throughout the day to provide outreach support and supervision to “street youth crews” on designated street cleaning routes (Downtown Core, including Downtown South and the West End) and assisting youth in the navigation of services as they transition to accessing safer lifestyles.

About our Opportunity:

Our Valued Benefits:

• Starting at three weeks’ vacation for full time staff growing to more +
• Three (3) paid household leave days a year
• Two paid Wellness Days 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 Wellness Resources:

• Generous health/dental benefits after 3 months.
• Three flex benefit options to meet your individualized needs
• Option of psychological/counselling services (up to $1500/year)
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Long Term Disability Plan
• Insurance, Travel insurance, ++

Pension: Pension plan enrollment for eligible employees

Work Hours: 35 hours per week; 8:00-4:00 PM; (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) (Full-Time)

Salary: GS 7 Step 1 and if applicable salary range $23.39 per hour

Location: Directions Youth Services, 1138 Burrard Street

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
• Current First Aid Certificate
• Minimum 1 year experience working with youth, preferably in support of homeless/street-involved youth
• A combination of education and experience may be considered

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Ensure a welcoming, respectful environment that reflects the diverse youth population we serve.
• Establish rapport, initiate, develop, and maintain supportive and trusting relationships with youth accessing the program.
• Assessment of youth for work readiness on a daily basis, checking in with all youth briefly before list.
• Ensure participants follow program expectations and requirements by supervising youth out on route, report observations and respond to situations with professional immediacy.
• Maintain all equipment, supplies in an organized manner and provide youth with appropriate working gear; this includes laundry, inventory and restocking supplies.
• Maintain logs, stats, critical incidents and other required reporting.
• Support SYJA Coordinator in working through case/service plans with young people
• Assist and support youth to achieve work related goals by creating structured routines and schedules
• Actively promote positive youth involvement in the community
• In consultation with SYJA Coordinator Provide learning opportunities for youth in basic life skills training in areas such as employment readiness, basic communication skills, hygiene, budgeting, money management
• Provide youth with one-to-one support and crisis intervention support/referral when needed.
• Actively participate in staff meetings, supervision sessions and performance evaluations
• Adhere to all program and agency policies, procedures and safety standards
• Provide support for the Resource Room and Centre, as needed.

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of criminal record check
• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training an asset
• Food Safe Certification an asset
• Valid BC Drivers License would be an asset
• 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/

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 #65-23 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.

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