CharityVillage

Position Title: Youth Outreach Worker, Long-term Direct Support

Location: Youth Intervention Services, Hamilton, ON

Position Type: Full-Time 10-month Contract Salaried (35 hours per week), with benefits and a complimentary YMCA membership

Starting Salary: $50,000.00 annual salary (pro-rated for 10 months), commensurate with experience

Anticipated Start Date: August 2025

Position Description:

The Youth Outreach Worker will support the YMCA Alternative Suspension (AS) Program through assistance with directly of the AS program and by providing long-term direct support and case management to students after they have completed the AS Program.

The YMCA Alternative Suspension Program works in partnership with local schools to offer support to students an early intervention program for teens 12-17 who have acquired short-term suspensions (3-5 days). Through academic support, goal setting and workshops focused positive skill building, the AS program is intended to reduce future suspensions and disciplinary sanctions by offering participants an opportunity to transform their time away from school into a positive experience and an opportunity for social skill development.

Since the AS program is only 3-5 days in length, it has been evidenced that many of these students struggle with challenges beyond which the 5-day model can provide. In some cases, youth still have challenges with peers, social skills, positive decision making, family issues that can’t be appropriately supported when in a short-term program. As such, this position will provide continued support following the AS program to those students who require more support. This position will also provide support to the schools as a safety net for other students, who may have significant behaviour and emotional needs that may be outside of existing programming.

In this position, you will:

• Implement strong youthwork approach informed by program and participants’ objectives
• Intervene with elementary (grades 6-8) and secondary (grades 9-10) school students on an individual basis and in a group setting
• Facilitates daily group workshops on social or behavioural issues (eg. anger management, self-esteem, responsible self, bullying, impulsivity, etc)
• Possess a strong understanding of youth facing and having diagnosed disorders (eg. ODD, ADHD, FASD, ASD) that require a youth worker to have coping strategies to assist in working through problematic behaviors (eg. disruptive behaviours, physical violence, verbal abuse, maladaptive sexual behaviours, substance misuse and abuse, apathy and lack of motivation, theft and bullying)
• Remain calm during emotionally charged situations and able to de-escalate potential conflicts between youth participants and intervene if necessary
• Take initiative, problem solve and work with limited supervision
• Build respectful boundaries with students, parents/guardians and school personnel
• Effectively manage case files and data entry into the program’s database
• Supervise and support students with assigned schoolwork.
• Maintain strong partnerships with the principals and vice principals of partnering schools
• Supports individual youth with establishing and strengthening school connections
• Provide case management support and follow up with students for ongoing support and referrals to community services
• Communicate regularly with participants’ parents/guardians throughout the program and  follow-up processes
• Foster communication and linkages with community agencies/organization to improve access and mitigate barriers to services
• Assists in compiling draft annual reports and provides statistics on program results at the end of the school year, and/or as required
• Ensure that YMCA Child & Youth policies are implemented
• Be responsible for the health and safety of participants
• Meet monthly statistical requirements and maintain records on all activities performed
• Completes other general administrative duties