Job Description

YOUTH HOUSING WORKER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Youth Housing Worker will work with youth who can't find a place to live. They will work with youth and those who are important to them to find a safe place to live that helps them to live their lives well.

This is what the Youth Housing worker will do:

1. Ask questions and gather information that is needed to help youth find and be able to stay in a safe home

2. Develop strong relationships with youth and the people who are important to them

3. Work with each young person on the things that are important to that young person so they can stay in their homes and live their lives well. Be clear about what those things are and who will do what.

4. See and talk to youth as much as they need and in a way that they are able to understand

5. Make sure that all the identities of a young person are thought about in planning for where they live

6. Use a computer program called "Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)", talk to youth about this system and explain what information will be collected and why and who will be able to see the information

7. Help youth connect with other people and agencies in the communities to help them stay in their homes and live their lives well

8. Work with youth to:

o Find a home

o Make sure they have food and other things they need every day such as clothing

o Have enough money to pay for their homes and what they need

o Be able to stay in their homes for as long as they can and want

o Get information they need to help them find and stay in their homes

o Make plans for how to do all these things

9. Help youth and landlords if they can't work things out

10. Work with landlords to make sure they have all the information they need to rent homes to youth

11. Write down the plans that youth make to stay in their homes and check in on the plan to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing

12. Keep track of what is working and not working because we have to share that with our partners (also called "outcomes")

The Youth Housing Support worker needs to be able to do these things:

1. Have lots of experience working with youth and know lots about the challenges they face

2. Be able to talk to youth in a way that youth understand and earn their trust

3. Be able to have hard conversations and work through hard things. Help bring people together to make a plan when people disagree

4. Be able to work closely with all the different people who help youth find and stay in their homes such as family members, landlords and people who work in other community agencies

5. Be able to put the voice of the youth in the middle when making plans

6. Can work at different times of the day if needed

7. Know about working with youth who have trouble with their mental health and/or have trouble with addictions. Know about "harm reduction" and "trauma informed care" and use them in the work with youth

8. The worker will have what they need around them to help them do the work in the best way especially when things are hard

9. When youth are feeling really sad or angry, the worker will know of some different ways to help everyone be safe

10. Need to know about places, people or organizations to go to in the communities that can help youth stay in their homes. It's even better if they already have lots of those relationships in place

11. Work together as part of a team

The worker we choose for this job needs or should have these things (also called "Qualifications"):

1. Needs to know a lot about people, agencies and systems that work with youth in the communities

2. Needs to know a lot about housing and have worked with youth who are or may become homeless

3. Needs to know about working with youth who have trouble with their mental health and/or have trouble with addiction

4. Need to be able to talk to youth in a way that they understand and write things so that youth and those who work with them can understand what they are writing

5. Has worked with people who have lots of different identities

6. Has worked with Indigenous youth and with First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities and understands how Indigenous people are harmed by government systems

7. Can show that they understand racism; anti-Black racism; anti-Indigenous racism; heterosexism, transgender inequity and classism

8. A diploma from college or a degree from university in health, Indigenous studies, social work or social services

9. It would be good if the worker has done their First AID/CPR training

10. Driver's license

When they will be working

The housing worker will usually work from 8:30 to 4:30 during the week but might also have to work in the evening or on weekends if that is when the youth need someone to work with them.

This is who the support worker will work with:

1. Youth, the people who are important to them, and people who work in the communities who can help support youth to find and stay in their homes

2. People who work in other departments at CAS

This is what the work will be like:

1. They will work at the CAS offices or in the communities

2. Sometimes they might have to work longer than 35 hours in a week

3. They may have to drive a lot

4. They may have to deal with people who are upset

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 8 months

Pay: $28.08-$38.50 per hour

Expected hours: 35 per week

Work Location: In person