Youth Care Worker I, Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS)

Position Summary

Adolescent Intensive Services is a mental health and addictions treatment setting that provides Day 24/5 and 24/7 treatment services to aolescents between the ages of 13 up to 19 years of age. The Youth Care Worker participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team to assist in providing holistic and comprehensive treatment to meet the needs of adolescents who present with significant mental health challenges causing them to experience functional impairment at school, home and/or in the community. Utilizing an attachment-based model (CONNECT), AIS works with clients and families to enhance adaptive living skills, address underpinning biopsychosocial issues and to assist in improving their function at home, in the community and at school.

Reporting to the Manager of Adolescent Intensive Services, and under the leadership and supervision of regulated health care providers, the Youth Care Worker collaborates with the inter-professional team members and partners to provide quality physical and psychosocial care. The Youth Care Worker works to provide supervision and guidance regarding mental and physical health, daily living skills, community integration and advocacy for children and their families. The Youth Care Worker builds constructive supportive relationships; ensuring client confidentiality and professional boundaries.

The Youth Care Worker, under the direction of an interdisciplinary mental health and addictions team, provides quality emotional and physical care to clients in a 24-hour inpatient and day program setting; assists with developing individualized treatment plans and is responsible to implement that plan; provides information, training, education and support to parents and caregivers; develops and implements program related activities; maintains documentation of client care; manages disruptive and aggressive behaviours using non-violent crisis intervention and de-escalation skills. The Youth Care Worker could be reassigned to other Mental Health and Addictions units as operationally required.

Hours of Work

Monday – Sunday (7.5 and/or 11.25 hour shifts); Weekends and Holidays; Day, evening, and night shifts

Qualifications

• Successful completion of an undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Care Studies or a Diploma from an accredited 2 year program in Child and Youth Care Studies.
• Minimum one (1) year experience delivering direct mental health and addictions care to a child and/or youth population required; two (2) - three (3) years preferred.
• CYC Practitioner Certification preferred
• Demonstrated ability to deliver evidence-based practice and to initiate treatment plans within the scope of practice required.
• Understanding/experience in the CONNECT attachment-based model preferred.
• Working knowledge of mental health and/or concurrent disordered required.
• Current certification in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) required.
• Successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation Basic Life Support (BLS) program within the last 12 months required or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate required.
• Demonstrated commitment to family-centred care required.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, with a minimum of supervision required.
• Demonstrated commitment to multi-disciplinary collaboration required.
• Proven decision-making ability, initiative, and demonstrated ability to handle stressful situations successfully required.
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage time appropriately required.
• Valid Class 5 Drivers License required.
• Must be able to drive the Program van (clear driver’s abstract).
• Competencies in other languages an asset, French preferred.