Youth Peer Support Worker - Level 1; PS

Position: Youth Peer Support Worker - Level 1 (PS1)
Full-Time Term Non-Management (Prince George, BC, CA)
3 days ago

Requisition

Location
Foundry Prince George (1148 7 Ave, Prince George, BC V8J 2K1)

Term
Temporary, Part-Time

Hours
20-24 hours per week

Start Date
As soon as possible

End Date
August 31, 2026, with the possibility of extension

Salary
$19.90 per hour

Reports To
Coordinator, Foundry Peer Support

Benefits

Competitive vacation and paid sick time

Free YMCA Gym Membership+ Y@Home

Eligibility for Extended Medical and Dental Benefits

Training and Professional Development Opportunities

Extensive Employee assistance program

Reduced childcare rates and priority placement for YMCA Staff

Be part of a charitable organization that positively impacts the community

* Some benefits may vary based on employment terms

Nature & Scope
YMCA BC is the lead agency for Foundry Prince George, working with partners to deliver responsible and meaningful services for young people 12-24 and their families. Foundry is a provincial network of integrated and innovative wellness centres working to transform access to care. Foundry’s mission is to support young people to lead good lives. To this end, Foundry centres offer mental health and substance use services, primary care, social services, and youth and family peer support.

The Peer Support 1 (PS1) position is an entry level position for people with recent lived experience, including those who have recently accessed services at Foundry Prince George. This position reports to the Foundry Peer Support Coordinator.

Major Responsibilities

From a lived experience perspective, offer non-judgmental peer support to young people 12-24 at Foundry Prince George and related YMCA programs

Work as a member of Foundry’s integrated and multi-disciplinary health care team and conduct yourself with integrity

Connect 1 on 1 with youth accessing Foundry and related programs. This includes greeting youth, helping them feel comfortable, offering tours and information about services, listening, providing emotional and practical support on different topics, and bridging youth to other team members or services as appropriate (such as when the youth is in crisis or needs exceed the PS1’s ability to support)

With support and coaching, develop and hold strong personal and professional boundaries and understand the concept of offering support versus giving direction or advice

Maintain personal well-being and stability to be ready to support others safely and positively and not cause harm to yourself or others

Communicate with leadership if you are no longer ready to support others but need to adjust tasks or step away from the role to work on personal well-being and stability

Assist with groups, activities, events, and participant and community outreach led by other Foundry team members by sharing ideas, helping with logistics, helping to support participants, performing assigned tasks, documenting, etc.

With support, consistently check email, complete tasks for ADP, and complete assigned learning centre tasks for YMCA BC and Foundry

With support, use Toolbox and MOIS to contribute to Foundry data collection, ensuring basic encounter information is timely, complete, and accurate

Communicate relevant information about youth and their care to other members of the Foundry team

As directed, actively participate in YMCA and/ or Foundry team meetings, huddles, communities of practice, and training opportunities

Ensure safety issues, near misses, or potentially unsafe situations are reported to leadership or senior staff promptly to mitigate risks

Report conflicts of interest (i.e.: working with a youth you know personally from the community) promptly and work with leadership to mitigate risks

Perform other tasks related to your role (i.e. administrative tasks, cleaning, managing or preparing supplies)

Qualifications

Lived experience of critical issues relevant to young people accessing Foundry, including mental health, substance use, trauma, growing up in government care, newcomer experience, etc.

Genuine desire to support others to make positive change

Identify strategies and supports to manage personal wellness and stability; ability to identify when personal wellness interferes…