Shelter Youth Worker

August 28, 2026 Posting #1571

Youth Link believes in the potential of every youth. We are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces.

Youth Link works towards equitable outcomes for youth in our community and, as such, is committed to equity-based hiring practices.

We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, and racialized people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences. We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma-informed lens. We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and will embrace working outside of Euro-centric practices.

• Competitive pay
• Health & dental coverage for you and your family with 100% premium cost paid by employer.
• Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of 20 working days per year.
• 5 ‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
• 3 paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months service.
• Maternity / parental /adoption leave top-up payments (to top-up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).
• 100% premium cost for long-term disability coverage paid by employee.
• Eligibility to participate in pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with generous matching contribution from employer.

The Youth Worker is responsible for providing direct, quality care and supervision to residents of the Youth Transitional Housing and Shelter Program (YTHSP) as well as the day to day operations. Youth workers will be expected to model a collaborative, cooperative approach focusedon the personal, social, cultural and educational development of the residents.

Staff will be expected to practice within a framework that is a strengths-based relationship-based philosophy of care and a belief in the resilience of youth.

• Ensure warm welcome of residents, conduct intake interview of potential residents, orient new residents and redirect admissions, when appropriate.
• Assess and address the immediate needs of the resident, orientation to housing program rules and expectations.
• Ensure that all administrative duties are completed and entered into the database at time of intake
• Provides direct care and supervision to residents in the YTHSP and support youth with daily routines.
• Assist youth in developing both short and long term SMART goals and an action plan to achieve these goals, accompany youth to appointments, and connect youth to resources and community support networks, assist youth in finding more stable housing.
• Promote and integrate Youth and Family engagement.
• Communicate effectively with diverse clients and staff, handle confidential information discreetly, and use relevant software proficiently.

• Ensure the safety and well-being of resident by managing crisis intervention, respond to crisis situations following appropriate procedures, ensures debrief process for youth; provides support to other staff if needed.
• Demonstrate strong administrative, organizational, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.

• Maintain the cleanliness of the program area by assisting and maintaining the general cleanliness of the shelter including keeping workspace tidy, laundering of linens, and preparing space for food service, clean up and ensure all supplies are readily available.
• Keep all programming areas clean and tidy, disinfecting furniture, remake resident rooms after discharge, adhere to health and safety requirements.
• Monitor building and mechanical systems, address issues promptly and ensure compliance with health standards.

• Documents according to professional standards any significant interaction with residents, maintains appropriate documentation in case file and logs, completes incident reports, police reports, under age contact reports, child protection reports, safety plans and medical feedback forms.
• Complete daily logs, record medications and usage in the client information database (EMHware, SMIS) by the end of each shift.

• Participates in individual supervision meetings, team meetings, case conferences, workshops and committees as required.
• Represent the Agency in a professional manner when dealing with families, external professionals, general public and community partners.

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