Youth Development Worker

PLEA Community Services is currently seeking a Regular Full-Time Youth Development Worker for our Vancouver Coastal Youth Services - Onyx team located in Vancouver, BC. The proposed start date for this position is as soon as possible. This position requires BCGEU membership.

The Youth Development Worker is responsible for providing immediate support to youth who have experience sexual exploitation and need support exiting from the sex trade or sexually exploitive relationships. Such immediate support would include health services, detox, living space, and one-to-one support in the community. They will implement interventions, develop service plans, and assist the youth in meeting their goals. These are voluntary support services.

The usual hours of work in this position are Sunday to Thursday based on a flextime scheduling arrangement, including days and evenings, of 35 working hours per week. Flextime scheduling arrangements allow employees to pick the start/end times of their shifts to meet client needs. Shifts must include the program's core hours of 1PM to 3PM (the daily straight-time maximum is 10 hours).

• A Bachelor of Arts in the social sciences or human services or a related discipline.
• One (1) year of recent experience working in programs with youth who are deemed to be high risk with complex care needs, and their families/caregivers.

The deadline for internal applications has now passed and we are welcoming applications from external candidates.

PLEA is an accredited, charitable community services organization that has operated throughout BC for more than 40 years. We deliver community-based services and specialized supported homes to children, youth, adults and families facing significant challenges in their lives. We continually adapt our programs to suit each individual’s diverse strengths, needs and circumstances. As a result, we have a strong reputation for helping those we serve to overcome the challenges they face and lead fulfilling lives.

• Develop positive relationships with youth that will provide them with the emotional support and practical assistance required to address their strengths, needs and circumstances, achieve their personal goals, and increase their protective factors.
• Plan and implement interventions that address the immediate safety needs of the youth referred, and the issues they present in the five domains (individual, family, peers, school/employment and community) of their lives using a positive youth development approach.
• Develop collaborative relationships with youth's family/caregivers, significant others and informal support systems to maintain and strengthen these connections.
• Provide a range of services including assessment and planning, primary support, conflict mediation, facilitating connections to natural support systems and assistance in accessing community supports and specialized services.
• Develop, implement, and coordinate service plans and resources designed to ensure that youth's individual needs are met. Participate in case planning and management for each young person and provide ongoing consultation as required.
• Facilitate access to community resources and specialized services when required by youth and their families/caregivers to ensure they receive services that are integrated, timely and meet their identified needs. Include formal and informal support systems as an integral part of all work with youth and their families.
• Participate in Integrated Case Management planning processes, function as the key worker for youth on a team of professionals when required, and provide ongoing coordination of services to youth and their families/caregivers. Work closely with Ministry personnel to ensure the safety and well being of youth served, and that case management objectives are met.
• Assist youth to meet the goals identified in their Youth Agreements. These may include, but are not limited to: locating and maintaining safe and stable housing, accessing financial, educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities, developing adult…