youth worker

communications coordinator

resource worker

relief worker

facilitator

Youth Empowerment & Support Services

I created this account just to come on here and say that I love this job. Most of my coworkers also talk about their job at YESS like they are going to be here forever, I've never worked somewhere in the youth work field where so many people have that lifer-vibe. There are also a few people that just aren't a good fit and seem to struggle with certain parts of the job, with that in mind I think the main things you need to be/know are 

-fast paced environment most of the time, its like working in a restaurant sometimes, lots of tasks to track in your head. this is true for the armoury resource centre and the nexus shelter when the youth arent sleeping, but if you like slower pace there are group homes here to that have a much slower pace. 

-comfortable with high risk youth, this should be a given, if you are looking for a job where youth with extreme behaviors are kicked out with no conversation or help provided maybe work at a school instead.

-non-judgmental is so important, goals here are not assigned by staff, yess focuses on the youths goals and walking beside them on their own journey. For some youth, just hanging out in the program is a great goal, eating, having a shower, for some youth these little choices are HUGE and them being here means they aren't out getting into trouble. Some youth choosing to be here means not choosing to engage with their gang. Sure, they may look like they are hanging out doing nothing but really that can be a massive success. if you come in thinking you know whats best for youth, its not going to be a good fit. If you come in wanting to build relationships with youth and helping them reach their goals, then you'll get a lot farther with the youth and wont drive yourself crazy. the youth are also really diverse, different races, religions, sexualities, everything, so you need to be comfortable working with people and goals that are different than you or even your values.

-know your resources around the city, be comfortable with change theory and motivational interviewing, Youth don't know what their options are and its our job to know what can help them, so if they say they want to an apartment you know what questions to ask and what is available for them. The only staff that ever complain about yess not helping the youth get supports are the ones who dont do any work to learn and memorize resources and who never talk to the youth about whats next for them. The rest of us are consistently learning about whats out there, especially from each other, the staff teams are super supportive and are so open to sharing their knowledge, you just need to ask.

-self care, have your work life boundaries in tact, we see and hear some really difficult things to process, some of these youth have been through horrendous things and sometimes they trust you enough to open up about them. we deal with a lot of suicidal ideation and even though staff are so good at intervention and safety plans, its still hard to do. fights are really rare but happen sometimes, covid especially has a lot of youth on high anxiety and conflicts are trickier right now. ODs happen sometimes too, staff have narcan and first aid training. Emotionally it's a really hard job sometimes, but the youth make it worth it. It's so rewarding. A strong sense of humor can come in handy for coping. 

Working at YESS is a great way to gain experience in the social services field. It is a real eyeopener on youth homelessness in Edmonton. The best part of working here is building relationships with the youth and getting to be a positive influence/role model in their lives. 

There were many opportunities for professional growth. YESS is becoming more harm reduction and trauma-informed approach. Some staff were great at checking their power and treating the youth like a human being, not a homeless person. But I also witnessed staff members abusing their power and get into screaming matches with youth. 

Favouritism runs rampant among program managers. When I met with my program manager, she had blatantly told me she has favourite staff members and I would be lucky to be one of them. This leads the work culture to be toxic and unsupportive.  There was lots of unnecessary drama and cliques at YESS. Some workers acted as though they were untouchable because they had a close personal relationship with their managers. I found that this led to big egos and zero accountability. Honestly, a lot of the things I witnessed at YESS were unethical, but management refused to take proper action because they had personal relationships with some staff.

Working with high-risk youth means you are exposed to situations that are traumatizing. There was very little support for me to debrief after these moments. I reached out for help from management, but they did not check in with me until weeks at past.

Overall, working at YESS was a good experience for me... as long as I stayed on managements good side and was complacent with unfair practices and policies.

Cons
- no job security; always talks of layoffs, and "restructuring"
- double standard from leaders and supervisors; rules only apply to some people
- mismanaged funds
- mistrust of management, many staff regularly question management's decisions
- no accountability; management often create new positions for their friends and family members.
- no teambuilding; managers put very little effort into making YESS a positive and happy work environment.
- poor communication between departments
- all staff are overworked, under appreciated
- high turnover, because people burn out
- low pay, no raises
- very little opportunity to advance or learn
- job training opportunities are not provided for admin/fundraising/HR/communications staff
- management doesn't value staff
- Revenue Department manager lives in Kamloops, BC so communication and getting support is tough 


Pros
- some staff have the opportunity to work from home
- great coworkers
- daily staff lunch for $10/week
- access to agency vehicles for personal use when needed 
- employer paid health benefits 
- staff sale after Christmas where you can buy donated items, like toiletries, that the agency doesn't have room to store, for extremely cheap

I m was new when i came aboard had no connection to any staff there. Unfortunately, 
There is no real leadership team.. who aren't just as confused as all the other employees. so far in less than a few mths what ive witnessed was and is very concerning. I was excited to take this job because knew some people who had worked here a couple years ago, they are no longer here, it seems there has been a rash of turnover. I don’t know how to say this but I don’t think the Director of programs is stable. I have seen some questionable and very unprofessional things, I also asked around and heard many odd stories but get a bunch of contradictory explanations for why things are the way the are. It’s not adding up for me, something is very off with management on the program side and I will be looking to move on as soon as possible. The youth are great and the most of the youth facing staff are respectable and would be more effective if the setting was more professional. My hopes were pretty high when I started because of all the good things I heard, so maybe it’s a bit on me too, but I am very disappointed at what this organization does behind closed doors. If you want a job where you say nothing this is the place, if you want real experience,  go else where. 

There is a wide variety of programs which means tons of experience with addictions, mental health, housing, employment etc... The agency works hard to provide wrap around support and does a great job of letting relief and other staff learn what other programs do/get involved. 

You can expect fair pay. YESS does not pay at the top end of the scale however this is fair considering it's also an agency that gives chances to teach and train so many upcoming youth workers, leaders and advocates. If you have experience you will be paid accordingly. 

This agency is BUSY. So it is a fast paced environment with at risk clients. Sometimes you feel like you're exhuasted from all the overtime and constant calls to cover the floor but Your supervisors and managers are always available by phone and will come in and support when you need them. They also offer debriefs and emotional support from their in house therapist for staff. You are welcome to reach out to the therapist yourself and get some supports and referrals without feeling like you always have to break down to your boss.

Overall a great place to work, agency has gone through a lot of positive changes.

Unfortunately this is the most disorganized company I have ever worked for. While you can get valuable experience here, there are hundreds of other postings for youth work/ social work jobs in Edmonton and I'm sure that you could find a job that will get you good experience without the disorganization, unprofessionalism, and the bad work culture at YESS. 
The Day staff at the shelter are not even given their legal breaks as there is no one to relieve them. You may not even have time to eat on your shift. As there is not a receptionist the shelter staff are forced to take every single call and deal with donors in addition to the cleaning and youth work. The manager on call often won't answer the phone, leaving staff stranded without advice in emergencies or if someone doesn't come on shift you will be forced to stay late. 
Upper management on an absolute power trip running the place based on fear. There are so few employees left and often gaps in the schedule as everyone is leaving- hope that the management will wake up and actually start focusing on the youth and what this place is really about because it’s ultimately not fair to the youth. 

The best part of working front line at YESS is obviously the youth! Experience with high risk youth is definitely needed to thrive here. Despite the hard days, the relationships that you can build with the youth, and helping them as they make huge life changes, is really amazing. 

YESS management seem to have been making some big changes over the last year or so. A lot of the issues that others have addressed in reviews on here have been cleaned up. Like theres some complaints over supervisors but my supervisor is really great and I always feel supported. Ive also been give a ton of training opportunities, so some of the reviews just dont seem to fit with my experience. This may be a less popular opinion, but I also really like that they arent afraid to fire people that are toxic to the work environment, sorry but when you're working with high risk youth its draining enough without drama or worrying that someone is going to provoke a youth instead of deescalate... you need a healthy team to avoid burnout. 

Pay is average for the non-profit field. 

Food is great.

I am fairly new, what I see so far is very concerning. I was excited to take this job because knew some people who had worked here a couple years ago, they are no longer here, it seems there has been a rash of turnover. I don’t know how to say this but I don’t think the Chief of programs is stable. I have seen some questionable and very unprofessional things, I also asked around and heard many odd stories but get a bunch of contradictory explanations for why things are the way the are. It’s not adding up for me, something is very off with management on the program side and I will be looking to move on as soon as possible. The youth are great and the most of the youth facing staff are respectable and would be more effective if the setting was more professional. My hopes were pretty high when I started because of all the good things I heard, so maybe it’s a bit on me too, but I am very disappointed. 

This organization is plagued by toxic leadership, unchecked favoritism, and a complete lack of accountability. Nepotism runs deep, with individuals in leadership roles who are clearly unqualified and unprofessional. Directors consistently fail to support their teams, instead creating a culture of fear where staff feel micromanaged, undervalued, and silenced. 

Frontline employees  the ones doing the real work ,  receive no recognition, support, or appreciation, while upper management remains detached and unwilling to engage in meaningful change. Staff are expected to perform under constant pressure, with no clear direction and minimal guidance, all while navigating the dysfunction of a top-heavy system. 

There is an alarming level of gossip, power games, and clique-like behaviour among leadership, particularly from those who should be setting a professional standard. This isn't just mismanagement — it’s a complete failure to lead.

I have received trauma-informed job performance feedback and always have access to my supervisor and team lead. I enjoy the collaborative work between programs. I feel YESS has an environment that fosters growth for staff. I'm excited about the transition the whole organization is going through to be more community orientated and refocusing on positive impact for our youth served. I appreciate the focus on staff mental health and self care. I haven't been supported like this in any other organization. No matter what level I have worked, I have always felt like a valued part of the team. I enjoy being able to think critically and make independent decisions. YESS should get a 5 star review for their equality, diversity and inclusion of 2sLGTBQ+ and BIPOC representation in programing and staff, with more willingness to grow. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Youth worker 4 salaries reported	$24.06 per hour
Communications coordinator 5 salaries reported	$50,000 per year
Resource worker 2 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Relief worker 2 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Facilitator 2 salaries reported	$24.24 per hour

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