FOUNDRY Richmond Youth Peer Support Worker
Job Summary:
The Youth Peer Support (YPS) worker participates as a member of the Foundry centre team. Drawing on their own lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges the YPS worker helps youth and young adults with service navigation, resource information, and connect them with Foundry and/or community resources. The YPS worker offers peer–based mentoring and emotional support, and works collaboratively with youth, their families, and members of the care team. This position assists with the delivery of walk-in services, and offers support both on a 1:1 basis and in a group setting. The YPS worker acts as an advocate and role model and helps young people and their families recognize that with hope, recovery is possible.
This is a temporary part-time position
Grid Level:
Hours:
Community Subsector – Grid 21
Grid Level:
Hours:
Community Subsector – Grid 21 – Activity Worker
0.5 FTE (18.75 hours per week) specific hours to be determined
Reports to:
Program Coordinator
Responsible to:
RASS Executive Director
Key Duties and
Delivery
Responsibilities
1. Establishes a purposeful relationship with young people and supports their engagement and participation in centre services
2. Accompanies youth to appointments in the community
Engagement/Advocacy/ Building & Sustaining Relationships
1. Plays a key role in ensuring that the centre offers a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and youth-friendly environment.
2. Provides support, guidance and mentorship for youth and their families, and assists in sharing information on resources and service navigation.
3. Assists youth with the activities of daily living including: time management, organization, and interpersonal communication.
Brief Intervention/Harm Minimization/Referral
1. Leads or co-facilitates group services to promote skills development and mental health and substance use recovery and relapse prevention.
Collaboration/Integrated Case Management
1. Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making skills; ability to gather and process information to support the organization and its team
2. Works collaboratively with team members to meet pre-established goals and objectives; facilitates recovery-based peer support meetings and activities.
3. Participates in team meetings, case conferences, trainings, and organizational initiatives
4. Works as a liaison between the Foundry centre, the youth accessing the centre, and the Youth Peer Engagement Coordinator on the Foundry Central Office team.
5. Works collaboratively with centre staff, community and hospital-based teams to build relationships between youth, families, and systems to enhance the awareness of youth/family needs
Evaluation
1. Completes and maintains related records and documentation including: statistics, activity logs, referral forms, and discharge summaries.
Other Duties
1. Safeguard staff and client safety
2. Implement other related duties as assigned
3. Conducts themselves in a professional and ethical manner
4. Presents information at community booths/health fairs/school audiences
Qualifications:
Grade 12, plus related experience working with youth and young adults with mental health and/or substance use issues or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Lived experience of mental illness and/or substance use, completion of/eligible for completion of a recognized youth peer support-training program, and wiling to self-identify and share experience of recovery.
Job Skills and Abilities:
- Able to establish rapport and maintain therapeutic relationships with young people and family members
- Empathic, compassionate, with good listening skills and creative thinking
- Demonstrated ability to observe and recognize changes in youth, and communicate those changes to others on the care team.
- Conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills
- High degree of self-awareness and capacity to apply appropriate boundaries and maintain confidentiality
- Able to promote positive change and independence
- Self-starter with a positive attitude, and able to advocate for self and others
- Broad knowledge of social, mental health, and substance use services available in the community
- Knowledge of systemic issues and risk factors facing minor groups including LGBTQ2S, Indigenous youth and young adults
- Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making skills; ability to gather and process information to support the organization and its team
- Well-developed communication skills; ability to speak, listen, and write clearly, thoroughly, and professionally
- Demonstrated organizational and time management skills, accountability, reliability, and punctuality
- Ability to work independently and show initiative, as well as be part of an inter-disciplinary team
· Basic computer skills: experience with Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
Other Requirements:
Safety Orientated First Aid and CPR certification
Criminal record check is required.
Covid-19 Vaccination Record
Other Assets:
· Additional or a second language
· Creative and dynamic personality
· Interested in engaging youth and families
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: From $27.11 per hour
Expected hours: 18.75 per week
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
