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Program: The Alliance Club

Reports To: Operations Manager

Position Summary
The Youth Support Counsellor is responsible for providing the necessary services and support to youth accessing the drop-in program. Counsellors aim to meet the short-term physical, emotional, and psychological needs of youth by providing support and counselling, immediate screening, crisis response, and referrals.

Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday 10pm-6:00pm / Friday 10:00am-2:00pm

Knowledge:

• Well established understanding of child and adolescent development.
• Well established understanding of youth and family engagement skills, brief assessments, counselling and intervention approaches.
• Established practice in maintaining appropriate and confidential boundaries and other basic counselling ethics.
• Awareness of community resources for youth and families is an asset.

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to work constructively and cooperatively in a team setting.
• Demonstrated ability to use basic engagement techniques and evidence-based counselling approaches.
• Skills to conduct and apply intake screenings, on-going assessments and crisis response.
• Ability to apply professional ethics to the general work situation.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective collaborative and constructive liaisons/relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including clients and families, ministries, other agencies etc. and provide effective community referrals.
• Maintains timely and accurate documentation, consent, confidentiality and duty to report practices.
• Prepares and delivers appropriate, clear and concise oral and written communication
• Ability to perform basic computer and Internet skills.

Qualifications

Education:
Preference is a Degree or Diploma in Child and Youth Care, Social Work or in a related Human Services field.

Required Experience:
A minimum of 6 months experience which includes:

• Knowledge and experience working with high risk youth and their families.
• Experience working with high-risk youth and families in a counselling or other helping capacity.
• Experience with community based programs and related community support systems.

Hours/Conditions of Employment

• Works a variety of shifts which may. Most shifts are four or eight hours in length.
• Must have clearance from the Authorization for Criminal Records Search prior to commencing employment.
• Must have valid Emergency First Aid and Food Safe certificates.
• Follows the Code of Ethics, Mission Statement, and Policies and Procedures of The Victoria Youth Empowerment Society and abide by the relevant rules and reporting guidelines as set out by the Ministry for Children and Families and other appropriate governing bodies.
• This position is required to work in a stressful environment often dealing with groups of youth and youth in crisis situations.
• This position requires flexibility in work hours (daytime/afternoon/evening) to accommodate activities such as shift coverage, fund raising events and representing the Agency at public events.
• There may be moderate exposure to undesirable environmental working conditions which may require certain safety precautions i.e. client aggression, exposure to client health issues etc.