Youth Peer Support Worker

Foundry is removing barriers and increasing access to health and wellness services for young people ages 12–24 and their caregivers through a network of youth-friendly centres across British Columbia and online. By offering integrated mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer support and social services, Foundry makes it easier for young people to find support in their communities. Online resources and first-of-its-kind virtual care further broaden Foundry's reach.

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 enhancing their health and wellness, service navigation, and resource information and connects 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. An ability to support neurodiverse, gender and sexually diverse, Indigenous, racialized, rural and remote, or youth and young adults with physical disabilities as a peer would be considered an asset. This position assists with the delivery of walk-in services and outreach activities, offering support both on a one-on-one basis and in a group setting. The YPS worker acts as an advocate and role model, helping young people and their families recognize that with hope, recovery is possible. 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Plays a key role in ensuring that the centre offers a safe, welcoming, inclusive and youth-friendly environment.

• Establishes a purposeful relationship with young people and supports their engagement and participation in centre services.

• Provides guidance and assistance with employment and post-secondary needs, including support with the Foundry Works & Education Program. 

• Assists youth with the activities of daily living including time management, organization and interpersonal communication.

• Accompanies youth to appointments in the community.

• Develops, leads or co-facilitates group services to promote skill development and mental health and substance use recovery and relapse prevention.

• Coordinates, participates in or assists with planning recreation and social activities.

• Provides support to aid with reducing youth’s distress, improve or maintain functioning and enable independence and active participation.

• Works collaboratively with team members to meet pre-established goals and objectives, facilitates recovery-based peer support meetings and activities. 

• Works collaboratively with centre staff, community and hospital-based teams to build relationships between youth, families and systems to enhance the awareness of youth and family needs.

• Completes and maintains related records and documentation in electronic medical records and data systems including service information, progress reports and notes, and care plans.

• Participates in team meetings, case conferences and organizational initiatives.

• 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.

• Participates in various knowledge exchange and learning opportunities facilitated by Foundry Central Office

QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training and Experience

• Diploma in a related human / social service field with a minimum of one-year relevant 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, or eligible for completion of a recognized youth peer support training program, and willing to self-identify and share experience of recovery.  

Additional Requirements:

•   Clear Criminal Record Check is required.

•   Current First Aid and CPR Certificate.

•   Valid and unrestricted Class 5 BC Driver’s License with access to a safe and reliable vehicle.

•   Acceptable Driver’s Abstract (provided annually).

•   Position requires Union Membership.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to establish rapport and maintain therapeutic relationships with young people and family members.

• Knowledge of peer support practices and recovery.

• Empathic and compassionate, with good listening skills and creative thinking and a willingness to share one’s own story to facilitate and support recovery. 

• 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.

• Ability 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 minority groups including LGBTQ2S+ and 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 interdisciplinary team.  

• Basic computer skills: experience with Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.  

Shift/Schedule/Hours per week: 14 hours per week including evening shifts; exact schedule TBD 

Expected Start Date: ASAP

Wage/Salary: starting at $27.54/hour 

Grid Level: 11

We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the communities we proudly serve, while encompassing the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations including queer, trans, and two-spirit people. In our words and actions, we recognize the challenges for those facing inequalities, while acknowledging our privilege, as we continuously strive to remove bias and reduce barriers that individuals may experience in the hiring and job-seeking process. We invite feedback from all applications who apply for roles within the Agency.