Child Youth Worker

Job Summary & Requirements Child and Youth Workers in the Child and Youth Program at RVH support both the Child and Youth Mental Health Inpatient Unit, the Child and Youth Day Program and complete Youth crisis assessments. The Inpatient unit is an 8 bed regional program supporting children and youth under the age of 18 from the Central Region who are experiencing acute mental health crisis. The Child and Youth Day Program is an Education and Community Partnership Program (ECPP) that operates in partnership with the Simcoe County District School Board, the Simcoe County District Catholic School Board and community agencies. The Day Program provides support for youth (Monday to Friday) to meet their education needs while providing concurrent mental health focused treatment and offers:

• Three 12-week programs during the traditional school year for youth in Grades 9 to 12 students (up to their 18th birthday)
• One 8 -week summer program for youth who will be entering grade 9 in the fall

As the Child and Youth Mental Health Worker at RVH you will work both within the inpatient unit and the Day Program - with cross training opportunities to support other units within RVH as needed. As part of the Child and Youth Mental Health team the Child and Youth Worker provides direct care to patients and families experiencing acute psychiatric conditions with a focus on social skill, strength, development and functioning in the context of the family and the milieu; provides emergent/urgent support of psychiatric concerns as necessary throughout RVH; develops and implements a plan of care in collaboration with the child/family and other health care team members; maintains clinical competence and knowledge through continuing education and life-long learning. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Works with the interdisciplinary team to complete a comprehensive (bio psychosocial) assessment to identify patient/family strengths, dynamics, behaviours, interactions, attitudes, feelings development, and cultural issues in relation to the patient/family’s presenting concerns; and support the development and revisions of individualized, comprehensive plans of care to achieve mutually agreed goals create plans and implements intervention and programming through individual, group and/or family interventions.
• Maintains contact with patients’ teachers to work closely with and assist the teacher during classroom hours.
• Implements and role models’ effective behavior management strategies and manages aggressive patient situations.
• Organizes and leads therapeutic and psych-education groups as appropriate.
• Initiates and/or participates in discharge planning activities, including linking with community agencies/other Health Centre programs as appropriate.
• Develops strong, collaborative working relations with members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Provides education to patients/families and health care team members, focusing on effective behaviour management, milieu interventions and programming.
• Engages in evidence-based practice and may initiate changes to improve the quality of Child & Youth Worker interventions as appropriate.

As a qualified candidate you will have the following job requirements:

• Certified Child and Youth Worker 3-year diploma from an accredited Community College required.
• Baccalaureate Degree in Health Sciences or Social Sciences or related field from an accredited University preferred.
• Current CPR certification required.
• Certification in Non-violent Crisis Intervention required.
• Membership in OACYC preferred.
• 3 years’ work experience in mental health care setting for children and adolescents and their families preferred.
• 3 years’ work experience in an acute psychiatric setting preferred.
• Experience leading therapeutic and psychoeducational groups required.
• Experience either working in or working with a school program preferred.
• Experience working knowledge of the Mental Health Act, the Personal Health Information Protection of Privacy Act, and the Public Hospitals’ Act.

You are ideal for this position if you have:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Proven team player in an interdisciplinary care setting.
• Proven commitment to continuing education.