The Agency

The Calgary John Howard Society (CJHS) is a charity that reduces crime and makes Calgary communities safer by helping youth and adults make positive changes and move away from criminal behavior. We do this by addressing the root causes of crime through housing, education, employment programs and support so that individuals have alternatives to breaking the law. CJHS is committed to restorative justice and an organizational environment that recognizes the dignity and worth of each person. CJHS values diversity and inclusion and welcomes qualified applicants from all walks of life.

The Program

The Roofs for Youth program provides support for chronically homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness aged 15 to 24 years old to help them successfully transition to adulthood. Youth are justice-involved or at risk of justice-involvement due to a lack of stable housing and support.

Using a recovery-based model that is directed by an individual youth's goal setting, participants are connected through caseworkers to a continuum of services from institutional discharge planning to housing placement, access to employment and employability skill development opportunities, educational opportunities, connections to natural supports, connections to mental health/therapeutic supports, addictions support programming and intensive case management. It is important to understand that we meet our youth where they are at within the stages of change and caseworkers will be providing supports tailored to the unique, individual youth on their caseload.

We employ a number of lenses in our casework practice framework and interested candidates should come to the interview prepared to discuss natural supports, cultural respect/inclusion, restorative justice, harm-reduction, and trauma-informed practice.

Roofs for Youth includes two place-based housing buildings, Raido House (age 15 - 18) and Windsor Park (age 18 - 24), where clients are placed if they need on-site support.

The Position

Reporting to the Youth Residential Team Lead, the Case Worker will be knowledgeable about the issues that youth face in the cycle of homelessness. This position will work alongside the Youth Residential team:

• Treat youth that may exhibit challenging behaviors with professionalism, respect, and caring. We have an open door policy meant to support youth who have been institutionalized to learn to function and thrive in a home-like setting.
• Provide day-to-day support and supervision for up to 10 youth residents in a single-staffed working environment.
• Engage a caseload of 3 - 5 youth in intensive case-management, including goal setting, referrals, assessments, advocacy, and walking alongside them as they pursue their goals.
• Stabilize and respond to crisis situations, like opioid overdoses requiring Naloxone, until emergency services are able to respond.
• Role model healthy behavior for residents, this includes both demonstrating pro-social behaviors and independent living skills like cleaning and meal preparation.
• Complete all documentation, assessments, referrals, and write case notes
• Support with navigating various systems including the Justice System, Child Services, Alberta Health Services, and the youth's self-identified natural supports.
• Approach situations with a trauma-informed, and culturally inclusive lens that embraces the diversity and past experiences of both our youth and staff.

The Residential Caseworker will have a post-secondary education in a relevant discipline, 2 years relevant experience working with the target population. Lived experience of homelessness is also an asset.

This is a full-time 40 hour a week position with benefits and include an on-call rotation.

Brain Story Certification is considered an asset.

A current criminal record check (CPIC) and Child Intervention Check (where applicable) are required (within the past three months). Your past does not define your future. A criminal record will not disqualify you from employment with us; we evaluate each application individually.