Full-Time - Permanent

Winnipeg MB

MYS is honoured to be situated on Indigenous lands where we work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, staff and communities. Our offices and homes are located on Ininew, Anishinaabe, Dene, Oji-Cree and Dakota land and in the homeland of the Metis Nation. Our head office is located on Treaty 1 territory and our homes and sub offices are located throughout Treaty 2 and Treaty 5 territories. We acknowledge the harms that our work, rooted in colonial systems, has caused and we are dedicated to correcting our mistakes by listening, learning from and cooperating with Indigenous communities and families in a spirit of truth, respect, collaboration and reconciliation.

Macdonald Youth Services is hiring! Come grow with us and support the strengthening of family connections while enhancing your own personal & professional growth. We seek candidates who promote family preservation and strength-based community connectedness through a trauma-informed, relational approach, compassionate and anti-oppression lens.

Reporting to the Coordinator SKILLS4Life, the Tenancy Support Mentor will assist the Case Managers in both Housing Fist and Independent Living with the daily operation and support needs of all youth and young adults within the program. Supports participants in their efforts to meet their housing and independent living needs. Ensure all responsibilities to the youth and young adults are carried out within a youth-centred, strengthbased framework that promotes the cultivation and mobilization of youth strengths, potential and capacity for growth.

Duties and responsibilities of the Tenancy Support Mentor include, but are not limited to:

• Interact with young people in a manner designed to help them achieve their goals
• Transport youth to appointments (medical & other) and any activities as required
• Ensuring that all receipts for items purchased on program funds are collected and forwarded to the Case Manager
• Observes, evaluate, and records daily life events according to the program recording procedures
• Must provide services through an Indigenous lens that is holistic and focuses on the strengths andexperiences of Indigenous participants
• Work as part of the team to ensure consistency in the youth’s experiences and intervention plans as based on the placement goals
• Spend one-to-one time with youth focusing on their growth and development
• Must be aware of systematic barriers faced by Indigenous participants
• Engage with a youth to help them identify significant others that support their need for healthy connections and belonging
• Participate with the team in making informed culturally responsive decisions regarding therapeutic methods based on observations and interactions with the young people and their knowledge of the young person’s culture
• Engage youth in relevant recreational activities as defined by their care plans; Active involvement with youth in appropriate activities, in the community and with their families with a view towards their growth and development and reaching the goals of their placement, as identified in their care plan
• Encourage and assist individual youth in developing their strengths and interests
• Encourage and participate in applicable cultural programming with youth
• Assist in developing and implementing plans for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, or a discharge party using special events to assist their growth and development
• Encourage young people to develop engagement with relevant community activities
• Planning for meals and grocery shopping, engaging youth in the process
• Assist youth with shopping for clothing within established guidelines
• Teach young people budgeting, shopping techniques and basic life skills
• Work with youth to ensure a clean and healthy physical environment
• Regularly discuss with young people the importance of a safe environment
• Involvement in learning opportunities and development of an attitude that promotes a relevance for learning in young people
• Display an attitude that promotes positive teamwork and exhibits a high degree of positive role-modeling for young people
• Knowledge of history and impact of intergenerational barriers and oppression faced by Indigenous people
• Start–up shopping with youth
• Respond to client concerns of apartments
• Supports participants with maintaining living areas based on reasonable expectations of the participants, and program standards
• Communicates information verbally and in writing to team members and other relevant staff within the program
• Follows Incident Report procedures laid-out within the program
• Accept and arrange donations from the community, ensuring the quality
• Respond to Caretaker/management company concerns when delegated

Ongoing Program Development:

• Attends mandatory agency and program events.
• Attends team meetings and agency strategic planning events.
• Liaises with other agency programs.
• Participates in agency committees as approved by the Coordinator.
• Represents MYS in a professional manner.
• Follows MYS policies and procedures.
• Engages in monthly supervision.
• Represents MYS at agency and community functions.
• Ensures appropriate and timely record keeping.
• Other duties, as required.

The successful candidate should demonstrate the following competencies, which incorporate the Seven Sacred Teachings;

Bravery/Courage – Bear

• Continuously seek opportunities by taking initiative and championing new ideas that benefit youth
• Consistently persist in the face of obstacles, takes action to reach high personal goals and standards
• Monitor the progress of work to meet deadlines even under stress and pressure through planning and prioritizing
• Initiate creative planning and advocate for change
• Lead by example

Respect – Buffalo

• Build relationships with staff and volunteers, focusing on their needs, responding quickly and understanding roles and responsibilities
• Acknowledge and advocate other teachings and/or spiritual practices and beliefs and incorporate them into day-to-day operations

Honesty – Saabe

• Demonstrate effective communication by sharing information, asking questions and active listening
• Perform with good intention, take responsibility, and follow through on commitments
• Role model positive practices and ethics with an ability to represent the organization in a positive manner

Love – Eagle

• Show an understanding of love in the form of appropriate and effective self-care strategies
• Recognize the gifts that all people bring and allow people to share those gifts, even if different from our own understanding

Wisdom – Beaver

• Demonstrate a good understanding or an openness to learn of Indigenous communities and the impacts of inter-generational and historical trauma
• Knowledge, awareness and respect of Indigenous cultures, languages, traditions, and practices

Humility – Wolf

• Create or support an environment of collaboration while still contributing and sharing credit freely with various teams across MYS and service partners
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances or conditions with flexibility and compassion
• Ability to reflect or seek guidance to ensure support given is representative of the organization’s mission and values

Truth – Turtle

• Gather relevant information, recognize patterns and themes in the data, generate and consider multiple alternatives and make decisions in a timely manner
• Analytical and critical thinker

Additional Qualifications:

• Child and Youth Care Worker diploma or certificate (or equivalent certificate or diploma) with a minimum of 4 years’ experience in the youth care field; a combination of education and/or experience will be considered.
• Experience with one-on-one mentorship with at risk youth and demonstrate an understanding of the realities of living independently
• Have read the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action
• First Aid, CPR; Knowledge of Crisis Intervention & the ability to navigate crisis and support others through stressful situations
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Knowledge and experience with diverse cultures and economic backgrounds
• Knowledge of community resources
• Valid driver’s license.

Salary Range: Dependent on qualifications. MYS offers a competitive benefit package and pension plan.

Hours of Work: 40 hours weekly – Days, Evenings, Weekends.

MYS is an equal opportunity employer, Indigenous people, women, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Please forward a cover letter and resume (in word or PDF format) to careers@mys.mb.ca by September 29, 2021

MYS is committed to developing and retaining a diverse workforce. All job offers are conditional upon providing the following satisfactory, and current (within 3 months) background checks: Child/Adult Abuse Registry Check; Prior Contact Check; and Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Search. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.