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.

Macdonald Youth Services is looking for an experienced Youth Care Worker (YCW) within the Healing Homes service area. YCWs are responsible for providing care and specialized treatment for the youth in the Healing Homes program. YCWs ensure that programming is provided for the youth within the policies and treatment philosophy of MYS.

Primary responsibilities of the YCW include, but are not limited to:

• Develop, manage, facilitate, and direct all daily program activities as well as implement household routines;
• Interact with young people in a manner designed to help them achieve their goals;
• Work as part of the team to ensure consistency in the youth’s experiences and intervention plans as based on the placement goals;
• Intervene into daily life experiences to help the young person achieve their goals and connect to their experiences in a healthy manner designed to help them achieve their goals;
• 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;
• Active involvement with youth in developmentally appropriate activities within the facility, in the community and with their families with a view towards their growth and development and reaching the goals of their placement;
• Encourage young people to develop engagement with relevant community activities;
• Teach the youth about nutrition and healthy eating habits, planning for meals and grocery shopping and meal preparation while engaging the youth in process;
• Assist with all procedures and routines related to health and safety of staff and youth and the importance of a safe environment. Assist with maintenance and cleanliness of physical property, building and yard;
• 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;
• Participate in the assignment of any other job-related tasks as requested by the Supervisor, Manager of Operations and/or CEO.

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

Bravery/Courage – Bear

• Continuously seek opportunities that benefit youth by taking initiative and championing new ideas.
• Initiate creative planning and problem solving: be an advocate for positive change.
• Actively advocate for youth, both within the shelter and throughout the various systems that have an impact on the lives of our youth.
• Demonstrate the ability to adapt to changing circumstances or conditions with flexibility and compassion.

Respect – Buffalo

• Build positive and caring relationships with youth, focusing on meeting their needs in all four directions of the medicine wheel.
• Build positive and caring relationships with other staff members, based on mutual respect.
• Acknowledge and advocate for teachings and/or spiritual practices and beliefs, and incorporate them into daily living whenever possible.

Honesty – Saabe

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

Love – Eagle

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

Wisdom – Beaver

• Demonstrate a good understanding of the impacts of inter-generational and historical trauma, colonization and the impacts of residential schools.
• Demonstrate respect, knowledge, and awareness of Indigenous cultures, languages, traditions, and ways of being and knowing
• Demonstrate knowledge of the impacts of the Child and Family Services and Community Living Disability systems, particularly in the context of Indigenous communities

Humility – Wolf

• Understand that youth come to us with complex histories, stories and needs. Demonstrate clear understanding of personal triggers and biases in order to not take youths behaviours personally.
• Demonstrate critical self-reflection, an ongoing willingness to learn, and an understanding of power and privilege (race, ability, sexuality, gender, as staff members, etc.) and how our positionality impacts our work with youth.

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, particularly in regard to engaging and planning youth

Additional Qualifications:

• Certificate or diploma in Child & Youth Care (other combination of education and experience may be considered);
• Two years’ experience working with at risk youth;
• Have read the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action
• Knowledge of trauma and resilience informed care as well as excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Strong counseling skills and experience in behavior management;
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driver’s abstract (subject to approval);
• Emergency First Aid and CPR Level C and Mental Health First Aid & Safe Talk will be considered an asset;
• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Search, a clear Child Abuse Registry check with acceptable Prior Contact checks and a clear Adult Abuse Registry check, all done within the last 3 months;
• ASIST Certificate (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and NVCI Certificate (Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training) preferred;
• Knowledge of Indigenous customs, traditions, and beliefs will be considered an asset.

Salary Range: $16 per hour, Depending on qualifications, per annum. MYS offers a competitive benefit package and pension plan.

Hours of Work: 80 hours bi-weekly. This position is required to work a variety of shifts including days, evenings, weekends and holidays.

Please forward a cover letter and resume (in word or PDF format) to careers@mys.mb.ca by September 27, 2021

MYS is an equal opportunity employer, Indigenous people, women, visible minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. MYS is committed to developing and retaining a diverse workforce. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted. For further information about our other employment and volunteer opportunities please visit our website www.mys.ca/careers