About Us
Children Matter Community Services is a growing BC agency that provides staffed homes and support services for children and youth with complex needs, under contract with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and our Indigenous Partners. Our work rests on relationships, connection and belonging. We offer person-centred, trauma-informed and strength-based care that honours each young person’s culture, identity and voice. We want every home to feel like a home, not a worksite.

We believe that when we take care of our staff, our staff can take care of our children, youth and communities.

About the Role
This is not a babysitting job. As a Youth Support Worker in our complex mental health home, you will be a steady, caring adult for young people who are going through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Some of the youth we support self-harm or have thoughts of suicide, and you will help them feel safe, heard and connected. You will work alongside a supportive team and report to the Residence Coordinator and Program Manager. You’ll have the guidance of individualized care and safety plans, and you’ll get clinical consultation and ongoing training.

Responsibilities

Relationships and Daily Support

- Build trusting, consistent relationships with youth while keeping explicit professional boundaries
- Support daily life skills, routines, school, recreation and community participation in a way that reflects each youth’s interests, goals and culture
- Help youth develop emotional regulation and coping skills, and take part in meaningful activities
- Help create a warm, welcoming home where youth feel they belong

Safety and Mental Health Support

- Follow each youth’s care plan and safety plan, including early warning signs, supportive responses and escalation steps
- Respond calmly and without judgment when youth share thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and seek support right away from the Residence Coordinator or on-call manager
- Recognize changes in mood, behaviour or risk, and report and document them promptly




- Use de-escalation and trauma-informed approaches when youth are in distress, and recognize behaviour as communication of an unmet need
- Respond to emergencies, including self-harm injuries, aggression and youth who go missing, following CMCS policy and your training
- Give, monitor and store medication according to CMCS policy and the care instructions in place
- Take part in post-incident debriefs and help reflect on and adjust care

Teamwork and Documentation

- Complete accurate, factual, respectful and timely shift logs, incident reports and handovers
- Communicate clearly and directly with your team, and help keep the workplace free of gossip
- Take part in team meetings, case discussions and all required training
- Understand and follow CMCS policies, procedures, protocols and care plans, and ask for guidance when unsure

Qualifications

- Certificate or diploma in Child and Youth Care, Social Service Work, Mental Health and Addictions, or a related human services field
- 2 years of recent related experience, including supporting youth with mental health needs
- Understanding of trauma-informed, attachment-informed and relationship-based practice
- Class 5 BC driver’s licence and a driver’s abstract that meets CMCS policy
- Valid First Aid and CPR
- Ability to pass a Criminal Record Check and obtain and maintain CCRC clearance through MCFD

Assets

- MANDT, NVCI or CPI training
- Suicide intervention training such as ASIST or safeTALK, Mental Health First Aid, or DBT-informed skills
- Naloxone and overdose response training
- Experience in a staffed residential home with youth who self-harm
- Knowledge of culturally safe care for Indigenous children and youth

Who Will Thrive in This Role?




You stay calm and caring when a young person is struggling. You can sit with hard conversations, and you know when to ask for help. You believe every young person deserves connection and belonging, and you show it through small, consistent actions: a shared meal, a check-in, following through on a promise. You take your own wellbeing seriously, use the support around you, and want to keep learning. You are passionate about making a real difference.

What We Offer

- Competitive wages
- Dental and extended health benefits for part-time positions exceeding 20hours a week.
- Paid time off; including personal days.
- Ongoing training, including MANDT and the Art & Science of Youth Work Certificate. NVCI, and ASSIST
- Regular debriefs, clinical consultation and a supportive leadership team
- A chance to help build a growing, values-driven agency

How to Apply
Please send your resume and a cover letter about your experience supporting youth with mental health needs and why this work matters to you. CMCS welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please let us know if you need an accommodation during the recruitment process.

This posting will be active and accepting applications until October 30th at 4pm.

Pay: $30.06-$32.73 per hour

Benefits:

- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care

Application question(s):

- This role can involve an unexpected crisis near the end of a scheduled shift. On occasion, staff may need to stay beyond their scheduled end time to support a safe response or handover. Are you able to meet that requirement?
- This work carries a real risk of burnout and vicarious trauma. What supports do you need from your team, supervisors, and CMCS to do this work well and stay well? What does a Youth Support Worker need to be successful in this home?
- Are you comfortable working with youth who may self-harm or experience thoughts of suicide?

Licence/Certification:

- Unrestricted Class 5 Drivers License (required)
- MANDT, CPI, or MHFA certificate (preferred)

Work Location: In person

📌 Child and Youth Worker - Complex Mental Health (Kamloops)
🏢 Children Matter Community Services
📍 Kamloops