Child and Youth Worker - Intensive Outreach
About Keystone:
Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services is a dynamic, not-for-profit organization and the designated Lead Agency for Children’s Mental Health in Grey and Bruce Counties. Since 1974, we have been dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families by delivering compassionate, responsive mental health services.
At Keystone, we provide a full continuum of services, including counseling, prevention and well-being programs, short-term live-in treatment, crisis stabilization, youth justice services, and special needs programming. Our focus on coordinated access ensures that every child and youth aged 0-17 receives tailored, multi-disciplinary care to meet their unique needs.
Position Summary:
The roles are part of the expansion of our Intensive Treatment Services (Step Up Step Down/Live In Treatment/Intensive Outreach)
The Child and Youth Worker - Intensive Outreach provides timely, intensive, community-based mental health intervention to children and youth ages 8 to 18 across Grey and Bruce Counties who are experiencing increased mental health risk or vulnerability following a community crisis assessment, discharge from inpatient mental health services, transition from an intensive treatment program, or another significant mental health transition requiring enhanced support.
Working in homes, schools, community settings, and virtually, the Child and Youth Worker builds upon the clinical assessment and formulation completed by the Intake Team or designated clinical lead. The role provides direct intervention, implements safety and stabilization plans, supports emotional regulation and coping, coaches caregivers, and coordinates services and warm transitions that strengthen continuity of care.
The Intensive Outreach Team maintains shared responsibility for the caseload and service plan. A worker may be assigned to provide primary services to a child, youth, or family; however, changes to clinical formulation, treatment direction, service intensity, or discharge are reviewed with the team and clinical lead. The worker takes immediate safety action within established protocols and promptly escalates changes in risk or presentation.
Key Responsibilities:
Intensive Outreach and Stabilization
- Respond to assigned referrals from crisis response partners, hospitals, intensive treatment services, Coordinated Access, and other approved sources within established response expectations.
- Provide intensive community-based mental health intervention to children, youth, and families experiencing increased risk, vulnerability, or disruption in functioning.
- Deliver services in homes, schools, community settings, and virtually according to the service plan, identified risk, and family needs.
- Implement established safety and stabilization plans and take immediate action within organizational protocols when safety concerns emerge.
- Support stabilization and successful reintegration following crisis assessment, hospitalization, intensive treatment, or another significant transition.
Ongoing Observation, Risk Monitoring, and Team-Based Planning
- Build upon assessments and clinical formulations completed by the Intake Team or designated clinical lead.
- Gather and document information about current functioning, strengths, protective factors, family and environmental dynamics, and changes in presentation or risk.
- Use behavioural observation, engagement with the child or youth, caregiver input, and collateral information to inform team discussion and service delivery.
- Contribute to the development and regular review of collaborative safety plans, stabilization plans, and individualized goals.
- Bring changes in risk, presentation, or service needs to the team and clinical lead for review and direction and implement agreed changes to the service plan.
Direct Intervention and Skill Development
- Provide direct, evidence-informed interventions that strengthen emotional regulation, problem solving, coping, resilience, daily functioning, and participation.
- Support children and youth to practise strategies and skills in the settings where they live, learn, and participate.
- Provide psychosocial rehabilitation, community integration, and practical support connected to individualized goals.
- Build therapeutic relationships that promote engagement, hope, safety, recovery, and meaningful participation.
- Apply trauma-informed, developmentally responsive, culturally safe, anti-oppressive, and relationship-based approaches in all service delivery.
Caregiver Support and Capacity Building
- Coach caregivers in practical strategies that support safety, regulation, communication, routines, and family functioning.
- Provide psychoeducation that strengthens caregiver understanding, confidence, and capacity to respond to mental health and behavioural needs.
- Engage caregivers as active partners in stabilization, service planning, progress review, and transition planning.
Care Coordination and Transitions
- Collaborate with hospitals, schools, primary care, crisis services, child welfare, Indigenous service providers, and community agencies to support coordinated care.
- Facilitate warm transitions to appropriate internal and external services and reduce gaps between crisis, stabilization, and ongoing care.
- Participate in team reviews, case consultations, care planning meetings, and multidisciplinary discussions.
- Support children, youth, and families with system navigation, advocacy, and connection to community resources.
Documentation and Professional Practice
- Maintain timely, accurate, and clinically meaningful documentation of observations, interventions, risk monitoring, safety actions, and progress toward stabilization goals.
- Complete outcome measures, service data, and required documentation in the electronic health record in accordance with organizational standards.
- Participate in regular clinical supervision, reflective practice, team consultation, staff meetings, and professional development.
- Work within assigned scope, training, organizational policies, safety protocols, and applicable legislative and ethical requirements.
Qualifications and Experience
- Diploma in Child and Youth Care, Social Service Work, Developmental Services, Behavioural Sciences, or another closely related human services discipline. Equivalent relevant education will be considered.
- (2) years of experience supporting children, youth, and families with complex mental health, behavioural, emotional, developmental, or psychosocial needs.
- Experience providing direct intervention, crisis stabilization, outreach, community mental health support, or psychosocial rehabilitation.
- Knowledge of child and adolescent development, trauma-informed practice, family systems, suicide risk screening, safety planning, and de-escalation.
- Ability to recognize and respond to changing risk within established protocols and promptly seek clinical consultation or escalation.
- Ability to self regulate and utilize de-escalation and crisis intervention as needed
- Strong therapeutic engagement, observation, documentation, communication, collaboration, and care coordination skills.
- Ability to work independently in community settings while contributing to shared team accountability and clinical direction.
- Current First Aid and CPR certification, or ability to obtain before commencing employment.
- Current Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certification, or willingness to complete training provided by Keystone.
Working Conditions
- This is a 40-hour-per-week position, and includes a rotating Saturday coverage. This schedule may change with changing operational and community needs.
- Occasional evening work may be required based on child, youth, and family needs; regular overnight and Sunday shifts are not scheduled.
- Regular travel throughout Grey and Bruce Counties and work in home, school, community, office, and hospital as required.
- Staff may work alone in community settings and must follow Keystone's check-in, risk-management, and worker-safety protocols.
- A valid Ontario Class G driver's licence, reliable access to a personal vehicle, automobile insurance with at least $2 million liability coverage, and successful completion of a Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check are required.
Pay: $28.42-$34.14 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Application question(s):
- Are you legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring current or future sponsorship?
- This position requires travel between community locations and/or service sites. Do you have access to a reliable vehicle and the ability to travel for work as required?
- What is your highest level of completed education?
- This is a 40-hour-per-week position that includes rotating Saturday coverage. Does this schedule meet your availability?
Work Location: In person
