Social Worker - Child in Out-of-Home Care

This posting will be used to fill 2 permanent full-time positions working 75 hours bi-weekly. It will establish a 12-month eligibility list which may be used to fill similar positions.

This job is based in the thriving and diverse city of Whitehorse in the beautiful Yukon.

Who we are

Yukon's Department of Health and Social Services aims to promote, protect, and enhance the well-being of Yukon people through a continuum of quality, accessible, and appropriate health and social services.

The Family and Children's Services Branch is responsible for territory-wide delivery of child protection services and programs that support positive and healthy outcomes for children, youth, and their families. The unit responds to complex and crisis situations and works with families to ensure continued safety and well-being of children. Collaborative working relationships with Yukon First Nations and Indigenous Governing bodies are critical in this work. This unit also provides on-call services 24/7 to ensure that a response to concerns of child harm is available, at any time, every day of the year.

This opportunity

Reporting to the Supervisor of Family Services, the Child in Out of Home Care Social Worker delivers services to children in out-of-home care in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act, and the corresponding policies and procedures. In this position, the Social Worker is primarily responsible for working with children that are in out-of-home care (that is, the care or custody of the Director and extended family care) to conduct assessments, develop and implement case plans and cultural plans (where necessary), and ensure that the child’s needs are met. This position is responsible for coordinating with the child’s parents, extended family members, Yukon First Nations, Indigenous governing bodies (IGBs), and other service providers and advocates connected to the child or the child’s family.

This individual will have a passion and commitment to children's services. This role requires an individual with well-developed interpersonal skills, time management, good organizational skills, cultural sensitivity, the ability to work collaboratively, and commitment to relationship-based social work.

If you are committed to ensuring the community is a safe and caring environment in which children and their families may develop to their full potential, we look forward to hearing from you.

Your benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer many additional financial and non-financial benefits.

• Government of Yukon’s many benefits

Important application and job requirements

Essential qualifications

Please submit your resume clearly demonstrating how you meet the qualifications below. Selections for further consideration will be based solely on the information you provide in your resume.

• Bachelor of Social Work degree
• Considerable relevant experience working in child protection and delivering child protection services
• Experience preparing case plans, safety plans, affidavits or court documents and intervention services including investigations and core protection services
• Experience in providing services to families, children, and individuals (i.e., ensuring child needs are met, setting up family visitations, making referrals, etc.)
• Experience working with First Nation Governments and communities will be considered an asset

NOTE: If your Bachelor of Social Work degree was obtained outside of Canada, you need to confirm it has been assessed for equivalency through any members of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (ACESC).

Desired knowledge, skills and suitability

If selected for an interview, candidates should have, and may be assessed on, the following:

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment with an emphasis on Yukon First Nation's culture
• Strong knowledge in social work principles and practices in child welfare and case management
• Ability to foster collaborative partnerships with children and youth in out of home care, their family members, caregivers and supports, including working as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to achieve results through managing a diverse and complex workload with ability to deliver on accountabilities
• Problem-solving, decision-making and conflict resolution skills in order to make and modify operational decisions
• Sound ethical decision-making skills that demonstrate the capacity to complete family, children, and individual assessments at a professional level and practice guided by the Canadian Association of Social Work Code of Ethics
• Ability to take a broad-based, strategic approach to community development in response to mandated client service
• The skill to work with high-risk complex cases with a strong ability to help de-escalate clients and/or deal with potentially volatile and aggressive individuals

Conditions of employment

You must meet the following conditions before being hired, or within the time frame noted.

• RCMP Criminal Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector Search
• A child welfare record check satisfactory to the employer
• Must possess and maintain a valid Class 5 Driver’s License or equivalent
• Verification of Bachelor of Social Work Degree
• Must demonstrate the ability to be delegated under the Child and Family Services Act within 12 months of hire

Job requirements

This job requires you to perform, and/or be exposed to, the following:

• Exposed to emotional, angry, and sometimes physically abusive clients. May need to mediate, de-escalate, resolve, intervene and provide solutions through face-to-face contact and meetings
• Travel and work in both formal and informal work environments within Yukon and outside of territory

Learn more

• For help on creating your E-recruitment profile, email E-Recruitment.clientsupport@yukon.ca or phone 867-667-9453.