Community Outreach Worker

Government of Nova Scotia; Nova Scotia; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The South Shore Regional Centre for Education is seeking a Community Outreach Worker to support youth and families in Lunenburg and Queens Counties. This role involves providing direct assistance, facilitating group sessions, and collaborating with community services. Ideal candidates will have relevant education and experience, along with strong communication and mentoring skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years relevant experience or acceptable combination of education and training.
• Direct knowledge and experience of the community served is an asset.
• Candidate must have a valid driver’s license and a working vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to children, youth, and families.
• Assist in navigating services and resources in the community.
• Facilitate youth involvement and group sessions.

Skills

Effective report writing

Verbal communication

Mentoring

Coaching

Facilitating skills

Crisis response

Education

Post-secondary diploma or certificate in community services

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, social work, sociology

Job description

South Shore Regional Centre for Education

The South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SSRCE) practices the culturally responsive pedagogy approach in providing an inclusive, diverse, equitable, safe and healthy education that supports learning and success both personally and academically to the 59,000 residents of Lunenburg and Queens Counties, an area of 5,250 square kilometres and a total of 23 schools.

Regional Centres for Education have Employment Equity Policies and/or processes and we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly people of African Nova Scotian, African Canadian and African ancestry and Mi’kmaw/Indigenous ancestry. Please ensure that you complete the self-identification portion on the position application.

Position:Community Outreach Worker

Reports to: SchoolsPlus Facilitator

Schools/Location: South Shore Regional Centre for Education

Employee Group: NSGEU

Status & Hours: Two Permanent Positions - 7 hrs/day, effective immediately

Rate of Pay: $27.21 to $29.74 per hour

Application Deadline: Tuesday May 27, 2025 at 11:59pm (AST)

Qualifications and experience:
• Completion of a post-secondary diploma or certificate in community services, human services, social services, nursing diploma/degree, child development diploma; OR
• Completion of bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, social work, sociology
• Minimum of two years relevant experience, or acceptable combination of education, training, and/or experience.
• Direct knowledge and experience of the community served is an asset.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the needs of youth at risk,
• Possess effective report writing skills; verbal communication;
• Demonstrated experience with mentoring/ coaching/ facilitating skills,
• Possess the ability to maintain rapport and serve as a role model
• Demonstrate a responsible, supportive approach toward the children/youth.
• Equivalencies will be considered.
• Candidate must have a valid driver’s license and a working vehicle.
• Broad knowledge base related to the physical, psycho-social, and emotional needs of a family unit
• In depth knowledge of services available in the community.
• Knowledge of normal/abnormal child development.
• Knowledge of financial management.
• Experience in facilitating groups.

Characteristics:
• Has the ability to work as part of a team with minimal supervision,
• Has discretion with confidential matters.
• Initiative, coupled with good judgment, is required to take appropriate, immediate action relative to the client circumstances and time.
• Ability to exercise good judgment with respect to changes in client/family circumstances and reports to the South Shore Schools Plus facilitator.
• Believes in the intrinsic worth of each individual/family is necessary.
• Ability to establish and maintain a caring, supportive and trusting relationship.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with other persons and services as part of a Comprehensive Plan of Services for a family;
• Ability to organize and carry out tasks efficiently as a team member and individually
• Ability to work independently and respond appropriately to crisis situations
• Ability to share verbally and narratively with the facilitator/supervisor/family
• Ability to provide positive reinforcement, to model decision making steps
• Ability to encourage independent behavior.

Task Dimensions:
The Community Outreach Worker under the direction of the South Shore SchoolsPlus Facilitator would provide direct support to children, youth, and families and would assist in navigating children, youth and their families to services and resources in the community. The Community Outreach Worker would work collaboratively with other school and agency staff to ensure that the student and/or their family have timely access to services and programs required.

Provides coaching / mentoring services. For example:
o Coaching and / or mentoring student and/or families involved with South Shore Schools Plus on parenting, self-esteem issues, etc.
o Establishing positive relationships with students identified as at-risk.
o Assisting in running school groups to support youth

Acts as a navigator to students and families. For example:
o Providing transportation, encouragement, support, and accompaniment to various appointments.
o Helping families navigate the system with comfort and ease.

Provides family support and intervention where required. For example:
o Educating and supporting parents on areas of assessed need which may include the need for enhanced child management and life skills such as self-esteem, parenting, communication, anger-management, school attendance supports, stress management, problem solving, nutrition, food management, household management, safety, budgeting, self-advocacy, health maintenance and child development.
o Advocating on behalf of the client to obtain assistance from appropriate community resources and services, and assisting the clients in developing self advocacy skills.

Records case management files. For example:
o Maintaining a record of contacts and actions taken with families, students, collaterals, etc

Facilitates youth involvement. For example:
o Partnering with Schools, Teen Health Centres, Restorative Justice, or other agencies to provide opportunities for youth involvement/leadership or elsewhere within the community.

Facilitates group sessions. For example:
o Providing specific workshops on topics identified as important to families.
o Facilitating groups for children or youth at schools (i.e. self-esteem, social skills, anger-management) as deemed necessary.

Provides services to the Transition to School program. For example:
o Assisting in the coordination and collaboration of partnering agencies in the pre-primary screening and transition to school.

Creates linkages to community services and supports. For example:
o Establishing and maintaining proactive linkages and relationships with other services.
o Identifying opportunities where services may benefit for collaborative approaches.
o Indentifying needs families have for which there are gaps in services available in the community.
o Attending meetings, conferences, training related to Schools Plus as required, i.e. may include monthly advisory meetings, monthly provincial meetings, or other community meetings as determined.

Provides flexible services during weekends, evenings and summers as required. For example:
o Demonstrating willingness to attend Programs, activities and meetings that may include evenings, weekends, and summers.
o Enhancing the availability and accessibility of services and programs to children, youth, and families through flexibility in planning meetings and scheduling work hours.

Complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations.

Performs other related duties as required.

BACKGROUND/SECURITY CHECKS:

The South Shore Regional Centre for Educationrequires allnewly hiredemployees to provide a satisfactory Criminal Record / Vulnerable SectorCheck and a Nova Scotia Child Abuse Register Check. We will accept checks completed within the last 3 months.

Regional Office based positions require travel and candidates may be required to provide a valid driver's license. Some school based positions also require travel and candidates may be required to provide a valid driver's license.

Thank you for your interest in the South Shore Regional Centre for Education, however, only those shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.