Mission:         Empower Teen Parents to Succeed

Vision:            Teen Parent Families Thrive and Enrich our community

Job ID:            23-015, Family Engagement Worker, NE Hub, full-time, permanent

Family Engagement Worker, NE Hub

As a non-profit organization that has been serving pregnant and parenting teens in Edmonton for 50 years Terra is recognized for its leadership, innovation, and collaboration.  Annually more than 1,000 young parents and their children benefit from a comprehensive range of services. Through the compassionate work of the staff, we help parents and children to develop and reach their full potential by recognizing and responding to their unique and individual needs. Terra staff are guided by the Code of Honour which supports, respects, and celebrates our families and staff. If you share our values and support our mission and vision, please consider joining our team. 

Job Overview

Working with families referred from the Northeast Edmonton Family Resource Network (FRN) and Terra’s Family Learning Program, the NE Family Engagement Worker assists young parents in their development of positive parenting skills to foster healthy parent child relationships. Through home visits and community outreach, participants are supported to make healthy choices and to develop their capacity to effectively meet the needs of their children. While most participants on the caseload will be young parents, the FRN has the option of assigning other families to this position.

Reporting to the Supervisor, Family Learning Program, the NE Family Engagement Worker will be part of a team at Terra and at the C5 Northeast Hub and will contribute to planning and service delivery discussions at both sites. The NE Family Engagement Worker will work closely and in collaboration with the other service delivery partners at the C5 Northeast Hub to ensure families are well supported by and connected to their community.

Conditions of Employment

This is a full-time, (35 hours/week) position with flexible hours, Monday through Friday. 1-2 evenings are required based on the needs of families and staff and to support day/evening programming. The position will be working out of the Terra West office located at 10320 146 Street as well as the C5 HUB located at 14017 Victoria Trail NW.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide ongoing support to children and families through home visits, telephone calls, and other support strategies to identify priorities and goals of participants and develop action steps to address those priorities in their individual and family life
  • Demonstrate a commitment to the well-being and best interests of teen parents by conducting all interactions with participants in a professional, respectful, and non-judgmental manner while maintaining healthy professional boundaries
  • Identify and foster relationship building with community resources and contacts to continually enhance programming to benefit both families and the outcomes of the program
  • Refer families as necessary to other relevant community services offered at the C5 Northeast Hub and assist participants in building a strong connection with their community
  • Advocate for families in crisis, assist with problem solving, communication skills, decision-making skills, and goal planning to increase their confidence in meeting the needs of their children and family
  • Support self-advocacy practices to assist families to become their own best advocates and learn to access services and support independently
  • Adhere to all safety protocols established by the agency for on-site, group and community meetings/interactions
  • Complete documentation, reports and maintain participant files in full compliance with policies and procedures.
  • Record and monitor the progress on client goals and acknowledge the attainment of participants goals, milestones and/or efforts towards their achievement
  • Collect outcomes, measure data, compile monthly statistical information and complete evaluation activities as required
  • Work in partnership and with an open mind to contribute to ongoing development of the Hub service delivery model and programs
  • As directed and/or indicated, represent Terra in community and inter-agency functions
  • Seek opportunities for collaboration and cooperative work with other community agencies and partners to meet the needs of participants and contribute to the development of team and agency-wide knowledge and skills. 
  • Participate in on-going professional development and the performance review process and actively seek opportunities to enhance personal/professional knowledge and skills.
  • Participate in self-evaluation, peer evaluation, volunteer, and student evaluation.
  • Expand personal sensitivity and knowledge regarding different cultures.

Qualifications

  • Post-secondary diploma or degree in Human Services, Education, Special Education
  • Experience providing outreach support services through home visitation
  • Experience providing life skills coaching and training
  • Experience working with low income, vulnerable and marginalized participants, including people facing multiple barriers such as mental illness and substance abuse

Knowledge and Abilities

  • Ability to work with families from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  • Ability to speak a second language is an asset
  • Ability to develop positive, effective, professional rapport and relationships with youth
  • Knowledge of referral services and supports within the Edmonton community and/or the ability to research and connect with community resources
  • Understanding and knowledge of the issues young people face when pregnant and parenting
  • The ability to work independently in a self-directed environment with strong time management skills is required

Other Requirements

  • Current First Aid Certificate
  • Current Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
  • Clear Police Information Check
  • Clear Child Intervention Record Check
  • Vehicle and clear driver’s abstract for the safe transportation of participants and their children
  • If applicable, documentation of registration as a Social Worker as per provincial legislation

Core Behavioral Competencies

Terra values are core to the organization. We strive to hire individuals who possess these behavioral competencies at all levels of the organization.

  • Personal Leadership: Practices inclusion, communicates openly and effectively, demonstrates self-awareness 
  • Productive Relationships: Develops networks, collaborates, develops self and others 
  • Results Focus: Applies outcomes-based problem solving and systems thinking, demonstrates evidence-informed decision making  
  • Service Excellence: Practices innovation, facilitates a culture of learning, demonstrates continuous improvement  
  • Program Planning; design, plan, coordinate, facilitation of groups
  • Finance; manage allocated financial resources for program delivery 
  • Communication skills; excellent both written and oral; evidenced in grant writing and reporting to funders
  • Community Relations; well-developed engagement skills, strong networking

Intention Statement

Terra recognizes that it operates within a society and systems shaped by white supremacy and colonization and institutionalized discrimination and the exclusion, exploitation, and marginalization of Indigenous, Black, and people of color.

Terra strives to understand and be accountable for how white supremacy continues to impact its work at an organizational and systemic level and to address harm; implicit and explicit biases

Our intention is:

To build a foundation of awareness, knowledge, and skills to be an anti-racist organization. To respond to systemic racism that creates barriers and inequality in the workplace and in society. To be an organization that embeds the principles of equity and anti-oppression to everything it undertakes. 

Our goal is to actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through an antiracism lens through policies processes and practices.

Vaccine Policy

As a condition of employment, all Terra employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID 19 or regularly undergo COVID 19 testing before entering the workplace.  Successful applicants will be required to provide proof of their COVID 19 vaccination prior to commencement.  If you are the successful applicant and cannot be fully vaccinated on the basis of a protected ground under human rights legislation you may request an accommodation that will be reviewed by Terra

Compensation: The starting salary for the position is $45,000-$47,857 a year depending on experience and expertise. There is an opportunity for yearly increases in salary based on job performance.  

Upon completion of a probationary period, we offer a comprehensive, competitive, extended health benefits package including RRSP contribution. Staff have three weeks of vacation, and, in addition, the agency is closed between Christmas and New Years.

As a learning organization, Terra supports ongoing professional development among employees through formal training, informal mentoring, and personalized growth plans.  Terra is continuing to grow our programming and there are anticipated opportunities for further professional growth within the agency.  

To Apply:

Send a copy of your resume and cover letter to the email below with the subject line:

 #23-015 Family Engagement Worker NE FRN

employment@terracentre.ca         

Closing Date: Until suitable candidate found.