Job Title: High-Risk Youth Supervisor
Company: West Coast Care
Location: Nanaimo, BC
Reports To: West Coast Care Management
Pay: $22.00 - $30.00 per hour
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Overview
The High-Risk Youth Supervisor is responsible for the oversight, administration, and management of high-risk youth residential programs and group homes operated by West Coast Care. This role requires strong leadership, administrative skills, crisis management expertise, and a commitment to supporting youth with complex behavioural, emotional, mental health, and developmental needs.
The High-Risk Youth Supervisor ensures that assigned youth programs operate efficiently and effectively while maintaining compliance with West Coast Care standards, policies, licensing requirements, and regulatory expectations. The successful candidate will provide leadership and guidance to frontline staff while ensuring youth receive safe, structured, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care.
The High-Risk Youth Supervisor plays a vital role in staff supervision, incident management, behavioural support planning, safety compliance, and program oversight. This position works closely with West Coast Care Management, families, guardians, social workers, school personnel, mental health professionals, and community partners to support positive outcomes for youth. The supervisor will help create an environment that promotes healing, resilience, life skills development, emotional regulation, education, and long-term stability for youth in care.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Supervision
- Lead and manage a team of employees, providing direction, support, and mentorship to ensure program success.
- Foster a collaborative, trauma-informed, and youth-centered team environment that encourages open communication and professional growth.
- Set clear goals and expectations, monitor team performance through evaluations and supervision notes, and provide constructive feedback.
- Conduct regular team meetings to discuss program updates, address challenges, and recognize achievements within assigned programs.
- Train and onboard new team members, ensuring adherence to best practices, policies, procedures, and licensing requirements.
- Evaluate team performance through regular assessments and implement improvement plans as needed.
- Collaborate with West Coast Care Management to align program objectives with organizational goals.
- Ensure compliance with West Coast Care policies, safety regulations, licensing requirements, and accreditation standards.
Risk Management & Crisis Response
- Oversee high-risk youth programs, ensuring staff maintain safety, structure, supervision, and appropriate interventions.
- Respond to crises promptly, providing direct de-escalation, conflict resolution, and behavioural interventions.
- Develop and monitor Individualized Safety Plans (ISP), Behaviour Support Plans, and Crisis Response Plans (CRP) for youth.
- Support staff during behavioural escalations and provide on-site crisis management as needed.
- Ensure completion of all incident reports with proper follow-up actions, safety planning, and communication with relevant stakeholders.
- Conduct post-incident debriefings to assess risk factors and identify areas for improvement.
- Participate in the on-call rotation schedule and ensure crisis response procedures are followed effectively and in accordance with West Coast Care protocols.
- Ensure staff follow all supervision, AWOL, safety, medication, and emergency response procedures.
Client Support & Behavioural Intervention
- Engage directly with high-risk youth, providing emotional, behavioural, and physical support.
- Develop and implement individualized routines and schedules, including hygiene, school attendance, exercise, life skills, recreation, and self-care activities.
- Serve as a role model for staff and youth, demonstrating best practices in trauma-informed care and professional boundaries.
- Monitor youth mental health presentations, behavioural challenges, emotional regulation, and risk levels while ensuring appropriate interventions and safety precautions.
- Ensure alignment of care strategies with individualized healing plans and behavioural goals.
- Support youth through placement transitions, hospital admissions, reunification planning, and other service transitions as required.
- Promote positive youth development, healthy coping skills, emotional regulation, accountability, and personal growth.
Documentation & Compliance
- Ensure accurate and timely completion of documentation, including daily logs, incident reports, safety plans, behavioural tracking, supervision notes, and program documentation.
- Regularly review and audit documentation to maintain compliance with legal, licensing, and organizational standards.
- Prepare and review monthly reports and submit them to West Coast Care Management.
- Work alongside management and staff teams to create individualized healing plans, goals, and intervention strategies.
- Maintain and update youth case files, electronic records, and program documentation.
Safety & Facility Oversight
- Conduct routine safety checks and risk assessments within youth homes and facilities.
- Ensure compliance with licensing, fire safety, health and safety, and accreditation standards.
- Oversee fire drills, emergency preparedness procedures, and evacuation plans while ensuring staff are trained on safety protocols.
- Maintain a clean, safe, structured, and therapeutic living environment for youth.
Training & Staff Development
- Identify ongoing training needs for staff, ensuring they are equipped to work effectively with high-risk youth.
- Train new hires on safety protocols, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, documentation expectations, and best practices in youth residential care.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and continuous professional development opportunities for frontline staff.
Communication & Collaboration
- Collaborate with families, guardians, social workers, school personnel, healthcare professionals, and external service providers to develop comprehensive care strategies.
- Act as a liaison between staff and West Coast Care Management, providing regular updates on program challenges, successes, and emerging concerns.
- Participate in case conferences, management meetings, treatment planning meetings, and team strategy sessions.
- Ensure open communication and coordination with multidisciplinary teams to enhance service delivery and support positive youth outcomes.
Pre-Employment Requirements
- Satisfactory professional reference checks (minimum two).
- Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening completed within six months of hire.
- Applicable child welfare screening requirements as required by British Columbia regulations.
- Valid First Aid with CPR-C and AED certification.
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) or CPI certification preferred.
- Mental Health First Aid certification preferred.
- De-escalation and conflict resolution training preferred.
Qualifications & Skills
Required:
- Experience in a leadership or supervisory role within a youth group home, residential program, mental health setting, social services program, or high-risk residential environment.
- High School Diploma or equivalent.
- Post-secondary education in Child and Youth Care, Social Work, Psychology, Criminology, Human Services, or a related field.
- Strong background working with high-risk youth and families with complex behavioural, emotional, developmental, and mental health needs.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed care, attachment, behavioural intervention strategies, youth development, and crisis management.
- Excellent leadership, communication, conflict resolution, and organizational skills.
- Ability to develop and implement personalized routines, safety plans, behavioural interventions, and support strategies.
Preferred:
- Proficiency in technology, documentation systems, and report writing.
- Certifications in Trauma-Informed Care, Suicide Prevention, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Mental Health First Aid, and Conflict Resolution.
- Valid Class 5 Driver's Licence.
Work Environment
- Fast-paced, high-stress environment supporting youth with significant emotional, behavioural, developmental, and mental health challenges.
- Requires adaptability, resilience, leadership, and strong decision-making skills.
- Evening, weekend, overnight, and on-call shifts may be required.
- Frequent travel between program locations may be required.
- Exposure to high-risk situations, behavioural escalations, crisis interventions, and emergency responses.
- Commitment to maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, ethical conduct, and a youth-centered approach at all times.
Schedule
- 8-hour shifts
- Day shift
- Evening shift
- Monday to Friday
- On-call rotation
- Weekends as needed
Work Location
In Person – Nanaimo, British Columbia
Pay: $23.00-$30.00 per hour
Work Location: In person