Youth Worker

Application close by COB on Friday 30th October 2025
- Full Time (76 Hours per fortnight)
- Fixed term until June 2026
- Remuneration SCHCADS level 5 dependent on qualifications and experience + superannuation
- 5 Weeks Annual Leave
- Up to $15,900 for living expenses + up to $2,600 towards meals and entertainment can be tax-free through NFP Salary Packaging

**About us**

Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) is one of Australia’s largest and most comprehensive, youth specific community service organisation that enables young people experiencing serious disadvantage to access the resources and support they require to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

YSAS is a Child Safe organisation. We actively promote the safety and wellbeing of young people, and are committed to protecting young people from harm or abuse who come into contact with and/or access our service.

At YSAS we are committed to people of a diversity of backgrounds and identities being included, represented, and having the opportunity to participate equally in the life of our organisation and the communities in which we provide our services. We strive to create the conditions where people feel safe, enfranchised and valued. We value lived-living experience wisdom, insight, and knowledge.

**About the position**

As a member of a small team, the Youth Outreach Worker provides direct service activities, crisis intervention, assessment, casework / case management services and ongoing support to minimise the harm of drug use to young people. Youth AOD Outreach workers are required to work independently across a range of areas with support from the team and supervisor. In addition, the Youth AOD outreach worker will hold some responsibilities for the young people within the YSAS Wilum Program. The Wilum Program provides transitional accommodation to young people recovering from substance use problems and who also seek support to build the skills they need to live independently. Wilum currently has capacity to support up to 10 clients living across 7 properties in the North and West of Melbourne. Current program housing exit points typically include public or community housing, the private rental market (including share accommodation) or returning to the family home.

**Key Selection Criteria**

1. Experience in working with young people presenting with complex needs in an outreach capacity, especially issues related to alcohol and drug use.

2. Demonstrated understanding of the principals and practice of harm minimisation orientated treatment and prevention interventions, as well as knowledge of contemporary approaches to youth drug and alcohol treatment.

3. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of adolescent development and ability to practice a range of interventions including complex drug and alcohol assessments, case work/case management approaches, care planning and review, advocacy, group work, crisis intervention and collaborative outreach based service delivery

4.Highly developed engagement and communication skills with young people from a range of backgrounds (including cultural awareness) and age groups; including the ability to model appropriate behaviours and motivate young people

5. Demonstrated experience of co-operative and collaborative work practices with other service providers (e.g. Youth Justice, Child Protection, Victoria Police, Out of Home Care Providers) and community groups; including well developed liaison and networking skills.

6. Demonstrated skills in written communication, including report writing, case notes and data recording.

**What our young people request from our workers**:
Young people across YSAS have spoken out and given feedback about the qualities that best describe a good YSAS worker:
“A good worker takes the time to understand your interests and doesn’t treat everyone the same.” “Young people believe that a good YSAS worker is empathetic and good at actively listening in a non-judgmental way, is relatable, down-to-earth and able to build trust and rapport in a consistent manner”. “It takes time to trust someone, but it’s worth it when you know they’ve got your back”. Young people have also raised that genuine human connection is an important quality, “being authentically human”, while having a holistic, flexible, and adaptable approach that considers the entire context of a young person’s life and their intersectionalities. “It’s about making sure workers don’t just tick boxes but genuinely want to see us thrive”

Regardless of where they are based or what position a worker has, everything we do at YSAS is about young people and their families.

**Why work with us?**
- YSAS has a true commitment to flexible working, ensuring that individual, team and client needs are met
- YSAS offers additional leave entitlements such as gender affirmation, ceremonial leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, fertility leave, blood donors leave, a generous Parental Leave Scheme and the ability to purchas