Residential Youth Worker

• Remuneration SCHCADS level 4.1 dependent on qualifications and experience
• Casual shifts across day, evening and night

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

The purpose of the Residential Youth AOD Worker is to work as part of a multidisciplinary team assisting vulnerable young people in need of support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a Residential Youth AOD Worker you will be required to work a 24-hour roster which includes day, evening and night shifts at our Cairns Residential Rehabilitation Unit.

The Cairns Residential rehabilitation unit is a 10-bed purpose-built centre and is specifically for young people aged 13 to 18 years (with a priority focus on ages 16 to 17 years), residing in North Queensland (NQ) presenting with moderate to severe problematic substance use and high complexity in psychosocial need.

The Service will provide age-appropriate, safe, and inclusive treatment and care for young people and families from diverse cultural backgrounds, with a special focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. It offers a range of integrated treatment and care components (clinical, non-clinical, therapeutic, and healing) that can be delivered flexibly to meet the specific AOD treatment goals and needs of each young person and their family.

The service will support Young People to re-establish, maintain, and enhance their positive relationships and connections with family, culture, and community, promoting their health, wellbeing, and developmental potential. The service will also provide education and learning in collaboration with the Department of Education (DoE) and specialist mental health services with Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS).

Key Selection Criteria:

1. Experience and demonstrated understanding of working with young people with complex needs.
2. Ability to work in a culturally competent way with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
3. Experience in coordinating and participating in recreational activities with young people
4. Ability to understand care planning and review
5. Maintaining a professional approach in all communication and engagement activities with service stakeholders
6. Ability to implement interventions appropriate to the young people accessing residential services.

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.

For full details of the position and more about YSAS benefits please visit our employment website

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 purchase additional leave.
• Access to learning and development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Please note:

1. As part of our Employment screening process you will be required to undertake a National Criminal History check and have a current Working with Children Check.
2. You must have Australian work rights to apply for this position.

Further Enquiries

For a confidential discussion about the position, please contact Chloe Fitzgerald, Residential Manager, on regarding the Casual Residential Youth Worker position, Recruitment Ref. Number 111_2025.

• YSAS is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applications from all sectors of the community.
• YSAS has a zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to the provision of a child-safe organisation.