Career Opportunities > Current Openings

Child and Youth Care Practitioner

Job/Position Working Title: Child and Youth Worker, Child and Youth Care Practitioner, Prime Worker

Site and Program: Current location is Charlton Hall. Location may change based on the needs of the program
Job Classification(s): Live In Treatment Child and Youth Care Practitioner
Vacancies: 1 position
Days and Hours of Work: 40 hours per week, working both day and afternoon shifts with the expectation of flexibility
Terms of Employment: Full-time, Permanent
Rate of Pay: $30.00 per hour
Reports to: Program Manager
Start Date: asap
Reports to: Program Manager of the Live in Treatment Program
Work Environments: Live in Treatment Program home, community settings, family homes, agency vehicle
Driving Requirements: G class license and access to a vehicle

Lynwood Charlton Centre is Hamilton’s Lead Agency for child and youth mental health, providing transformative care through community, residential, and treatment services. We empower young people (prenatal to age 25) and their families with equitable, accessible programs—from counselling and crisis support to skill-building and advocacy. Guided by compassion and evidence, we collaborate with 7 core partners to strengthen mental health across our diverse community. 

Through our Lead Agency role, we are responsible for leading and facilitating system reform in Hamilton. To do this, we work collaboratively with other child and youth mental health service providers, other affiliated community partners including our child welfare, health, and school board partners, and parents and youth engaged in our services.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to visit the Our Approach section of the website.

We are currently looking for two permanent full-time Child and Youth Care Practitioner to join our team.

FUNCTION

To assume responsibility for the provision of day-to-day care and utilizing best practice and evidence informed treatment interventions with children/youth in a residential environment. The Live in Treatment Program Child and Youth Care Practitioner will perform prime worker/coach duties through developing effective relationships with caregivers/guardians and service providers in the community.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Staff Person Working Within the Live in Treatment Milieu, Responsibilities Will Include:

  • Providing a safe, predictable, and therapeutic environment for the children and youth in the Live in Treatment program

  • Ensuring the basic needs of the children and youth in the Live in Treatment program are met

  • Planning, developing and implementing individual and group therapeutic programming

  • Maintain clinical records, assessments and reports according to agency and program policy and procedures

  • Handle, dispense and administer medication according to agency and program policy and procedures

  • Will provide leadership while in the role of Shift Coordinator, Acting Building Supervisor in the absence of more senior personnel

  • Provide telephone crisis support to caregivers as per individual plans

  • Attend to facility safety and security, cleanliness as per relevant policy and procedure

As a Prime Worker/Coach, Responsibilities Will Include:

  • Providing treatment to children/youth and families by:

    • Working in collaboration with the other members of the interdisciplinary team to employ a systemic approach to develop a strengths based treatment plan which provides a wide range of evidence informed treatment interventions appropriate to the individual needs and strengths and diversity of the child/youth and family by:

      • utilizing relevant intake and service history

      • accessing both formal and informal resources

      • utilization of standardized assessment recommendations

      • regular supervision

      • access to consultation

    • Provision of information and education to children/youth, families and community collaterals to support the implementation of the treatment plan

    • Providing individual counselling to children/youth

  • Case Management of children/youth and families engaged in the Live in Treatment program by:

    • Adhere to all expectations as outlined in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) children residence licensing requirements and agency policy and procedure

    • Maintain regular contact with caregivers/guardians to share pertinent information and treatment updates

    • Contribute to the overall case planning as generated by the child/youth, family, school board collaterals and the interdisciplinary team

    • Support and provide advocacy for the child/youth and family

    • Participate in meetings and case conferences with School board collaterals and community partners

As a Member of the Inter-disciplinary Team, Responsibilities Will Include:

  • Attend and participate in team meetings

  • Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the residential program

  • Contribute to effective team development and processes to promote team cohesion and communication

Other Duties Will Include:

  • Perform duties as assigned

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Participate in all mandatory agency and program training and in-service processes.

  • Assume responsibility for their own professional development, including keeping up to date with the new developments in the field and acquiring new skills to best serve the children/youth and families within the Program.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Clinical Skills:

  • Assess client strengths, needs and resources through effective interviewing and counselling skills

  • Read and integrate information from referral information, reports and assessments and case histories

  • Apply recommendations from standardized clinical assessments to develop treatment plans

  • Employ, model and teach appropriate child/youth behavior management strategies

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment plans

  • Apply clinical resources and Evidence Informed Practices and incorporate clinical training in day-to-day work

Enhanced Crisis Management Skills:

  • Ability to implement all strategies as outlined in the Safe Management Group (SMG)

  • Crisis Intervention program including use of physical intervention.

  • Utilize effective crisis management strategies in various formats including telephone calls, in person, and debriefing situations

Enhanced Interpersonal Skills:

  • Develop rapport and relationships with children/ youth and families

  • Work collaboratively and cooperatively with internal and external parties

  • Utilize effective conflict management strategies in navigating contentious issues.

Problem Solving and Decision-Making Skills:

  • Identify risks and problems, seek and consider alternative solutions

  • Separate non-essential from critical data

  • Make decisions within the scope of practice and consistent with the program guidelines, ethical framework, policies and procedures of the agency

Job Task Planning and Organization Skills:

  • Prioritize duties and tasks and utilize computer software to record work/appointments

  • Meet deadlines and accomplish assigned volume of work within allocated work time

Written Skills:

  • Utilize computer databases, forms and templates to document client service interactions and service reporting

  • Complete all documentation in an organized, logical, easily understood, concise manner, that is suitable to the audience

Professionalism Skills:

  • Present information to various internal and external audiences in an organized, logical, easily understood, concise manner, that is suitable to the format and audience

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

  • Experience working with children and youth in a treatment setting

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

  • Knowledge of child and youth mental health and relevant evidence informed treatment interventions

EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUALIFICATIONS(S)

  • Diploma in CYC, or Equivalent from recognized community college or a BA in a related field

  • Certification in SMG’s Crisis Intervention Training

  • First Aid

HOW TO APPLY

Using the form below, please submit a cover letter and resume outlining your demonstrated education, certification (if applicable), working and related volunteer experience and how you meet specific requirements for this position, and any additional considerations you deem appropriate.

Lynwood Charlton Centre is an equal opportunity employer. We benefit from diversity of lived experiences in the workplace and encourage applications from qualified candidates who reflect Hamilton’s diversity—including racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, and disabled communities.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Lynwood Charlton Centre’s own policies, requests for accommodation will be considered throughout the hiring process.

We thank all applicants however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Apply Now

All interested applicants, please use this form to provide your letter of interest including the job title, and an updated resume.

CLOSING DATE:

  • September 10-16, 2026 (Internal applicants only)

  • September 17-30, 2026 (External applicants)

If you have additional questions, please contact:

Sandy Gdyczynski,B.A., CHRL, Director, Human Resources

careers@lynwoodcharlton.ca
(905) 389-1361

526 Upper Paradise Road
Hamilton, ON L9C 5E3