Family Support Worker (Polaris)

Family Support Worker 

(Practicing Professional 2, PS4) 

Are you passionate about contributing to the community? Are you interested in working for an organization that is committed to learning and growing, puts people at the centre of our work, believes in a culture of belonging and building on the strength of our community?
 

Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health supports individuals, families and communities as they work to strengthen their wellbeing and mental health. Our vision is to have a connected community where all people thrive.  

WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY? 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Family Support Worker to join our Home and Community Outreach team! In this role you will provide direct support to the family members of children who have been identified as having significant mental health challenges. The Family Support Worker provides a variety of support services to children and family members in their home and in various community settings. This is a full time permanent position working 37.5 hours per week. 

Through the establishment of trusting, supportive and creative relationships with family members and especially primary caregivers, the Family Support Worker will model, teach, coach and encourage improved parenting coping skills and strategies.  They will work “in-vivo” with the family, in their home and in other community settings.  They will be a source of information, guidance and support, a problem-solving partner, an advocate and an encourager for these families. 

WHY WORK FOR US? 

We are an organization that serves individuals, families and communities within the Waterloo Region! We are excited about our work, the impact we have in the community and our people (our people are our superpower!).  We are committed to doing what is best for our community and to developing our people. 

Join us to: 

Do work that matters 

Be part of a caring, passionate, and collaborative workplace that lives its values 

Learn new skills and support us in creating a more seamless experience for individuals, families and our community 

Be a part of our diversity, equity, and inclusion journey 

Put the people we serve at the centre of everything we do 

Have a positive impact in our community 

Grow, try new things, and use your transferrable skills across programs and teams. 

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: 

Meet with families in their homes and in various community settings 

Develop and implement individualized treatment plans in partnership with families, based on identified needs  

Provide home-based counselling, including parent education and coaching, skill teaching, and promoting positive parent-child interactions 

Assist families in finding appropriate resources and provide crisis support as required 

Communicate regularly with other members of the team, updating them on the families’ progress so that the multi-disciplinary treatment plan is well coordinated 

Complete all documentation as per departmental standards  

Respond to and support families who are in crisis  

To always perform work safely and in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 

Demonstrate commitment to continuously improving professional excellence 

Participate in translating the Camino vision into successful outcomes through involvement in all the processes and activities 

Ensure awareness and maintenance of best practices and standards for agency activities 

Develop and maintain positive professional relationships with others 

Incorporate and strengthen a team-based working environment that empowers staff to be collectively responsible for ensuring the agency achieves its mission 

Contribute to overall agency operations by embracing change and innovation ensuring excellence in customer service 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

Diploma in Child and Youth Work or Social Services, or a related degree (e.g. BSW) 

Minimum 3-5 years successful field experience, or a minimum 5 years relevant education and special experience or skills 

First Aid/CPR Certificate 

Membership within a professional association is an asset 

Knowledge of, and a sensitivity to, the common challenges faced by families who are part of the children's mental health system 

Demonstrated commitment to working in partnership with families. Sensitivity to the fact that families can experience a power imbalance in their relationship with professionals and commitment to redressing this balance 

Communicates with families naturally, in a non-judgmental, honest way that enables family members to know they have an ally 

Detailed knowledge of local formal and informal support services 

Flexible work approach - willing and able to change as the needs and desires of families change, able to work at the families' pace, and resilient enough to hold on until families are ready to take action. 

Reflective practitioner - open and responsive to feedback from peers and supervisor 

Tact and effective problem-solving skills to deal with emotionally charged situations on a frequent basis; actively practice de-escalation techniques 

Sound understanding of childhood and adolescent development and children's mental health 

Sound understanding of children's behaviours, including disruptive, defiant and aggressive behaviour 

The ability to use child development theory, attachment theory, trauma informed therapeutic practices, brain development theory and social learning theory to help parents and family members to understand their children's behaviours and build skills to support their children 

The ability to work in a respectful but confident manner with families to model strategies for supporting their children and to become a consistent, compassionate and effective coach to parents and family members 

Ability to effectively manage stress and personal attitude in a highly demanding (physically, mentally, and emotionally) environment 

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?: 

This is a full time permanent position working 37.5 hours per week 

Must be legally eligible to work in Canada 

Regular use of computers, client information database and cell phones 

Work will take place in client homes, community settings and in the office 

Comfortable transporting clients in personal vehicle 

Frequent travel throughout the Waterloo Region 

Must have a valid driver's license, access to a reliable vehicle and applicable auto insurance 

This position will require work beyond the normal daytime work hours with 1-2 evenings per week and weekends as required

A police check for the vulnerable sector is required

Must be able to provide either proof of COVID-19 vaccination or documentation providing a satisfactory reason under the Ontario Human Rights Code for not being vaccinated

Wage: The hourly range for this position is $26.42 - $37.29

This posting will close as of April 7, 2026

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY  

Camino is an equal opportunity employer and supports workforce diversity. At Camino we believe that diversity enriches our performance, clients, services offered, the communities where we live and work, and the lives of our employees. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources ([email protected]). While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
 

As we continue to be responsive to the changing needs of our communities, we acknowledge the historical and present-day violence and systemic barriers that continue to harm members of our Region and that we must ask ourselves not if we are complicit, but how.  

Camino is committed to developing anti-oppressive practices and equitable outcomes for the families we serve while ensuring that our programs reflect and meet their needs. We recognize that we must work in collaboration with others to dismantle systems of oppression, discrimination, and violence that people face as a result of their diversity, beliefs and identities.

Building equity takes time, resources, intentional commitment and behavioural change. It is an ongoing process, and we start by recognizing the racism and discrimination faced by Indigenous people, Black people, Asian communities, racialized people, ethnic or linguistic groups, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, unhoused people, people with mental illness and people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

To help us create change and ensure that we can continue helping families thrive, Camino has invested in antiracism and anti-oppression training for all our employees. In addition, we have engaged in an organizational assessment to identify and address gaps. We have also created an Equity Leader position to help ensure our policies, processes, and practices eliminate any existence or influence of systemic racism across our organization.  

We have a lot of work to do and we are committed to keep moving forward on this learning journey. We will continue to listen, learn, and take action to ensure that everyone at Camino experiences true equity, empowerment, and inclusion.