Spiritual Care Practitioner

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at‑risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth with absolute respect, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death.

Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self‑awareness and self‑care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair.

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on‑boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

The Spiritual Care Practitioner provides support to homeless and at‑risk youth by providing spiritual care, counsel, and education on matters of faith and spirituality.

How you will contribute:

• Offers uplifting counsel to youth seeking guidance and direction about spirituality, religion, identity, hope, gratitude, meaning, and loss
• Facilitates engaging and meaningful programs to help youth explore spirituality, religion, and culture
• Offers comfort and guidance to youth who are in hospital, detox, recovery homes, prisons, and other places they need spiritual care
• Supports interested youth to build relationships with their own religious, spiritual, and cultural communities
• Participates in multi‑disciplinary Case Review Meetings and Case Management Meetings
• Works in partnership with the Covenant House Vancouver management team to offer support liaising with families and other agencies, if deemed suitable, when a youth or staff person has died
• Supports various Covenant House Vancouver staff teams and youth through difficult or traumatic experiences, including the death of a youth. Participate in team defusing and/or debriefing critical incidents as requested, and if appropriate.
• Represents Covenant House Vancouver at religious, spiritual, and cultural meetings and celebrations when requested
• Helps Covenant House Vancouver to create, grow, and maintain relationships with representatives from a broad diversity of spiritual traditions and local indigenous communities

Who are we looking for?

Education and Experience:

• Masters Degree in Theology, Spiritual Direction, Counselling (including formal training on issues of spirituality), or an equivalent degree
• Preferred 2 years’ experience in a related field
• Minimum 1 completed unit in Clinical Pastoral Education
• Ability to communicate and work with young adults in a direct, non‑judgmental, caring, professional manner
• Experience and success in positions requiring strict boundaries with clients/patients/community members served
• Interest in serving as a support and ally to youth in the 2
  
  SLGBTTQ community
• Interest in serving as a support and ally to indigenous youth
• Familiarity or willingness to learn about issues facing homeless and vulnerable persons, including the root causes of homelessness, issues of…