Wellness Manager
What We Do
YESS is a not-for-profit agency working with youth facing difficult realities. Based in Edmonton, our Youth Support Centre provides immediate and low-barrier 24/7 sleep support and individualized wrap-around supports for young people aged 15 -24.
We work collaboratively within a network of care, focused on the prevention of youth homelessness by providing youth with the necessary supports to stabilize their housing, improve their wellbeing, build life skills, connect with community, and avoid re-entry into homelessness.
We are committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to cultivating an environment where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported. YESS is an equal opportunity employer and always strives to ensure all employment decisions are grounded in equity, fairness, and merit.
What You Will Do
Reporting to the Chief Programs Officer, the Wellness Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for YESS’ Wellness department, overseeing Youth Recovery, Counselling, Diversion & Outreach, Transition & Follow-Up, and Medical Support services.
This role is accountable for ensuring services are delivered with excellence, consistency, and measurable impact. The Wellness Manager leads and supports a multidisciplinary team, including the Wellness Counsellor & Youth Engagement Navigator, Youth Diversion & Outreach Liaison, and Youth Transition & Follow-Up Support Liaison; ensuring integrated, high-quality, and youth-centered service delivery across the continuum of care.
The Wellness Manager also leads the coordination and growth of YESS’ medical support program, including the recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and retention of volunteer physicians and health partners. This ensures youth have timely and equitable access to medical care, wellness resources, and community-based health services that support stabilization, recovery, and long-term well-being.
Hours of Work: Full-Time, onsite, 40 hours per week
Key Responsibilities
- Program Leadership & Service Excellence
- Provide leadership, direction, and accountability for Wellness, Diversion, Outreach, Transition, and Follow-Up services
- Ensure all services are delivered in a trauma-informed, youth-centered, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented manner
- Monitor service quality, program flow, and outcomes across all Wellness-related roles
- Ensure clear pathways from Safety & Stabilization into Wellness, Diversion, Transition, and Follow-Up services
- Identify service gaps and implement improvements to strengthen youth outcomes
Staff Supervision, Coaching & Accountability
- Supervise and support the following roles:
- Wellness Counsellor & Youth Engagement Navigator
- Youth Diversion & Outreach Liaison
- Youth Transition & Follow-Up Support Liaison
- Provide regular supervision, coaching, feedback, and performance support
- Set clear expectations for documentation, service delivery, youth engagement, and follow-up
- Support staff development, reflective practice, and trauma-informed approaches
- Ensure staff are working collaboratively rather than in silos
Medical Program Coordination
- Lead the coordination of YESS’ medical support program
- Recruit, acquire, coordinate, and maintain volunteer physicians and health professionals
- Schedule and confirm physician/clinic availability, youth appointments, follow-ups, and referrals
- Coordinate access to medical services such as primary care, sexual health, dental, women’s health, Indigenous health supports, and community health resources
- Ensure examination rooms, supplies, records, and clinic logistics are prepared and maintained
- Monitor medical supplies and coordinate ordering as required
- Support medical documentation, EMR/records processes, correspondence, and confidentiality requirements
- Collaborate with Facilities, Health & Safety, HR, and leadership on medical safety protocols and clinic readiness
Wellness Counselling & Youth Engagement Oversight
- Ensure youth receive timely access to wellness assessments, counselling, recovery supports, and engagement programming
- Monitor the quality of one-on-one support, group facilitation, recovery meetings, and youth engagement activities
- Ensure youth are connected to internal and external mental health, addiction, cultural, recreational, and wellness supports
- Support the use of arts, culture, recreation, and structured programming as engagement tools
- Ensure participation, referrals, outcomes, and progress are tracked consistently
Diversion, Outreach & Prevention Oversight
- Ensure proactive outreach and diversion services are delivered in schools, libraries, community spaces, neighbourhood hubs, and high-risk areas
- Support partnerships with schools, EPS, libraries, agencies, recreation providers, arts organizations, and youth-serving systems
- Ensure diversion programming connects youth to early supports before shelter, justice, or crisis system involvement
- Monitor outreach data, referral outcomes, and partnership activity
Transition & Follow-Up Oversight
- Ensure youth are supported with housing stabilization, financial empowerment, benefits navigation, employment readiness, and post-transition follow-up
- Monitor caseloads, service plans, follow-up timelines, and documentation
- Ensure youth leaving shelter remain connected to supports that reduce return to crisis services
- Support partnerships related to landlords, housing programs, employment, furniture, food, clothing, and community resources
Volunteer & Community Partnership Development
- Build and maintain partnerships with physicians, clinics, health providers, community agencies, schools, cultural supports, and recreation providers
- Develop a strong volunteer physician and wellness-provider network
- Create clear onboarding, scheduling, confidentiality, and service expectations for medical and wellness volunteers
- Ensure partnerships expand youth access to care without duplicating internal services
Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Track wellness, diversion, transition, medical, and engagement outcomes
- Review participation, referral, follow-up, and service utilization data
- Prepare reports for leadership, funders, and evaluation purposes
- Use data to improve services, identify gaps, and strengthen program quality
- Ensure documentation is accurate, timely, and aligned with organizational standards
Other Duties as Assigned
Key Outcomes
- High-quality delivery and increased youth access of Wellness, Diversion, Outreach, Transition, Employment and Housing services
- Improved access to medical care through volunteer physicians and health partnerships
- Stronger transition pathways from crisis to stability and independence
- Reduced service duplication and clearer role accountability
- Improved documentation, reporting, and outcome tracking
- Stronger partnerships and increased service access for youth
- Increased youth engagement in wellness, recovery, arts, recreation, and community programming
Core Competencies & Expectations These core competencies outline the key behaviors, values, and expectations that guide how employees contribute to the YESS’s mission and work effectively with others.
- Demonstrate integrity by acting with honesty, fairness, respect, and maintaining confidentiality in all interactions.
- Communicate effectively through active listening, clear messaging, and respectful, transparent dialogue with team members and stakeholders.
- Deliver results by meeting performance expectations, taking initiative to solve problems, and supporting team success.
- Provide service excellence by responding professionally and compassionately to the needs of youth, partners, and colleagues.
- Apply strong problem-solving and judgment to assess situations, identify solutions, and seek support when needed.
- Foster teamwork by collaborating effectively, contributing positively to team culture, and valuing diverse perspectives.
Qualifications & Experience
- Diploma or degree in Social Work, Child and Youth Care, Psychology, Counselling, Public Health, Human Services, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered
- 2+ years of experience in youth services, wellness programming, outreach, case management, or program coordination
- Experience supervising staff and supporting multidisciplinary teams
- Experience coordinating medical, health, wellness, or community-based services is a strong asset
- Experience recruiting, coordinating, or supervising volunteers is an asset
- Strong knowledge of youth homelessness, trauma, mental health, addictions, harm reduction, recovery, and community resources
- Experience using case management or database systems such as ETO is an asset.
- Experience with data collection, outcome tracking, reporting, and program evaluation
- Registration with CYCAA, or eligibility to register, is an asset.
- Direct experience in:
- trauma-informed care
- crisis intervention, de-escalation, and debriefing
- safety planning and risk assessment
- motivational interviewing
- coaching
- one-to-one support and short-session counselling
- facilitating groups, workshops, or therapeutic/recreational programming
- working within a multidisciplinary nonprofit environment
What You Bring
- Motivational Interviewing
- Mental Health First Aid, ASIST or equivalent suicide intervention training
- NVCI or TCI training
- Trauma-informed care training
- Valid Alberta driver’s license, clean driver’s abstract, and proof of vehicle insurance
- Clear police clearance (PIC) and a Child Intervention (CIRC) check, both obtained within the last six months
YESS is an equal opportunity employer, committed to an inclusive and safe work environment for people of all backgrounds.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those shortlisted will be contacted.
