Shelter Manager

Who we are

YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth, and we are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces.

Guided by our mission and inspired by the potential to make a profound impact, Youthlink works closely with youth, families and partners in our community. We come together to highlight and develop strengths, aspirations and positive actions that improve the health and well-being of all who live, work, study and play in our community. As a service delivery organization, we leverage data-driven decision-making and grassroots engagement with youth advisory councils to create an inclusive, innovative, and responsive agency that provides the best fit and most needed services for our communities.

If you are seeking a meaningful opportunity and want to play a key role in bringing our vision for a stronger Scarborough where all youth and families thrive, join us.

Manager, Shelter, Transitional Housing & Live-In Treatment (LIT)
(Temporary Contract Full-time, 35 hours/week)
Starting ASAP – March 1, 2026
Non-bargaining unit position

The Manager, Shelter, Transitional Housing & Live-In Treatment (LIT) is responsible for the weekend operations of the Youth Transitional Housing and Shelter (YTHSP) and Live-In Treatment Program (LIT). The Manager, Transitional Housing & LIT works with the City of Toronto and Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure youth in the shelter and residential treatment systems have optimal outcomes by overseeing intense case management and programming. This includes managing functions of intake, food preparation and house management, data collection, security, housing referral, partnerships for referral sources; programming for youth, providing
clinical consultation, performance management, supervision and direction to direct and indirect weekend staff working in the shelter and residence as well as input into the client treatment planning process.

Your Role

Models and Builds a Strong Workplace Culture

• Builds and/or maintains team and organizational values that ensure a healthy work environment where everyone feels safe, supported, engaged and motivated.

Operational Planning and Budgeting

• Builds and implements a strong housing and programming operational plan and supporting budgets that will ensure youth in the shelter, housing system and LIT program have optimal and equitable outcomes.
• Continually manages organizational risk and opportunities; participates in the development and implementation of risk mitigation plans. Ensures full compliance with accreditation, licensing, and all regulatory standards.
• Builds program capacity through developing a staffing model, agreements, resourcing, hiring and assessing training needs. Manages the weekend operations of the YTHSP and LITP. Works with staff on the development and implementation of the YTHSP. Ensures the provision of housing-focused case
• Management, including triage, screening, assessment, individualized service planning, case conferencing, brokering, referrals and transition to follow-up.
• Ensures that staff conduct intake assessments for shelter referrals including: screening clients to assess appropriateness and fit to our service; ensuring that all current and background information is recorded that might be relevant to the treatment matching and planning process; participates and collaborates on all program admission decisions; participates in weekly triage teleconferences with Centralized Access to Shelter Services.
• Assesses effectiveness of counselling support and collaboratively alters approach to suit client needs. Ensures that aftercare follow up with clients occurs to monitor and assist with post-discharge issues.
• Ensures the provision of client programming to meet client needs and support the client’s journey to independent living. Programming may include recreation, employment, life skills, substance abuse recovery, harm reduction, and trauma healing.
• Client programming will be customized and tailored to client needs. Assists with funding
• proposals as needed as required.
• Takes all reasonable and necessary precautions to protect his or her own health and safety and that of co-workers by complying and demonstrating knowledge of the policies, procedures and safe practices established by YouthLink

Ensures the provision of community engagement and partnership

• Including referral, liaison & service resolution, establishment of a Peer Program, Afrocentric programming and housing, shared community programming, development of community relations & outreach. Developing and maintaining partnership with private landlords and supportive housing providers.
• Program logistics include developing formalized service partnerships to deliver programming, referrals, and development of community relations strategies, collaborating on joint community events, developing participant agreements with agencies and community partners to achieve optimal results.

Ensure excellence in data collection and reporting

• Develops a measurement framework, fidelity measures, a data management system, regular reporting on both KPIs and system indicators, evaluation reports, data analysis for program and outcome evaluation, presentations to management and Board, conducting evidence based research and addressing funder requirements.
• Actively contributes to the Agency’s Strategic Plan by participating in initiatives and committees to support the overall Plan. Assists with funding proposals as needed.

Equity, Diversity and Belonging

• Proactively and enthusiastically stays updated on best practices as it relates to Equity,
• Diversity and Belonging and organizational development. Works collaboratively with the
• ABR Committee and Director of Anti-Racism, Equity and Belonging to embed best
• practices into all programs, operational goals and processes.
• Development and Implementation of the Agency’s Strategic Plan by participating in
• initiatives and committees to support the overall Plan.

Other duties as assigned.

What You Bring

Education:

• Undergraduate Degree in Social Work, Psychology, or related discipline or combination of education and experience.
• Training in shelter and/or live-in operations for youth and young adults.
• CPI, UMAB or equivalent is an asset.
• Training in the following areas is an asset: clinical counselling models such as CBT, Narrative, Solution-Focused, evidence-based practices, outcome informed approaches, trauma assessment, diversity and anti-oppression, data collection and analysis.

Experience:

• Three (3) years’ experience working with youth in underserved communities with at least 2 years in the area of residential services, housing or shelter system.
• Two (2) years’ management/leadership experience preferably in a non-profit unionized
• environment.
• Demonstrated experience in progressive staff discipline and absenteeism management.
• Experience working in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated experience in case management, intake assessment and bed management; broad knowledge of theories, principles and practices of shelter and/or residential treatment is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated strong understanding of the high-need, complex youth population, their needs and appropriate responses.
• Demonstrated ability to provide youth with programs and opportunities to learn and grow.
• Demonstrated strong administrative skills including data management, report writing, and tracking associated with the day-to-day operation of shelter.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution skills and ability to de-escalate and resolve issues of violence and / or conflicts.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Scarborough community services, relevant legislation, education system, and social justice and other issues such as human trafficking, poverty, 2LBGTQSi youth, youth justice, substance abuse.
• Familiarity with suicide/risk assessment and crisis support services.
• Demonstrated skill in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion practices, and specifically using an Anti-Black Racism lens.
• Proficient in French is an asset.
• Bilingualism is an asset.

Other Requirements:

• Vulnerable Sector Police Check is required.
• Must be able to obtain medical clearances including tuberculosis testing and up to date immunization record.
• Must be able to work in a Pet-friendly shelter.

Working conditions:

• This position is scheduled to work on Saturdays and Sundays. This position provides on-
• call coverage during their working hours on the weekend. Over-time once weekly or
• every two weeks due to job priorities and needs.
• The Manager, YTHSP & LIT Program works out of the Shelter and LIT sites with regular
• travel between the two sites when required.
• Required to attend team meetings at LIT and Shelter program.
• There are some risks involved in this position such as crisis management.

Join us.

YouthLink's core values define what we stand for and how we operate, helping us to work together in the most fulfilling ways.

We value leadership, acting in ways that exemplify what we expect of each other and our clients. We work together, bringing out the best in each other and creating strong working relationships. Our professional ethics are evident in all the work we do and the decisions we make.

We value humanity and show consideration for people, their abilities, skills, diversity and perspectives. We create an inclusive workplace that celebrates individual differences and, through our actions, demonstrates empathy, goodwill and honesty.

We value innovation, demonstrating flexibility and changeability in adapting to our work and community dynamics. We show courage in developing service initiatives that will improve the well-being of our clients and their families.

We value respect for people for who they are and for their knowledge, skills and experience as individuals and team members. We treat clients with respect and fairness and encourage the same in return.

We value excellence, demonstrating competence and accountability in delivering client services. We display clear judgment and exhibit clear thinking and reasoning in all situations. We continually strive to accomplish all tasks and provide an outstanding service for our clients.

Benefits

At YouthLink, we understand the nature of our work and the deep commitment every team member offers. We strive to provide a rewarding compensation and benefits package to support our people. This includes:

• Comprehensive health and dental coverage for you and your family, with 100% of the premiums fully covered.
• Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of 20 working days per year.
• 5 ‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
• 3 paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months service.
• Maternity / parental /adoption leave top-up payments (to top-up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).
• 100% premium cost for long-term disability coverage paid by employee.
• Eligibility to participate in the pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with a generous matching employer contribution.

Apply now.

We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, racialized people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences. 

We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma-informed lens. We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and embrace working outside of Euro-centric practices.  

If you meet 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and share 100% of our passion and commitment to supporting youth and their families, please submit your application. We can’t promise to hire you; we can promise to review your lived and learned experiences fully.

We are committed to providing equitable employment opportunities and a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations at any stage of the interview process, please email us at [email protected].