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Outreach

YES’ Youth Outreach Worker Program helps at-risk and high-risk youth better navigate and connect with services and pro-social opportunities in their community; improving outcomes for youth who aren’t yet well connected to the supports around them. It’s a community-based program, meaning most of the YOW’s work happens out in the community rather than in the shelter itself. In the Peterborough region, there’s a particular emphasis on family reconnection, so the program is well-suited to youth who don’t already have a circle of service providers in place, or who have the potential to reconnect with family and need support doing so.

The Youth Outreach Worker helps identify, develop, and implement a personal plan based on the youth’s own goals for independence. They help youth navigate service systems and connect with relevant supports and resources in their community, offering emotional support, housing support, educational support, employment support, health support, legal support, and more along the way.

In the community, the YOW will accompany youth to appointments, whether that’s with a landlord, an addictions or mental health counselor, a school counselor, an Ontario Works representative, or a lawyer. Family support is also available, whether that means being present when a youth meets with a family member, or equipping both sides of the relationship with the skills needed to communicate and move forward together.

If you are or know a youth between the ages of 16 to 24, who would like support or you just want some further information, please contact Karen Scott at YES 705-748-3851 or by cell at 705-868-1781 (text is okay). You can also email at kscott@yesshelter.ca

YES’ Youth in Transition Worker Program supports youth aged 16 to 24 who are, or have been, involved with the Children’s Aid Society, including youth who were Crown wards, eligible for renewed youth support, or had other significant involvement with the child welfare system. The program is designed to help youth leaving care make the transition from the child welfare sector into adulthood.

This is a voluntary program built around the young person’s own goals. The youth identifies what they want to work on, and their Youth in Transition Worker acts as a support team coordinator, mentor, and coach, helping them move forward in areas like life skills, employment, financial literacy and banking, education, legal concerns, physical and mental health, housing, and social connection.

The YITW’s role is to connect young people with the services they need (especially safe and secure housing), help them navigate unfamiliar systems, foster informal supports and relationships, provide hands-on instruction in life skills, and nurture self-efficacy so they can thrive independently.

If you are, or know a youth between the ages of 16 to 24, who is, or has been involved with the Children’s Aid Society, or if you just want some further information, please contact Bob Barrow at 705-559-4753 (text ok) or by email at rbarrow@yesshelter.ca.

YES’ Youth Trustee Program acts as a liaison for youth aged 16 to 24 in the city of Peterborough who have identified money management as a barrier to maintaining a safe and affordable lifestyle. The program is completely voluntary, and referrals can be made by a YES caseworker, another agency, or initiated by the client themselves.

Upon meeting with the trustee, the client’s needs are discussed so that financial goals can be established. From there, financial processes are set up: budgeting for housing, basic needs, and financial goals is worked out, and an agreement is put in place for the client’s personal needs allowance. Based on that agreement, the trustee completes arranged financial transactions and bill payments, or supports the client in building these skills themselves.

At times, the trustee may also refer clients to community or government agencies and provide advocacy to help limit the frustration that can come with trying to find the right resource. The program is designed as a collaborative effort between the client and the trustee, offering flexibility and choice to the client, while allowing the trustee to empower the participant. This approach helps individuals strengthen their financial and resource-management skills, setting them up for a more independent and financially secure future.

How can the Youth Trustee Program help?

When youth clients meet with our Trustee, they discuss their needs, how to budget to meet these needs and what their financial goals are. They come up with a plan together and enter into an agreement that supports plan.

The Trustee can:

  • Administer a personal needs allowance for the client
  • Complete pre-arranged financial transactions and bill payments with the client or on the client’s behalf
  • Assist the client with their financial responsibilities to reinforce skill development
  • Accompany a client to appointments with OW/ODSP, banks, credit counselling, etc.
  • Assist with getting IDs or a bank account
  • Provide referrals to community or government agencies as required and advocate for the client to limit frustrations that they could be experiencing
  • Other financial services that may be necessary

This program is designed to be a collaborative effort between the client and the Trustee. The flexibility and choice built into the program helps participants enhance their finance and resource skills and move into a more independent and financially secure future.

To make a referral to the Youth Trustee Program or to speak with Youth Trustee, about the program, please call 705-748-3851 Ext.  204 or email trustee@yesshelter.ca

This program provides housing support to youth ages 16–18 who are participating in a Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) with a child welfare agency.

Using a housing-focused case management approach, the worker supports youth in finding, securing, and maintaining safe, stable housing in the community. Support continues after housing is secured, helping youth build stability, access needed services, and maintain their housing long-term.

The program is preventative in nature, with most youth supported in the community rather than in shelter. The worker works closely with the Youth in Transition Worker (YITW) and other service providers to ensure youth have the resources and supports they need to remain housed and thrive.

To find out more about this program, contact Youth in Transition Housing Worker Evan Stoll at 705-559-8175 (text ok) or estoll@yesshelter.ca

Our Family Homelessness Program supports families experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Peterborough City and County.

We help anyone with guardianship over a child find and maintain secure, affordable housing. We can also connect families to local community services and help navigate the systems that lead to stable, long-term housing together. The Family Homelessness Worker supports families experiencing homelessness or housing instability, helping them find and maintain stable housing while connecting to the community resources they need to thrive.

Working from a client-driven approach, this role partners directly with families, not just for them, to build case plans tailored to each family’s goals and circumstances.

How we support families

  • Finding housing – helping families search for, secure, and move into stable housing
  • Maintaining housing – providing ongoing support to help families stay housed long-term
  • Case planning – working alongside families to create and carry out personalized plans for transitioning out of homelessness
  • Community connections – linking families to local services, supports, and resources that meet their needs

At its core, this program is about walking alongside families as partners, supporting them in taking the lead on their own path toward stability. If your family needs support, contact our Family Worker, Virginia at (705) 768-0348 or vallott@yesshelter.ca

The Prevention & Diversion Worker supports youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness to find and maintain safe, stable housing. The goal is simple: help youth move out of shelter and into housing as quickly as possible, or prevent the need for shelter in the first place.

Through a housing-based case management approach, the Prevention & Diversion Worker works alongside youth to identify their housing needs, develop individualized housing plans, connect them with resources, and support them throughout their housing journey.

The Prevention & Diversion Worker supports youth by:

  • Developing individualized housing plans with youth staying in shelter.
  • Helping youth identify and access appropriate housing options.
  • Supporting youth to find and acquire housing as quickly as possible.
  • Building relationships with landlords and housing providers to create more housing opportunities for youth.
  • Connecting youth with community resources and making referrals to services that can support their well-being and housing stability.
  • Supporting youth who are already housed but may be at risk of losing their housing.
  • Helping youth address barriers to maintaining their housing.
  • Providing ongoing support as youth transition from shelter into the community.

Not every young person needs to enter the shelter system. When possible, the Prevention & Diversion Worker helps youth explore safe alternatives and connects them with the supports they need to remain housed. For youth who are already experiencing homelessness, the focus is on rapidly securing appropriate housing and providing the support needed to make that housing sustainable.

Housing-Based Case Management

Our approach is centred on housing stability. Rather than focusing only on immediate needs, the Prevention & Diversion Worker works with youth to understand their goals, strengths, challenges, and support needs.

Together, the worker and youth develop a plan that supports the youth in finding housing, obtaining housing, and maintaining housing over time.

This work takes place both within the shelter and in the community, allowing the worker to support youth wherever they are in their housing journey. Every young person deserves the opportunity to have a safe and stable place to call home. The Prevention & Diversion Worker helps make that possible by connecting youth to housing, landlords, community services, and the supports they need to move forward.

If you or someone you know would benefit from speaking to our Prevention & Diversion worker, or to learn more information, contact Eldho Raj Nediyalil at (705)917-3020 (text ok) or enediyalil@yesshelter.ca