T.A.P. Practitioner - Red Deer

Job Information
Job Title: TAP Practitioner
Job Requisition ID: 88582
Ministry: Children and Family Services
Location: Red Deer
Full or Part-Time: Full time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary/Wage: Permanent
Scope: Open
Closing Date: November 12, 2026
Classification: Human Services Worker 5
Salary: $2,872.21 to $3,712.88 bi-weekly ($74,964 - $96,906 / year)

The Alberta Public Service works to build a stronger province for current and future generations. We make a difference in the lives of Albertans through rewarding and diverse career opportunities.

The Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP) supports young adults aged 18 to 24 who were formerly in government care as they transition to adulthood. The program combines practical supports, including case management, life skills development, housing, employment, and connections to community resources, with educational supports through Advancing Futures (AF).

Advancing Futures (AF) provides eligible young adults with funding and social-emotional support while they pursue post-secondary education, academic upgrading, trades training, certifications, licences, diplomas, or degrees, helping them develop the skills and credentials needed for long-term independence and success.

To find out more about our work visit: Advancing Futures – Professionals | Alberta.ca

Role Responsibilities

Are you driven to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young adults transitioning from care? You can be part of helping us make a difference!

The Transition to Adulthood Practitioner (TAP) is a key professional role within the TAP program, providing engaged, relational, and interactive case management to young adults from care, and their support networks. TAP Practitioners are instrumental in active transition planning with young adults from care, to ensure they are robustly connected to all areas of their life as they emerge into adulthood. TAP Practitioners have the essential role of engaging a young adult’s supportive network, as well as fostering connection with a client's self identified family, to ensure a robust natural support network is established and maintained, that will meet the client's needs.

TAP is a voluntary adult program, and TAP Practitioners will require excellent relationship building skills that will nurture trust and understanding with clients as they navigate the program's pathways, funding structure, and soft supports. TAP Practitioners have individualized mandates with each of their clients based on their Transition to Independence Plan goals, and connections. It is the responsibility of the TAP Practitioner to actively support clients in achieving their self-selected transition plan objectives before they are no longer eligible to receive support from Children's Services, as per the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA), and its associated policies and regulations.

To effectively support young adults in achieving their transition goals, TAP Practitioners collaborate with a broad network of internal and external partners. This includes Children's Services programs such as Advancing Futures (AF), the Registered Education Savings Plan Program (RESP), Youth Employment Connections Program (YECP), Youth Apprenticeship Connection Program (YACP) and Records Registry and Connects (RRC), as well as Government of Alberta (GOA) partners including Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Alberta Supports, Alberta Health Services, Mental Health and Addiction supports, the Office of the Public Guardian, Justice and Solicitor General, and the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate.

Practitioners also develop strong working relationships with employment and career services, mentoring programs, post-secondary institutions, contracted service providers, and community organizations that provide life skills, housing, mental health, addiction, and other supports for young adults transitioning from care.

TAP Practitioners will be supporting Indigenous young adults from care, and are required to have an active understanding of colonialism, intergenerational trauma, the 60's Scoop, the residential school system and its ongoing traumatic effect on Indigenous communities and adults from care, as well as a working knowledge of Indigenous communities in Alberta and the importance of connecting Indigenous clients to their community, culture, teachings and heritage, active engagement in ceremony and connection to Elders and the land.

Role Responsibilities cont'd

To best serve young adults from care, TAP Practitioners will need an active understanding of young adult developmental stages, practice with a trauma informed lens (including intergenerational trauma and the long term effects of trauma experienced while in care), Anti-oppressive practice, an understanding of common mental health considerations, awareness and understanding of sexual and gender diversity, Attachment Theory, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, substance use/ addiction issues, Harm Reduction, an awareness of the effects of institutionalization on individuals, and Emerging Adulthood Theory.

This is a dynamic and impactful opportunity for professionals who bring strong interpersonal skills, cultural humility, and a commitment to anti-oppressive practice. If you are passionate about supporting youth in building meaningful futures, we encourage you to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate onboarding and transition planning for young adults entering TAP.
• Conduct critical file reviews and client assessments.
• Build and maintain trusting relationships with clients and their support networks.
• Coordinate and monitor individualized pathways aligned with client goals.
• Advocate for clients within the ministry and community.
• Maintain accurate documentation using GOA systems (e.g. Child Intervention Case Information Online (CICIO).
• Collaborate with internal and external partners including Advancing Futures (AF), Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT), Alberta Health Services, and Indigenous organizations.
• Support clients in acquiring life skills, accessing funding, and preparing for adulthood.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, including Child, Youth, and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA) and the Mental Health Act.

The Job Description is provided for further details on this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

• Agility: TAP Practitioners need to maintain a safe environment where clients can explore and lead change in their life and be supported. TAP Practitioners should be able to anticipate the choices their clients are likely to make and be prepared with the outcomes.

• Build Collaborative Environments: TAP Practitioners need to actively engage the natural support networks, community services and government supports connected to their clients and facilitate strategic dialog while concurrently anticipating individual needs and motivation towards the end goals and/or areas of connection, and coach dialog when conflict arises. 

• Develop Networks: TAP Practitioners need to actively engage the natural support networks of their clients and facilitate strategic dialog while concurrently anticipating individual needs and motivation towards the end goals and/or areas of connection for their clients.

• Systems Thinking: TAP Practitioners will need to consider strategic relationships and services offered by service providers and GoA or ministry partners in the context of emerging adulthood and current science, physiological, and social models, and an understanding of their short, medium, and long-term outcome for clients, and ability to recognize any unintended outcomes of the approach.

• Creative Problem Solving: TAP Practitioners need to actively listen to their clients and support network for root causes and solutions, to ensure that solution finding can access appropriate supports, utilizing resources from other areas, while providing systems feedback to the TAP team.

Qualifications

A Bachelor of Social Work and 2 years related experience (eg experience working with Youth, Youth Transition to Adulthood, or working with young adults).

Equivalencies will be considered:

• Master of Social Work (no experience required); or
• A related university degree (eg in Humanities, Psychology or sociology) and 2 years related experience; or
• related diploma and 3 years related experience; or
• related certificate and 4 years related experience.

Assets:

• Experience applying and utilizing provincial legislation, policies, and procedures related to child intervention.
• Experience providing day-to-day support to young adults currently in or previously involved with Children and Family Services.
• Experience working with community stakeholders, youth or young adults, with addiction and mental health concerns.
• Experience working with indigenous youth or young adults, and/or working with electronic databases.

 
Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

Hours of work are Monday to Friday – 36.25 hours per week.

Travel and Vehicle Requirements: 

Travel will be required in the role. Employees must have a valid Class 5 Driver’s License and access to a vehicle that is suitable to the requirements of this position. The Youth in Transitions Branch provides services across Alberta and operates without geographic boundaries. As a result, practitioners are expected to travel extensively to meet with young adults, including occasional overnight travel based on caseload and operational needs. Travel will be required approximately 50-60% of the time, depending on office location.

A cover letter outlining why you are applying to this role and how your experience relates to the qualifications is required.

Final candidates:

• Will undergo an academic check and will be asked for required security checks such as a Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector and an Intervention Record Check.
• Who have a social work education (Diploma, BSW, MSW) are required to be a member in good standing with current Alberta College of Social Work (ACSW) registration. Proof of registration prior to an offer will be required.
• Provide a 5-year Commercial Drivers Abstract.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) .
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information.
• Professional learning and development.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.

How To Apply

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.

Candidates are required to apply online. Please see Job Application Resources for more information.

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. For example, January 2006 - June 2009 (part-time). This example is provided for illustrative purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to present their information clearly and thoroughly, using a format that best conveys their experience.

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information.

It is also recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements.

If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Dana Polutnik at Dana.Polutnik@gov.ab.ca.