About Richard Flank

Richard Flank is the Operations Manager at YOUCAN Youth Services. He started his time with YOUCAN in 2009 as the Employment Coordinator in the Verto Project. Over the years, Richard has moved around the agency being a facilitator, trainer, and program manager.

Richard is originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario and moved out west in 2008. He went to Grant MacEwan University for Child and Youth Care and was fortunate enough to be selected for exchange to Hogeskool University in The Netherlands. During his time on exchange, Richard was exposed to different ways of working with people and youth in particular. Richard feels like this was a training ground for his time at YOUCAN Youth Services, where he has the creative space to try new things and build programs with unique aspects to support youth.

Richard is passionate about youth employment and the ripple effect it has in their lives by allowing them to find purpose and increasing their skills, confidence, independence, motivation, and persistence. He believes that everyone can find meaningful work and use it to ladder themselves up to a meaningful life. Richard is also passionate about staff development, conflict resolution, and Peacemaking Circles. Richard has been keeping and training Circles since 2010. He feels it is one of the most valuable tools to build relationships, resolve conflict, heal hurts, and build community. At YOUCAN Youth Services, this process has changed the way youth work is done and the way staff are able to interact with the youth and each other.

When Richard is not at work, you can find him in the mountains with his family and his dog Nazz, snowboarding, hiking, paddle boarding and swimming.