POSITION TITLE: Indigenous Cultural Liaison Support Worker
PROGRAM: Chilliwack. All casuals are expected to work at multiple locations
UNION: BCGEU
SALARY: $26.42/hour (BCGEU grid 34) + $2.50/hour as a premium for night shifts.
TYPE: Casual Relief.
SCHEDULE: This is a casual relief position. Casuals will be called in to work to cover vacancies as they arise. Our programs run 24/7 365 days a year. We offer day, evening and over night shifts which are generally 8 hours in length.
START DATE: As soon as possible
Indigenous ancestry/identity is a bona fide occupational requirement for this position: Only folks who identify as indigenous (First Nations, Native American, Metis, Inuit) will be considered for this position
Pursuant to the Provincial Health Officer’s Order, the incumbent of this position is required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will only consider applicants who are fully vaccinated, or who have received an exemption from the Provincial Health Office. Proof of either must be provided in advance of any offer of employment being made.
To apply please include your resume, with a cover letter describing your suitability for this position, in an email with the subject line of “job2022.212” to: Jaclyn Ranville, Manager of Indigenous Cultural Services Fraser Health Region, at jranville@raincityhousing.org
ABOUT US
RainCity Housing makes a difference in people’s lives, creating, implementing, and managing housing and support programs that sustain relationships, strengthen communities, and make change for people experiencing homelessness and mental health, trauma and substance use issues, throughout BC’s lower mainland and the Sunshine Coast.
We are continuing to grow, and we are looking for talented and dedicated people to join our team. We are currently adding a significant number of on-call Support Workers to staff various programs throughout Vancouver. Programs operate 24/7 and staff are needed to fill shifts nights, on weekends and in evenings.
Right now, our employees are playing a significant role in ensuring some of our most vulnerable individuals continue to receive the support and programs they need. We are looking for dedicated people to join our team and help as we continue to make a difference in the lives of those we work with every day.
DIVERSITY
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people and we need a staff group that reflects the diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Indigenous Cultural Liaison (ICL) provides the Indigenous lens and consults with Indigenous clients to provide/connect them with a range of Indigenous specific supports in the community, while advocating for access and rights as needed. These can include but are not limited to: liaising with and/or supporting cultural activities/programming; Indigenous-led and informed case planning for Indigenous clients; connecting clients with outside organizational supports/connecting to agencies that assist; and accompanying clients in navigating the health and/or court systems. In addition to these Indigenous specific supports, the ICL provides daily supports to all program participants, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, including medication administration, building security, crisis intervention, case-planning, and front-line overdose response.
Using a culturally informed model that is rooted in harm reduction, the ICL walks alongside clients in their self-identified and self-determined goals for culture, connection/reconnection, and community integration; while advocating for access, rights, and Cultural Safety as needed.
Reports to: Manager(s) of Indigenous Cultural Services & Program Manager
QUALIFICATIONS
Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering and lived experience of mental illness / addiction/ homelessness; Minimum education and experience includes:
- A Diploma in community social services
- Two years of recent, related work experience with an emphasis on mental health, addictions, homelessness and/or social services
- Or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience
- Current First Aid and CPR certification; Naloxone Certification
Indigenous Cultural Liaison Support Worker Key Skills and Abilities – for supporting people receiving our services
- Experience navigating paths to client-centered/client-focused Indigenous work with tenants using culturally informed strategies
- Knowledge of the holistic addictions model including stages of change and harm reduction, cultural pillars of healing and cultural forms of medicine, Indigenous-led/informed case planning
- Knowledge of legislation and regulations related to Indigenous persons, including residential schools, the 60’s scoop, child and family welfare system; knowledge of indigenous cultures, services, ways of holism and recovery
- Fostering awareness and understanding of the cultural context of trauma related addiction/MH among Indigenous community members – work to create paths to holism
- Perform duties as assigned (duties may differ from program to program)
- Ability to identify and work to increase client strengths, including the use of hope inducing strategies and assisting the client in self-managing their illness and other aspects of their life
- Informally teach harm reduction, life skills
- Respond to problematic behaviour using an understanding of the behaviour’s context and function
- Knowledge of the integrated concurrent disorders recovery model for working with chronically homeless individuals
- Knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment and support resources
- Knowledge of the bio-psychosocial addictions model, including stages of change and harm reduction
- Knowledge of diagnoses, treatment and support resources in the areas of substance use, physical health, HIV and Hepatitis C
- Knowledge of the housing continuum, including supported housing systems and program models for special needs populations
- Demonstrates understanding of oppression and marginalization as related to chronically homeless individuals
- Ability to effectively and safely resolve crisis situations
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
- Ability to establish workload priorities, adjust to new or unexpected events, problem solve, and deal effectively with conflict situations
- Physical ability to perform the duties of the position
Specific Job Duties
- Research/connect individual and group supports for indigenous tenants regarding indigenous ways of understanding holism and recovery, indigenous services and resources, and indigenous culture. To actively plan, arrange and seek out these relationships while on shift in coordination the program team and manager
- Walk beside indigenous tenants as they connect with community and cultural events and build supports with the tenant such as Elders. Connect with supports available through the Cultural Safety Working Group and Indigenous Cultural Liaison Manager and ICL Community Building Groups at RainCity
- Collaborate with additional ICL supports in the site around planning and running the programming
- Assist with creating an effective and supportive connection between the Indigenous/non-Indigenous service providers and community supports and tenants. Advocate for tenants as needed
- Assists to build connection to the greater community to promote healing and wellness beyond RCH building to foster connection circle of care and support
- Orientate new tenants to the role of the ICL and familiarize them with cultural services
- Perform related work as assigned