Secwepemc Child and Family Services Agency (SCFSA) is a progressive and
culturally focused agency supporting family safety that endeavors to provide
outstanding practice to First Nations families residing in the communities of
the seven‐ member bands; Adams Lake, Bonaparte, Neskonlith, Simpcw,
Skeetchestn, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, and Whispering Pines/Clinton and
who reside in Kamloops.
Striving to provide exceptional family healing services through prevention-
based practice, SCFSA incorporates a Signs of Safety® framework as an
innovative, strengths-based, and safety-organized approach to child
protection casework.
Job Summary
The Direct Support Worker is part of the Early Years Wellness Team and provides support to children who require assistance due to a variety of reasons; trauma, behavioural concerns, developmental delay/disability. The Direct Support Worker will assist children in multiple environments and will collaborate with the child’s care team/support network. The Direct Support Worker will implement Individual Service Plans for children and further develop strategies and activities to meet the unique needs of the child in consultation with the AIDP/ASCD Consultant. This position requires very strong relationship building and the ability to connect with children and families in a trusting way.
Duties and Responsibilities
· Facilitates one to one or group support for Wellness Programs such as summer, spring break, professional day camps, afterschool programs and childminding
· Establishes trusting relationships with children with developmental delay, disabilities, and/or special needs to help them transition between activities and building their skills in a variety of settings
· Develops strong working relationships with the Wellness Team to provide early intervention supports
· Works with children one-on-one within the agency as well as off-site at multiple settings
· Uses multiple strategies unique to the child within the context of different environments to build social, emotional, and developmental skills
· Participates in family wellness planning while assisting in implementing strategies and activities for community inclusion
· Provides culturally appropriate daily experiences that support and promote the development of children
· Applies screening tools as directed by the Wellness Team professionals
· Maintains regular communication with parents
· May assist families with appointments as needed
· Focuses on following plans to build inclusion and capacity, reduce barriers, and improve outcomes for children and families
· Other duties as assigned or reasonably required
The duties listed above are provided as examples of areas of responsibility and are not intended to create limits to responsibility, but to help understand the scope of the position. All staff are expected to be team oriented and maintain confidentiality of all information gained while working with the organization.
Qualifications
Education and Experience:
· Early Childhood Education Certificate or Diploma in Human Services
· Two years working within the early years’ prevention and intervention field and/or childcare settings preferred
· Planning and implementing strategies of supports and/or resources for children with developmental delay, disabilities, and/or special needs and their families preferred
· A combination of education and experience will be considered
Skills and Abilities:
· Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
· Strong understanding of child development in 0 to 6 years
· Knowledge of collaborative practice
· Ability to recognize and identify developmental risk factors
· Ability to support the whole family to reduce barriers of developmental risk
· Ability to work in a team environment, and to collaborate for best childcare and outcomes
· Knowledge of all areas of child development, traditional, Indigenous family structure and process, understanding of family challenges and the origin of child abuse and neglect in the Indigenous community
· Ability to use strong communication skills and demonstrate the ability to write comprehensive case notes
· Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), and Adobe Acrobat
· Ability to work independently and build effective interpersonal relationships based on trust with Indigenous children, families, and communities
· Ability to self-regulate, meet deadlines, have attention to detail, and respect confidentiality
· Demonstrates a strong understanding of and respect for cultural diversity, particularly Indigenous culture
Working Conditions
· Travel to multiple locations will be required
· Hours of work are occasionally nonstandard and connected to services and community needs
· Receives regular supervision with direction and checks of the work performed
Conditions of Employment
· Must be able to obtain and maintain a Criminal Record Check
· Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid class 5 or 7 BC Driver’s License
· Must be able to access reliable transportation to and from work.
Directly Supervises
· None
An eligibility list may be created.
SUBMIT COVER LETTER and RESUME
Note: only screened in applicants will be contacted. As per Section 41(1) of the BC Human
Rights Code, preference may be given to qualified applicants of First Nations ancestry.
Preference may also be given to applicants who can demonstrate knowledge and/or experience with Secwepemc language, culture, history, and customs.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From $31.59 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Paid time off
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Kamloops, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Do you have a Diploma in Human Services?
- Do you have experience working with First Nations Individuals or Communities?
- Do you identify as First Nations or Indigenous?
- Do you have an ECE Diploma with specialty in Infant Toddler and/or Special Needs?
- Do you have at least two years experience within the early years' prevention and intervention field?
Work Location: In person
