City: Merritt
Program and Site Location: 2196 Quilchena Avenue
Reports To: Director of Operations, Merritt
Term: Full-Time (30 hours per week)
Hours: TBD
Wage Range: $27.54 to $31.61 based on education and related experience
What We Offer:
- Competitive benefits including but not limited to dental, vision, physiotherapy, massage, and fertility upon eligibility
- Municipal Pension Plan upon eligibility
- On-site training and development opportunities such as Violence Prevention, Cultural Awareness and 2SLGBTQ+ training
- A culture of equality, inclusion, and diversity including paid cultural sensitivity days
- Accidental death insurance and Wellness plan benefit
- Vacation entitlements for Part-Time and Full-Time employees
Position Summary: The Cultural Support Worker works in collaboration with the outreach team to support connection to Elders, home-based Indigenous services and the inclusion of Indigenous healing practices as appropriate. Within this role you will promote cultural awareness, safety, and competency. Service delivery is based on a client centered, non-judgmental perspective. The role also involves providing supportive outreach services to vulnerable people who are homeless or at-risk of homeless in our community. Promoting healthy, independent living skills in order for them to achieve their personal aspiration and live as independently as possible. Act as Third-Party Liaison between client and Ministry when required to pick up cheques or advocate for clients who are under a Third- Party Agreement.
Typical Duties Include:
Cultural Support Worker Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the outreach team to support housing stabilization for clients at risk of homelessness.
- Provide care within the interdisciplinary model through trauma informed practice, two-eyed seeing practice, harm reduction and a recovery-oriented care approach.
- Assist clients with the development of life skills, healthy lifestyles and participate in case planning by working with clients from a cultural perspective to identify needs, cultural and personal identity and traditional practices that could serve as stabilization factors.
- Plan, organize, facilitate and lead/co-lead social/cultural groups and cultural activities.
- Encourage and support clients to live as fully and independently as possible within the local community, providing information, emotional, organizational, and practical support, and training as appropriate.
- Engage in collaborative community partnerships to promote traditional healing, cultural teachings, and practice.
- Contribute to the protection of clients from abuse, and support clients when they are in distress.
- Encourage and motivate clients to develop a sense of their own identity, purpose, and self-esteem.
- Work closely with community partner agencies in support of clientele
- Actively seek the views of clients and involve them in decision-making to improve their services and accommodations.
- Monitor emergencies that take place such as medical or mental health assistance and complete necessary incident reports.
- When necessary, be trained to be the first to respond to an overdose situation with on-the-spot overdose response and support.
- When required provide additional services to other supportive housing settings.
- Ensure Limitation of Service Notices are completed and current.
- Help maintain a clean and organized workspace by doing light housekeeping in the office space.
- Monitor and move along community members who are loitering in and around the property.
- Assist and encourage clients to create connections within the community by volunteering and finding employment.
- Ensure compliance with all ASK supportive standards, policies, and procedures.
Administrative and Street Outreach Responsibilities
- Assist team with maintaining daily log, medication log/prescriptions (ensure book is updated, all meds accounted for and follow up is on prescriptions to ensure medication is up to date).
- Complete accurate and up to date communication/case notes.
- Maintain files and statistics as per accreditation standards.
- When requested, be a member of the Society’s Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) team.
- Ensure compliance with all Society policies and procedures.
- Liaise with By-Law/RCMP/Businesses/Neighborhoods (Quick/Crisis Response);
- Provide outreach services in partnership with community partners including Public Health Street Nurse;
- Provide crisis/transition point intervention when necessary for clients;
- Work closely with community resources (i.e. CMHA, IHA, Friendship Centre, Brain Injury, etc.).
- Advocating on behalf of clients and/or supporting them to advocate for themselves;
- Other duties which may or may not be outlined within this job description.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Bachelor of Social Work, Human Service Diploma or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or lived experience with mental health/addiction.
- Knowledge and understanding of Indigenous culture and traditions and a demonstrated ability to work with Indigenous peoples.
- Understanding of various social and political issues in the Indigenous Community. Ability to apply knowledge and experience in the areas of trauma, PTSD, residential school, colonial impact on Indigenous peoples an asset.
- Skills in mediating conflict between various interests.
- Ability to work as a team member in a case management setting involving multi-agency support.
- Understands and maintains professional boundaries.
- Strong working knowledge of community resources.
- Excellent communication, writing, documentation, and organizational skills.
- Must pass an acceptable criminal record check for the vulnerable sector.
- Occupational First Aid Level 1 required.
- Valid driver’s license, safe driving record, and reliable/appropriate transportation with business use coverage.
- Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Informed Practice, and ASSIST Training an asset.
- As clients are allowed to have pets, it is noted that this is a pet friendly environment.
The ASK Wellness Society is dedicated to promoting diversity/multiculturalism with inclusion as one of our Core Values. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age.
