Come work as a Indigenous Community Liaison Worker: Complex Care Housing Support/ICM with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for a Indigenous Community Liaison Worker to join the Urgent Homelessness Response Team in Sechelt, BC. Apply today to join our team!

As a Indigenous Community Liaison Worker with Vancouver Coastal Health, you will:

• Work as a member of an interdisciplinary team to provide support services to Indigenous clients who are experiencing mental wellness and substance use challenges and experiencing homelessness, are precariously housed, and/or at risk of losing their housing.
• Provide outreach services to Indigenous clients living in shelters, supported housing, and elsewhere to create linkages to other community resources and programs.
• Work in partnership and collaboration with the local First Nations community, Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving organizations, community resources, and health care providers to assist Indigenous clients to access psychosocial supports, and health and wellness services.
• Act as an advocate supports the client’s health and well-being goals by planning, organizing, facilitating and co-leading groups as required, participates in the process of case planning, assists or supports clients with the activities of daily living.
• Provide brief planning and coordination on issues related to homelessness or housing insecurity, and supports clients in navigating different services and systems.
• Serve as a key support engaging with Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers to establish relationships with clients based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding.
• Provide emotional and psychosocial supports by supporting the integration of cultural practices and interventions into care planning, and assists with problem solving in day-to-day matters.
• Provide care within the interdisciplinary model through trauma and violence-informed practice to ensure program/service needs are met, promoting harm reduction and a recovery-oriented care approaches.
• Use strength-based perspectives to work with the client in meeting their health and well-being goals.
• Establish, maintain and enhance therapeutic relationships based on principles of Indigenous cultural safety, ensuring mutual respect, trust and understanding.

ABOUT SECHELT, BC

Sechelt is located on the traditional territories of the shíshálh (Sechelt) Nation and is approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver. It is accessible from the mainland by a 40-minute ferry trip between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, followed by a 25-minute drive along Highway 101, also know as the Sunshine Coast Highway. This charming seaside community is know for its natural beauty and is a popular destination for outdoor activities including sightseeing, boating, diving, camping, and mountain biking. There are also several municipal parks, plenty of eateries, locally owned shops, boutiques and galleries, and a golf course. Imagine a lifestyle where you are only a short walk or bike ride to work, you go home for lunch and you are home again in time for an activity or go for a hike AND watch the sunset - all before dinner. That is what Sechelt has to offer you!

Education & Experience

• Diploma in Community Social Service or related discipline.
• One (1) year’s recent, related experience working in Indigenous-led, Indigenous-serving, and/or First Nations organizations providing support to clients with complex mental wellness and/or substance use challenges, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Valid BC Driver’s License.
• Pursuant to Section 41 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to individuals of Indigenous identity (First Nations, Inuit, and/or M�tis).

Knowledge & Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated ability to provide culturally safe care, practices cultural humility and anti-racism, has completed Indigenous Cultural Safety training.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize current health care system gaps and barriers for Indigenous clients and communities seeking health care.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize power inequities within the health care system associated with colonization, and the impact on healthcare to Indigenous Peoples and communities through lived/living and professional experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of local First Nations community and other Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving organizations, including an understanding of health and well-being, history, cultural knowledge, understanding of impacts of direct, intergenerational, and multigenerational/historical trauma.
• Demonstrated ability to identify factors leading to the over-representation of Indigenous Peoples experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of harm reduction and recovery-oriented system of care in mental health and substance use.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in trauma and violence-informed practice
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply a harm reduction approach to care.
• Demonstrated ability to recognize signs/indicators of clients at risk of harm to self or others and knowledge of appropriate standards/processes as it relates to the rights and obligations of clients and staff.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community resources.
• Demonstrated knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in client care.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with clients, educational personnel, resource workers, service providers, colleagues, physician, and other health care staff, both one-on-one and in groups.
• Demonstrated listening and information-seeking skills that promotes communication and lead to a co-operative approach to problem solving within a multidisciplinary setting.
• Demonstrated ability to establish workload priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to adjust to new or unexpected events.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a high volume/high stress environment with strong conflict resolution and problem solving skills.
• Ability to operate related equipment including applicable software applications.

The hours of work including days off and work area may be subject to change consistent with operational requirements and the provision of the Collective Agreement and applicable statutes.  Successful applicants may be required to complete a Criminal Records Review Check.

As per the current Public Health Orders, as of October 5, 2023, all employees working for Vancouver Coastal Health must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have received a single dose of the most-recent, updated COVID-19 vaccine. Proof of vaccination status will be required.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH?

VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our goals of creating a great place to work and delivering exceptional care. We acknowledge and accommodate unique differences and ensure special measures are in place so that all prospective and current employees are given an opportunity to succeed.

We are committed to building a representative workforce and encourage applications reflecting diversity of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization or ancestry, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2024.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for this posting.


***Employees of VCH must apply online via the Internal Career Portal on CareerHub, you are currently viewing the External Career Portal. Refer to the https://my.vch.ca/working-here/job-postings site for instructions on how to view internal job postings and how to apply as an employee. Current VCH employees who apply to this posting using this external site will be considered as an external candidate. Seniority will not apply.***

Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.