Come work as a Indigenous Cultural Support Worker with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for a Indigenous Cultural Support Worker to join the Sheway Program team in Vancouver, BC. Apply today to join our team!

As a Indigenous Cultural Support Worker with VCH you will:

• Work as a member of an interdisciplinary team to provide health and social services support to women who are either pregnant or parenting children and who have issues with substance use.
• Collaborate with Indigenous Elders, traditional teachers, and/or Knowledge Keepers to establish rapport with clients based on mutual respect and cultural safety. Provides emotional and spiritual support by applying Indigenous traditions to everyday living to assist with problem solving day-to-day matters/issues of living.
• Provide care within the interdisciplinary model through trauma and violence-informed practice, two-eyed seeing practice, harm reduction and a recovery oriented care approach.
• Use a strength based perspective to support the client to identify goals and options.
• Provide individual and group support, establishes a rapport with clients based on respect.
• Participate in and oversees various participant focused social, leisure and cultural activities. Utilizes both in person and outreach models to engage clients in care.
• Prepare and maintains client records, participates in team meetings, continuing education, conferences and/or corporate initiatives and engages in on-going team planning and quality improvement activities.
• Provide advocacy for client friendly services free of discrimination and barriers and supports clients in navigating health, social and legal services from a cultural perspective.

Education & Experience

• Diploma in Community Social Services, supplemented with two (2) year’s recent, related experience working with individuals with substance use including experience working with Indigenous peoples, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• First Nations, Inuit, Metis ancestry is regarded as directly relevant to the skills and knowledge for excellence in the position. Pursuant to Section 41 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to candidates who identify as Indigenous including First Nations, Metis or Inuit.
• Valid BC Driver’s License as travel within the health authority is required.

Knowledge & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize power inequities associated with colonization and the impact to Indigenous people and communities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of local First Nations community and other Indigenous serving organizations, including an understanding of wellness and history, cultural knowledge, understanding of intergenerational trauma.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide culturally safe care, has knowledge of cultural humility and anti-racism practices, has completed Indigenous Cultural Safety training.
• Demonstrated ability to identify factors leading to the over-representation of Indigenous people experiencing substance use issues, mental/physical health challenges; child welfare involvement and legal issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge of prenatal and postnatal issues, healthy lifestyles, child safety, and parenting.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Trauma and violence Informed Practice.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply a Harm Reduction approach to practice.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community resources.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with clients, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, child welfare services, legal service providers, interdisciplinary team members in both one-on-one and group settings.
• Demonstrated listening and information seeking skills that promotes communication and lead to a co-operative approach to problem solving within an interdisciplinary 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 demonstrate and assist client with activities of daily living.
• Basic computer skills including the ability to operate a computerized client care information system.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

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.