FCS Child Protection Social Worker

Job Summary and Requirements This is a until –filled competition. Candidates are encouraged not to delay submitting their application as this posting can close at any time after 10 business days with 24-hour posted notice. Resumes will be screened at regular intervals until the position is filled or the competition closes, whichever is earliest. This posting This posting will be used to fill 1 permanent full-time positions working 75 bi-weekly. It will establish a 12-month eligibility list which may be used to fill similar positions. This job is based in Watson Lake in the beautiful Yukon. Who we are The Family and Children's Services Branch is responsible for territory-wide delivery of services and programs that support positive and healthy outcomes for children, youth, and families. This position's recruitment is a collaborative initiative between the Liard First Nation (LFN) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The position is based out of Watson Lake and will work closely with Liard First Nation Justice Director. LFN is one of five Kaska Dene communities. The Kaska Dene are of Athapaskan descent and have lived in southeast Yukon, southern Northwest Territories, and north-western British Columbia long before the arrival of European explorers. The five traditional Kaska groups have been divided into bands and referred to as First Nations. By the Indian Act and have become separated by Provincial and Territorial borders. The Kaska lived a nomadic lifestyle within their traditional territory and travelled in extended family groups to hunt, fish, and gather vegetation. They continue to follow a moiety system that is comprised of a Wolf Clan and a Crow Clan and observe the potlach for ceremonial purposes. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Hudson's Bay Company began establishing trading forts in the area. Conflicts arose with the Tlingit speaking Chilkats of Alaska, who controlled trading with various inland Athapaskan speaking groups. Gold prospectors also began exploring the area and the discovery of gold near Dease Lake created the Cassiar gold Rush of , followed by the Klondike Gold Rush of . Contact with Europeans had a tremendous impact on all Aboriginal people of the subarctic. Dependencies developed on goods such as guns, knives, cooking pots, clothing, and eventually, food since the practice of harvesting animals for food and supplies turned into trapping them for furs to trade. Many species of animals were depleted in the process. The health of Aboriginal people suffered with the introduction of alcohol and diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza, which resulted in epidemics, famines, and social disruptions. Tuberculosis was especially prevalent in the north in the mid-19th century. Watson Lake became a major refueling spot for American Crews during World War II. As a result, Watson Lake was established and served as a supply and accommodation center for the building of the Alaska Highway in . The Indian Act that came into effect in removed the rights of Aboriginal parents to their children, making them wards of the state. The Federal Government entered into agreements with various churches to run residential school systems designed to assimilate aboriginal people into the dominant Euro-Canadian society. Many Yukon students attended the Lower Post Residential School, which was located across the BC-Yukon border and run by the Catholic Church. In the early s, former residential school students began coming forward with widespread accounts of physical, mental, and sexual abuse that occurred in Residential Schools throughout Canada. Following changes to the Indian Act in the s, social workers were given a legal mandate to remove aboriginal children from their homes. Often without the knowledge or consent of their families, this has come to be known as the "Sixties Scoop."  Historical trauma has been defined as cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations due to massive group trauma experiences. Today, the town of Watson Lake is referred to as "The Gateway to the Yukon" as it is located just a few kilometers from the BC border. It is a key transportation hub as it sits at the junction of the Alaska Highway, the Robert Campbell Highway to the central Yukon and Northwest Territories and Stewart Cassiar Highway from central BC. Watson Lake is located kilometers east of Whitehorse. The population of Watson Lake is approximately , and approximately are identified as Aboriginal. LFN members live on the outskirts of Watson Lake in the communities of Two Mile, Two and a Half Mile, Upper Liard, and Lower Post Villages. Liard First Nation is not self-governing but is in negotiations with the Federal Government. LFN has band offices located in Watson Lake that provide services to their members, including health care, housing, justice, and social services. This opportunity As a Regional Social Worker, you will deliver Child Welfare in community of Watson Lake. In this role, you will make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth and families within Yukon If you have a desire to support the lives of Yukoners through a dedicated career in social services, consider becoming a member of our dynamic Family and Children's Services team. We seek a highly motivated, dynamic, resourceful and results-oriented social worker for our communities. Regional Social Workers are delegated to carry out duties under the Child and Family Services Act, provide after hours on-call coverage as required and work collaboratively and with transparency with First Nation governments. For more information on this job, please contact Brian Bendell, Manager Regional Services at For more information about the recruitment process, please contact Darlene Allain, HR Consultant at Your benefits In addition to a competitive salary, we offer many additional financial and non-financial benefits. Government of Yukon’s many benefits