Indigenous Wellness Worker

**Indigenous Youth Wellness Worker**

**LOCATION: MLSE LaunchPad, 259 Jarvis St. Toronto - some travel within the Toronto area as required**

**POSITION TYPE: Fixed Term, Part-time (Up to 19 hrs./week, 6-month contract) - Youth Outreach Worker**

**POSTING CLOSING DATE: September 27, 2024**

**“An exciting opportunity to offer culturally relevant wellness services for Indigenous youth Provided in partnership between Lumenus Community Services, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and MLSE LaunchPad.”**

**About the role**:
You will be working across a dynamic, passionate and caring community-based partnership. As a core member of this team, the Indigenous Youth Wellness Worker will contribute to the creation of a more culturally responsive and relevant programming and services for Indigenous youth offered at the MLSE LaunchPad site. It will also strengthen relationships with Indigenous youth, Indigenous serving organizations and related stakeholders in our communities.

**About the collaboration**:
Lumenus Community Services has partnered with the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT) and MLSE LaunchPad to increase access for Indigenous youth to culturally-responsive mental health services within community settings. Using a holistic view of wellbeing that integrates physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, Indigenous youth services are guided by the inclusion of young people’s connection to language, land, beings of creation, and ancestry - and are enabled by a caring family and community environment.

**What you’ll be doing**:

- **Support the continued development, strengthening and refinement of the collaborative Indigenous youth service model.**:

- Collaborate across organizations, with community partners, stakeholders and youth to further build and enhance our approach to best serving Indigenous youth.
- Facilitate a strengths-based, knowledge-based and evidence-informed approach that is grounded in the culture and identity needs of Indigenous youth.
- **Contribute to the development and execution of a range of culturally humble and responsive supports and programs at **MLSE** **LaunchPad**:

- Assist in creating new programs in partnership with community organizations, develop group activities and deepen integration of Indigenous presence into existing activities.
- Co-design the delivery and execution of programs for and with Indigenous youth, families, and communities.
- Work alongside the Measurement and Evaluation team to create meaningful feedback loops that support ongoing refinement of supports and programs.
- **Drive outreach and engagement with Indigenous organizations and communities around **MLSE** **LaunchPad**.**:

- Develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with Indigenous youth, organizations, and communities.
- Lead deepened integration of youth and community voice into the ongoing refinement of the service model and the partner organizations through systems like community conversations, advisory bodies etc.
- **Be a connector for Indigenous youth, community organizations, and service partners.**:

- Act as the primary point of contact for supporting involved Indigenous youth to navigate the broader system of services that can best meet their needs.
- Build and maintain relationships and strong communication channels with organizations, activities, programs and services that can support Indigenous youth.

**You’re a great fit for this job if**:

- You have experience with Indigenous communities, cultural Teachings and worldviews.
- You identify as Indigenous or have significant experience working with Indigenous communities in good ways. You are comfortable harmonizing Indigenous Teachings and worldviews into programming to support participation and strengthen outcomes for Indigenous youth.
- You have experience working with youth facing barriers.
- You are familiar with the Stages of Change model, harm reduction practices and promoting assets, competencies and resiliency for youth who have been marginalized.
- Your work supports trust and confidentiality and aligns with all relevant policy and legislation including but not limited to workplace standards and policies, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
- You are collaborative.
- You work well in a highly cooperative environment. You are ready to lead and to pitch in. You’re excited to work alongside partners, communities and participants on projects both big and small.
- You are a creative thinker.
- You bring forward exciting ideas for new and impactful programming, from both Western and Traditional paradigms. You can imagine the multiple ways participants engage with a program, and use data and research to support your thinking.
- You are community-minded.
- You have an excellent understanding of, and connection to, the communities we serve and aspire to create equitable, high
- impact opportunities for their participation.
- You are a clear, confid