Family Connections Worker

**Job Summary**:
The primary objective of the Family Connections Worker is to ensure that identified Metis children in the Agency’s care have the best possible opportunity for placement in either extended family or Metis family homes that will meet their cultural needs, support their Metis identity and connection to their community.

The Family Connections Worker will gather current and historical information about Metis children’s family and community for the purpose of cultural connections, relationships, and permanency. The Family Connections Worker assists Metis children and families to reconnect with their Indigenous community, family, and extended families. The Family Connections Worker collaborates with Social Workers and Planning Circle Facilitator to facilitate gatherings to develop plans to support Metis cultural connections for children and their families and to promote Metis cultural practices and traditions.

**Reports to**: Integrated Services Team Leader

**Key Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Gather current family information and history for genealogy/family finding
- Develop genograms for all identified referrals
- Gather information relevant to children and families’ cultural connection needs by reviewing files, interviewing, meeting with caregivers, and extended family. Uses a variety of inventories, checklists, and questionnaires to gather information.
- Assess the information gathered to identify family connections for children and families and to identify resources for family history and heritage information needs.
- Provide support and guidance to identified family members in building cultural and community connections for children and families.
- Provide support and feedback to families and extended families when working to build cultural connections for children and youth.
- Participate in care team meetings as required to support family and cultural connections for children and youth. As required, participates in the development of cultural connection plans with the care team.
- Assist the Planning Circle Facilitator and families in gathering the circle for the purpose of developing and strengthening family connections for children and families.
- Develop a strategy in collaboration with Social Workers and Planning Circle Facilitator to gather the circle.
- Plan and create presentations related to family and cultural connections for children and families
- Work collaboratively with Elders and Indigenous community members as needed.
- Liaise with other community service providers and professionals as required for the purpose of ensuring cultural connections for children and families.
- Maintain related records and statistics and provides reports to the supervisor.
- Perform other related duties as required.

**Qualifications, Education and Experience**:

- Bachelor of Social Work degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a related human/social service field or the equivalent in education and experience.
- Practical knowledge of child welfare and family support services in the community.
- One (1) years recent related experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

**Job Skills and Abilities**:

- Excellent understanding and knowledge of Indigenous/Metis cultures, traditions and socio-economic issues affecting urban Indigenous families.
- Excellent oral, written, facilitation and interpersonal communication skills.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
- Ability to work effectively with program staff, volunteers, and non-profit or publicly funded groups, agencies, and organizations.
- Knowledge of child development milestones.
- Self-directed and motivated to complete research with mínimal supervision.
- Demonstrated teamwork, good time management, job task planning and organizational skills.
- Has computer knowledge and ability to use Word documents and genogram programs.

**Additional Information**:

- This position requires the ability to function independently frequently under pressure while managing multiple concurrent projects and deadlines including effectively managing emergency situations. Program delivery activities may require a moderate level of physical fitness to effectively carry out duties of the position.
- All employees are required to complete two hours of cultural learning per week.

**Core Competencies**:
**Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies**:

- **Cultural Agility** is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of the BC Public Service, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and pr