Support Worker, Cultural

**Department**:Interdisciplinary Team (Full-Time, Permanent)
Reports To**:Den Manager

**Location**: Community Centre

**Job Purpose**:
“Despite great challenges we believe unhealthy cycles can be broken, new opportunities created and, through healing, health restored.”

Reports to the Program Manager. The Cultural Support Worker works alongside other team members to provide former Residential School Students, former Indian Day School Students (IDS) and relatives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis. You play a large role in ensuring participants and family members have access to a wide range of mental health and wellness support services that address a plethora of mental health issues related to childhood traumas experienced from the attendance Residential Schools. As well as providing support for the mental hardship and mourning shared by those tethered to MMIWG.

“We stand with our clients, side by side, patiently and for as long as they want - a constant and consistent caring force”

Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS) is a values-driven organization that believes our clients are the experts in their own life. Your job will be to foster innovation with your team alongside our clients.

**Key Areas of Responsibilities**:

- Provide cultural and case management support to interdisciplinary clients and help to build connections for clients to aftercare cultural supports including, but not limited to, sweats, memorial feasts, healing circles, pipe ceremonies, medicine, Elders
- Provide cultural support around a wide range of issues resulting from the legacy of the residential school system, day school system, including the intergenerational effects and impacts related to ambiguous loss; in a manner that is sensitive to the unique needs of vulnerable populations
- Work closely with the Boyle Street IRS team and Elder’s Counsel to ensure the Interdisciplinary staff and clients have access to Medicine, cultural events, Medicine picking, and Ceremony
- Build a rapport with community members by identifying strengths and working in a respectful way with a demographic who has faced trauma and social exclusion
- Maintain a strong knowledge of programs offered within the den and throughout the organization to be able to refer community members
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive written documentation of all den community members related interactions in accordance with den standards; perform case management when necessary
- BSCS is more than a workplace. It is a community where everyone helps and contributes to the whole, and there is an expectation that all employees will take part in events (during the work week and occasionally during weekends and evenings). This includes fundraising campaigns, running community meals, medicine picking etc.

**Education, Experience & Skills**:

- Post Secondary Education in a relevant field of study (Social Sciences, Social Work) is an asset
- Applicants with years of experience working in the inner city, with relevant knowledge of Indigenous history, culture and practice within a harm reduction strategy will be considered
- Minimum 6 months’ experience working with vulnerable populations
- Knowledge and respect for the diversity of Indigenous populations and communities
- Knowledge of Indigenous history (Indian Residential School System), worldview, perspectives, beliefs/values, culture and traditions and spirituality is required
- Knowledge and ability to teach and provide use of traditional Indigenous protocol and medicines
- Able to set personal and professional boundaries, including self-case and work-life balance
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of poverty related issues, trends and services particularly for Indigenous peoples

**Training & Screening Requirements**:

- Valid First Aid certificate required
- Police Information Check kept up to date (every 3 years)
- Child and Youth Intervention record kept up to date (every 3 years)

**Work Environment**:
the risk of exposure to emotional distress, distractions, and loud noise. This position includes lots of sitting and screen time and In addition, you will likely encounter individuals facing socioeconomic inequities and/or poverty; it is important to communicate in a human-centered, empathetic, and non-judgmental manner.

**Employer Conditions**:
Clients, staff and partners are vital members of the Boyle Street team, so we place emphasis on making sure that we address each other correctly by using preferred pronouns.

All employees are required to provide up to date Police Information Checks with the Vulnerable Sector Check, and Child and Youth Intervention Record Check. After the initial submission prior to the individuals start date, new copies must be provided every three years there after

The health and safety of our clients and staff is of the utmost importance to our organization. Per Boyle Street's COVID-19 policy, all new hires are required to be fully vaccinated