Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

**Position**:Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children (Prenatal) Program Coordinator

**Location**:Barrie, ON

**Term**:Full time,Fixed-term contract until March 31, 2025, with possible extension

**Salary**:$49,600.00 + benefits

**Closing date**:October 18, 2024

**Who We Are**
The vision of the Barrie Native Friendship Centre is to improve the quality of lives for all urban Indigenous / Metis people in the area, regardless of legal definition, by providing a gathering place which promotes unity and wholistic healing within the community at large. This is accomplished through a network of culturally based programs, services, and teachings.

**Job Purpose**
The Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program Coordinator will ensure the effective delivery of the Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children (IHBHC) program such that the needs of the urban Indigenous families identified as high risk or at-risk who are referred to the program are met in a culturally sensitive manner. The IHBHC coordinator is funded as an initiative of the Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy (IHWS) with the commitment to reduce family violence and violence against Indigenous women and children, and to improve Indigenous healing, health and wellness through culturally appropriate programming and ongoing collaboration. The IHBHC Coordinator will focus on individual supports for urban-Indigenous individuals and families in the prenatal stage and up to 1-year old.

**Duties and responsibilities**
- Provide opportunities for healthy pre-natal development and preparation.
- Provide support and direction for urban-Indigenous individuals in the beginning stages of planning for or considering pregnancy, adoption, fostering, etc.
- Provide non-judgmental support and empower individuals to make healthy choices during pregnancy.
- Conduct home visits to further develop relationships with families and children to support their needs and to identify and meet their goals.
- Provide the best opportunities for healthy child development through home visiting, service coordination, parenting groups, cultural teachings, traditions, and referrals.
- Support families in celebrating and honoring new and young life in the Indigenous community.
- Provide wrap-around services and a strengths-based action plan for each individual direct-service user.
- Promote awareness and ensure access to the program through a variety of outreach efforts and promotional activities.
- Promote the development of protocols and referrals agreements as appropriate to meet the development needs of the Indigenous families in the community.
- Conduct strengths and needs assessments for families and to develop a direct-service user action plan to meet the needs and goals of families in the program.
- Refer families to appropriate services as required and document, advocate and liaise with internal and external resources and supports.
- Participate in advocacy work for the benefit and support of the present and future children and families in the program.
- Participate in case conferences and plans of care as provided by a Children’s Aid Society (CAS) to support and ensure the needs of children are met.
- Accurately report and ensure all program objectives are being met in accordance with agreements.
- Engage and reach out to community partners and stakeholders as it pertains to the needs of the families served and the program deliverables.
- Develop and maintain a network of health and social service providers to ensure that Indigenous families with children (prenatal - 1 year old) who are at risk of physical, mental and social problems have access to a range of prevention and early intervention services.
- Develop an inventory of services available within the community for prevention and early intervention services.
- Share information about healthy child development and pregnancy, while providing families the opportunity to learn about child(ren) behavior.
- Ensure all service activities utilize culture throughout all junctures of planning and delivery.
- Participate in training and evaluation processes to ensure continued growth and development of the IHBHC program.

**Secondary Duties & Responsibilities**
- Maintain positive relationships with community agencies, businesses and others.
- Support families by providing one-to-one and participant-based services, ensuring that a balance of approaches is available to meet the needs of all families attending and participating in the program.
- Provide leadership in community efforts to address the barriers facing CAPC/CPNP families (such as poverty, low literacy, transportation etc).
- Provide opportunities for healthy child development in collaboration with other BNFC programs and services.
- Advocate and raise awareness on the issues commonly experienced by CAPC/CPNP families.
- Working collaboratively with BNFC Combined Court Worker on family court matters.
- Working and contributing with the team to organizational w