2025-322 Community Harm Reduction Worker

Title: Community Harm Reduction Worker – Attawapiskat & PeawanuckDivision: Integrated Indigenous Health and Specialized Community ServicesAffiliation: Non-unionizedSite: Attawapiskat, ONReports to: Manager of Indigenous Harm Reduction Status: Permanent Full TimeWeeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) is now accepting applications for an experienced professional to fill the key role of Community Harm Reduction Worker.

Life at WAHAA beacon of healing, wellness, and innovation, WAHA connects remote communities with the care they deserve. With spellbinding views surrounding each site, team members bask in the tranquility of the land, juxtaposed against a bustling workplace busy addressing the complex needs of the region. Here, we work with purpose, knowing each action matters. Patients are neighbours, family, and colleagues. Each day brings a challenge- the good kind that stretches you, helps you grow, and makes you feel vital. These hurdles birth opportunities to problem solve, develop new skills, and explore new roles. Here, we step into a version of ourselves once forgotten, overshadowed by the daily grind, and rediscover a deep connection with ourselves, the land, and each other. Here, we experience work with wonder. #WeAreWAHA

What We DoThere has never been a more exciting time to be at WAHA. We are an integrated health system providing the full continuum of care to the six communities of the western James Bay coast with over 500 employees, physicians, and partners in care. As a health authority, you will work in a unique setting where you have the opportunity to care for patients in all phases of their life journey, in all areas of their health experience. From Primary, Acute, and Mental Health, Dental, Specialty Clinics, Population Health and the WAHA Paramedic Service, the opportunities for growth are boundless. We provide community-based programming in all six of our communities, have six paramedic bases, three hospitals, four emergency departments, one community health centre and a total of 72 beds. Our guiding goal is to be a centre of excellence in Indigenous and remote healthcare. To make this goal a reality, we have formed partnerships with other centres of excellence to remove barriers and eliminate the inequity of health services access that have long impacted the patients that we serve. At WAHA, we are leading the way in health transformation. Come and immerse yourself in the local Cree culture, work with dedicated and passionate colleagues, and live in beautiful northern communities with amazing community members. Our mission is to provide optimum healthcare as close to home as possible. You can be part of this rewarding experience. Come and find your adventure in the north.

Who You Are

• Ability to engage respectfully with Indigenous communities and value traditional practices
• Skilled in building trust with people with lived/living experience related to substance use and mental health
• Experience working with Elders, families, and communities to develop harm reduction initiatives
• Strong communication skills, including active listening and cultural sensitivity
• Willingness to conduct outreach in community settings and travel between communities

What You'll Do

• Connect with individuals in schools, homes, shelters, and public spaces
• Increase awareness of harm reduction and wellness services
• Distribute harm reduction supplies (e.g., Naloxone kits, sharps containers)
• Provide education on overdose prevention, safer substance use, and harm reduction practices
• Engage people with lived/living experience in outreach and program planning
• Track inventory and manage the logistics of supply distribution
• Act as a trusted advocate for individuals facing substance use and wellness challenges
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to organizational policies
• Flexible working hours, including occasional evening and weekend availability for community events and sessions.

What You Bring

• Successful completion of secondary school
• Degree, diploma or certificate in social services, healthcare field or equivalent experience
• G Driver's License
• Willing and able to travel as required
• Ability to communicate in the local native Cree language is an asset

Why Choose Us

• Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan
• Group health, welfare, and Employee and Family Assistance Program Benefits
• A northern living allowance, and vacation travel bonus (all pensionable earnings)
• Be part of an organization leading health transformation in the remote north
• Ability to work with a purpose, connected to an amazing community and culture, with opportunities to learn and grow

Competition #: Deadline: Tuesday, October 28th, 2025 @ 12:00 noon.

Please be advised that in order to be eligible for employment at Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, all new hires must have received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine or combination of COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada Weeneebayko Area Health Authority is an inclusive employer. Accommodations are available in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights code and Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.