Indigenous Cultural Practitioner

Vancouver Coastal Health•Vancouver, BC

3d•CA$45 - CA$56•Hybrid

About The Position

The Indigenous Cultural Practitioner works within the context of a person, family, and community-centred trauma and violence-informed, and culturally safe care model, and in accordance with established vision and values of the organization, and respectfully appreciates the values and history of Indigenous Peoples and Nations in Canada. The Indigenous Cultural Practitioner is responsible for the support of an integrated traditional wellness program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) neighborhood, and connecting with VCH clinicians across Mental Health, Substance Use and Primary Care services, to integrate traditional wellness into care plans for Indigenous clients. Working in part in an outreach capacity, and without general supervision, the Indigenous Cultural Practitioner provides culturally competent, and safe interventions or practices for Indigenous clients who are experiencing or are at risk for homelessness with complex substance use and mental wellness issues, within community settings. The Indigenous Cultural Practitioner will provide culturally safe and sensitive services to Indigenous individuals experiencing complex psycho-social challenges including but not limited to: chronic health concerns, intergenerational trauma history, mental health and substance use, significant financial insecurity, experiences of violence and housing instability. The Indigenous Cultural Practitioner will be providing direct client care and must be equipped to provide strength-based and trauma-informed cultural interventions in the context of the care plan, and consultation with complex discharge planning, establishing, maintaining, and enhancing therapeutic relationships, coordinating, and evaluating clients’ response to the care plan. The position will also develop and enhances community communications/relationships, providing consultation services to VCH clinicians across Mental Health, Substance Use and Primary Care services, engages in on-going team planning, development, evaluation, and quality improvement activities to achieve excellence in client care, and will inform policies and procedures in collaboration with the Indigenous Cultural Outreach team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, in a related field or related experience, with demonstrated work with Indigenous communities, supplemented with a minimum of two (2) years of offering cultural supports, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience in the health authority system, and in particular working with Indigenous individuals, communities or organizations on issues related to health and wellness.
Experience coordinating and delivering traditional wellness/medicine within community.
First Nations, Inuit, Metis ancestry is regarded as directly relevant to the skills and knowledge for excellence in the position.
Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated ability to provide culturally safe care.
Completed Indigenous Cultural Safety Training.
Demonstrated understanding and in-depth knowledge of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples and history.
Demonstrated understanding of provincial and federal guiding principles and documents, for example In Plain Sight report, and calls to action to eliminate Indigenous-specific racism in the health care sector.
Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize current health care system gaps and barriers for Indigenous individuals and communities seeking health care.
Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize power inequities within the healthcare system associated with ongoing impacts of colonialism.
Knowledge of the Mental Health Act as it applies to the rights and obligations of clients and staff.
Demonstrated ability to identify suicidal ideation and basic intervention.
Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of recovery in mental health and substance use.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Trauma and Violence Informed Practice.
Demonstrated ability to apply strengths-based trauma informed principles to practice.
Completed trauma informed training.
Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply a Harm Reduction approach to care.
Demonstrated knowledge and ability to conduct assessments and integrate culturally appropriate interventions and practices into care embedding principles of cultural safety.
Comprehensive knowledge of mental illness and substance use issues including current trends, best practices, and modalities of treatment.
Broad knowledge of mental health, primary care and substance use service delivery system, service mandates, referral guidelines, legislation, and government policies.
Demonstrated knowledge or experience in mental health and substance use, and to provide treatment planning and case coordination.
Broad knowledge of other health disciplines and their role in healthcare.
Demonstrated ability to be flexible and open to a range of treatment modules for substance use from abstinence and harm reduction.
Demonstrated ability to plan, implement, facilitate, and evaluate cultural groups, as applicable.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate team building.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and ability to model and foster a positive, collaborative, and respectful team working environment.
Demonstrated ability to adjust to new or unexpected events, problem solve, and deal effectively with and/or guide others in resolution of conflict issues using restorative justice approaches.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with clients and their families, colleagues, physician, and other health care staff, both one-on-one and in groups.
Demonstrated listening and information seeking skills that promotes open and direct communication and leads to a cooperative approach to problem solving.
Demonstrated ability to set priorities, organize work, and meet deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with community partners and with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Demonstrated ability to operate related equipment.
Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.
Basic computer literacy to operate a computerized client care information system and word processing, spreadsheet, Internet, and e-mail software.

Nice To Haves

Pursuant to Section 41 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to individuals of Indigenous identity (First Nations, Inuit, Metis).

Responsibilities

Support an integrated traditional wellness program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) neighborhood.
Connect with VCH clinicians across Mental Health, Substance Use and Primary Care services, to integrate traditional wellness into care plans for Indigenous clients.
Provide culturally competent and safe interventions or practices for Indigenous clients who are experiencing or are at risk for homelessness with complex substance use and mental wellness issues, within community settings.
Provide culturally safe and sensitive services to Indigenous individuals experiencing complex psycho-social challenges.
Provide direct client care, including strength-based and trauma-informed cultural interventions.
Consult with complex discharge planning.
Establish, maintain, and enhance therapeutic relationships.
Coordinate and evaluate clients’ response to the care plan.
Develop and enhance community communications/relationships.
Provide consultation services to VCH clinicians across Mental Health, Substance Use and Primary Care services.
Engage in ongoing team planning, development, evaluation, and quality improvement activities.
Inform policies and procedures in collaboration with the Indigenous Cultural Outreach team.