Indigenous Peer Support Worker Part Time NEW

Are you someone who carries the strength of your community and a passion for walking alongside others on their healing journey? We are seeking an Indigenous Peer Support Worker who brings lived experience, cultural knowledge, and a heart for supporting wellness in ways that honour Indigenous identity. In this role, you’ll help create safe, welcoming spaces rooted in connection, respect, and traditional ways of knowing and being. If you’re ready to uplift others through shared experience and community centered support, we encourage you to apply.

This part time role works Tuesday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:00, based out of the Kelowna Foundry & Community Health Services Centre.

What we offer:

• Employee & Family Assistance Programs
• Employer paid training/education opportunities
• Employer paid vacation
• Employer paid insurance premiums
• Extended Health & Dental coverage
• Municipal Pension Plan
• Work-life balance

Benefits for Indigenous Employees:

• Ceremonial, Cultural, Spiritual Leave
• Indigenous Employee Network
• Indigenous Employee Voices Committee

How will you create an impact?

The Indigenous Peer Support Worker (IPSW) uses their own lived experience with mental health and/or substance use, wellness planning, and knowledge of healthcare services to assist Indigenous individuals requesting cultural supports as part of their care. The IPSW identifies themselves as a Peer and works in partnership with the person and the MHSU team to provide and inform holistic, culturally relevant, wellness-focused care. The IPSW works in collaboration with the MHSU team and community partners so that the person’s self-identified goals for wellness are supported and consistent with the values of self-determination, choice and harm reduction.

The IPSW supports individuals to connect with resources and explore various forms of skill building, incorporating Indigenous ways of being and knowing to improve relationships with self, family and community. The IPSW demonstrates how lived experience can strengthen and guide the individual throughout their wellness journey. Where requested by the person, the IPSW directly provides, or provides access to cultural practices and traditional medicine. The role collaborates with Elders, Traditional Healers and Knowledge Keepers to share language, history, ceremony and protocols as well as stories of resiliency and celebration.

What will you work on:

• Participates in collaborative, person-directed care planning with the client and the healthcare team by contributing lived-experience insights, helping to identify client strengths and goals, and supporting the team in determining appropriate support programs as needed.
• Develops reciprocal relationships based on mutual respect with the person, family members, other identified supports, Elders, Traditional Healers and/or Knowledge Keepers.
• Contributes to the care-planning process by offering recommendations grounded in lived and living experience. In coordination with the care team, identifies aspects of the care plan that can be strengthened through peer-informed perspectives. Ensures the client’s voice, goals, strengths, cultural identity, and choices are centered throughout the planning process. Uses culturally relevant, person-preferred approaches—such as the Medicine Wheel or other Indigenous wellness frameworks—to support the individual in sharing their experiences and priorities. Engages the individual, identified family members and personal networks in conversations to explore culture as it relates to personal, cultural and spiritual identity.
• Provides supportive counselling including Peer support (social, emotional, appraisal and practical support), follow the established goals as outlined by the care team, determines the tasks and activities that will support goal-achievement in consultation with the client and care team.
• Supports, coaches and assists clients to advocate for themselves. Assists clients with making informed decisions and problem solving, attending appointments and supports clients in communicating their needs in a variety of settings (i.e, employment settings, housing and community resources)
• Maintains an awareness of current community resources related to cultural supports, wellness and harm reduction, with particular attention to resources developed and led by Indigenous organizations. Assists the person to navigate, access, create connections, and support ongoing involvement as required.
• Engages the person in cultural supports that promote health and healing in a safe and supportive manner by:
• Coordinating access to cultural resources (including language, ceremony, land-based healing and traditional medicine) when requested by the person, and in collaboration with traditional practitioners including Elders, Traditional Healers and Knowledge Keepers;
• Providing and coordinating individual and group activities that honor Indigenous identity and spirituality (may include story-telling, talking circles);
• Incorporating cultural initiatives into program areas where able to (i.e. traditional meal preparation).
• Assists the person towards self-managing all aspects of their wellness, including cultural identity, mental health, substance use and other health conditions by such methods as sharing information and lived experience perspective, linkages with community supports and advocacy groups, and practical problem solving.
• Identifies potential emergency situations and communicates with the care team so short-term strategies can be developed to address and reduce harm including actions such as responding to overdose, using first aid and assisting the individual to access drug checking and overdose prevention services.
• Provides input and feedback regarding the person’s expectations for services to the team; provides input into all areas of the person’s care plan; shares information with team members regarding cultural considerations for individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance use concerns; provides additional context specific to resistance to oppressive systems (colonization, racism).
• Supports the creation of culturally welcoming environments informed by recommendations from individuals accessing services, Indigenous organizations, Elders and Knowledge Keepers; may include recommendations for physical environments (i.e. spaces for cultural activities), emotional environments (i.e. friendly reception, support navigating space), and spiritual environments (i.e. opportunities to participate in ceremony, smudge meeting spaces). Maintains any necessary resources and supplies.
• Connects and collaborates with Peers locally and regionally, as well as Interior Health’s Indigenous Mental Wellness Team.
• Prepares and maintains written and computerized records and completes other program documentation, including progress notes and incident reports.
• Provides medication support to individuals, including providing reminders and encouragement to take medications as prescribed.
• Participates in planning by providing input in staff meetings, quality improvement initiatives, committees and in-services.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Interior Health strives to create an environment where you enjoy the work you do, the place where you work, and the people around you. Together, we create great workplaces. Apply today!

Pursuant to section 41 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to applicants of Indigenous Ancestry. Applicants should include First Nation, Metis and/or Inuit Self Identification within their resume and/or cover letter.

Qualifications
Education, Training, and Experience:

• Experience participating in and/or coordinating cultural activities that honor Indigenous values, beliefs, knowledge and teachings including working under guidance of Indigenous Elders, Traditional Healers and/or Knowledge Keepers.
• One year of lived experience in recovery from substance use and/or mental illness (as determined by the assigned program area).
• Certificate in a Social Services program and successful completion of recognized Peer Support Training program plus one year recent related experience in a peer support role, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Valid Class 5 BC driver’s license.

Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge and understanding that language, cultural beliefs and practices differ widely between First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities; aware of the unique and diverse qualities of Indigenous Peoples accessing services.
• Knowledge and understanding of the historical and present day impacts of colonial trauma, and how this is reflected in the healthcare system.
• Knowledge of two-eyed seeing, wise practices, strengths-based, trauma-informed approaches.
• Knowledge of Indigenous health and wellness practices, including cultural continuity and holistic vision of wellness.
• Knowledge of harm reduction strategies, including Indigenous Harm Reduction Principles and Practices.
• Knowledge of substance use services and programs.
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful and reciprocal relationships.
• Ability to provide a safe environment to encourage open and honest self-discovery for individuals.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, analyze and problem solve.
• Ability to encourage positive change and independence.
• Skills in restorative approaches, conflict resolution and crisis intervention.
• Displays a strong, dedicated and consistent focus on anti-racism, cultural safety and cultural humility; advocates for same.
• Physical and mental ability to carry out the duties of the position.
• Ability to operate related equipment (including necessary computer programs).

Comments
Interior Health is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to creating an environment free from discrimination. Our goal is to cultivate a workforce rich in culture, experience, and knowledge to enable us to provide high quality, accessible and culturally safe health services to everyone in the Interior Health region. We are committed to addressing existing inequities and barriers to achieving a diverse workforce, one that is representative of the communities we serve. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently marginalized groups.