Elder's Helper - Thunder Bay, Canada - Oahas

Oahas

Verified Company

Thunder Bay, Canada

6 days ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Position:
Elder's Helper

Place of Work:
Maamowiitaawigamig Centre - Thunder Bay, ON

Reports to:
Project Manager, Drop-in

Employment Term:
Full-time contract until March 31, 2025

Start Date:
September 2023

Salary Range:
$50,000 - $55,000, plus benefits

Oahas Background:

Oahas operates based on the principles of Greater Involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA), Meaningful Engagement of People living with HIV/AIDS (MEPA), Indigenous harm reduction, and respect for our Indigenous cultural knowledges and teachings.

These foundational principles guide all aspects of our relationships and work.

Our mission is to support healthy, thriving Indigenous communities, to do this we offer education on HIV and HCV prevention, access to testing and cultural services, and support linkage to care and treatment for HIV and HCV.

Position Background:

Over the past five years, Oahas has developed a unique partnership with Elevate NWO (Elevate), which is a mainstream AIDS Service Organization (ASO), and is where our Oahas Thunder Bay office is co-located.

Together Oahas and Elevate provide significant services (access to HIV and HCV testing and treatment, prevention education services, cultural supports and ceremony, and a drop-in centre) to Indigenous people.

Elevate currently employs an Elder on their staff, who is responsible for building meaningful relationships with the people accessing services and providing cultural support and access to ceremonies for community.

To support this important work, Oahas has sourced funds to create a new position to support the Elder in her work.

Key Responsibilities:

Ceremonial & Cultural Activities Support

Coordinate ceremonial and cultural activities, events and ensure they are integrated into the monthly calendar of activities in the dropin programming.
Prioritize organizing activities and cultural supports people accessing services have requested, to ensure service delivery is responsive to community feedback.
This position is responsible for developing relationships and building networks in the local Thunder Bay community to support Oahas' community development efforts.
Support development and continuation of provincial Knowledge Carriers Network, in partnership and collaboration with other Oahas staff.
Support Thunder Bay Oahas staff in developing consistent cultural programming and groups.
Collaborate with the Oahas Program Manager on agencywide cultural capacity building.
Support the maintence of the Thunder Bay office space through a spiritual and cultural lens (i.e. morning smudge, feast bundles, cedar bows, etc.).
Coordinate medicine harvesting for programming with the Thunder Bay team and create opportunities for community members to participate.
Develop resources to support and strengthen cultural knowledge in community (i.e. developing a resource that shares information about utilizing a personal feast bundle).
Leading the planning and coordination of cultural and ceremonial events in collaboration with the Elder.
During ceremony and cultural events, provide significant practical assistance and support to the Elder throughout the day.
Communicate with Elder at Elevate, as well as, and external Knowledge Carriers to identify supports needed in their delivery of services as part of Oahas programming.
Develop and maintain cultural resource list and referrals for members seeking external services.

Administration

Responsible for tracking and entering data into required database systems (OCASE, OCHART, and NEO) in a timely manner, and records management related to client files.
Responsible for contributing to program and organizational reporting, including quarterly site program reports and monthly all staff meeting updates.
Ongoing compliance with Oahas policies and procedures is a requirement for this job.

Additional Expectations

Flexibility with schedule and ability to work evenings and weekends on occasion.
May be required to assist with projects and other agency initiatives.
Share in the responsibility and care for Oahas traditional medicines and bundle items as per agency protocol.

Qualifications and Skills

Competency and a good understanding of Indigenous culture and ways, teachings and history.
Diplomacy and excellent personal and professional boundaries.
Open to the diversity of teachings, Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, and genderinclusivity.
Supports cultural and ceremonial engagement through the lens and values of Indigenous harm reduction.
Approaches work from a place of ensuring alignment between personal and organizational values.
Passion for nurturing culturally appropriate community participation and modelling effective leadership within the Indigenous communities.
Lived and/or living experience related to living with HIV, HCV, or accessing harm reduction services.
Experience working with people who use drugs and knowledge of harm r