FT Indigenous Cultural Safety Facilitator

Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) is a diverse, dynamic, multiservice Indigenous health and wellness agency.  We strive to provide quality, wholistic health services by sharing and promoting traditional and western health practices to enable people to live in a more balanced state of well-being. SOAHAC provides services to Indigenous people including those who live on and off reserve, status, non-status, Inuit, and Metis within the Southwest, Waterloo Wellington and Erie St Clair regions. SOAHAC has a mandate of ensuring that health services are accessible, of high quality, and are culturally appropriate. It is SOAHAC’s objective to build health care capacity within Indigenous communities. Currently, we are seeking the services of an Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS)Facilitator to join our interdisciplinary staff team to work at our Chippewa site.  

Reporting to the Director of Quality and Health Equity, the ICS Facilitator will work in collaboratively with mainstream SOAHAC partners across southwestern Ontario to foster greater cultural safety for Indigenous people. This position will provide Indigenous cultural safety training and education to health care providers, managers and leaders within partner organizations and support each partner to develop and implement an organizational change plan that promotes and strengthens cultural safety for Indigenous clients who use substances as well as their families and communities.  

The ICS Facilitator will work in collaboration with their team at SOAHAC, the IPHCC as well as mainstream partners to support the planning and implementation of educational strategies and organizational development plans that recognize the root causes of Indigenous specific disparities within health systems and are designed to contribute to the elimination of racism and discrimination.

Requirements

• A level of education, training, and experience at least equivalent to a Master’s degree in a related discipline that demonstrates an interest and background in critical anti-racist and decolonizing theory and practice

• Strong facilitation skills and ability to facilitate challenging and transformative conversations

• Experience with organizational change and knowledge exchange strategies to support transformative change

• Experience interacting with Indigenous people and Indigenous communities as well as health care provider groups, health service providers, health system leaders

• Knowledge of education and training techniques, curriculum development and program evaluation methodologies

• Knowledge of Indigenous communities in Ontario, including cultural interference, social determinants of health, and Ontario’s Indigenous health and social service policy direction

• Knowledge about cultural safety and critical race perspectives for improving health and social care, specific to Indigenous populations in Ontario

• Strong writing and editing skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills

• Critical analysis and problem-solving skills drawing on community experience and research

• Sensitivity to political and other external environmental issues

• Travel within London and area, as well as regional travel as required

• Knowledge, skills and ability to deliver Indigenous Cultural Safety Training,

• Willingness to participate teachings and ceremonies  

• Clean and current vulnerable sector police check as a condition of employment

• Valid government issued driver’s license and access to reliable vehicle

• Up to date immunizations and records

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and co-facilitate educational workshops that focus on building awareness and understanding about Indigenous cultural safety and support the development of organizational change plans

• Work with identified champions and leaders within partner organizations to support networking and capacity building within and across health care networks.

• Using tools, resources and templates developed by the IPHCC, engage partners in the development of organizational change plans that identify and prioritize opportunities across their organizations to strengthen cultural safety.

• Facilitate knowledge exchange with Indigenous-led organizations and community partners, health system decisionmakers and leaders to promote and inspire commitment to anti-racist learning and awareness and the creation of organizational change as a key component of improving health outcomes for Indigenous people

• Engage partners in the development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation plan

• Work with the Director and the broader SOAHAC team to support partnerships with leaders and decision makers within the partnering hospitals  

• Work collaboratively with the Director, broader SOAHAC team and partners in response to emerging opportunities for advancing anti-Indigenous racism approaches to ICS within the partnering organizations.

• Organize and manage a hybrid work schedule with regular travel to SOAHAC sites and partner organizations across southwestern Ontario. Chippewas of the Thames will be the hub office for this position.

This job may require additional responsibilities and duties as assigned by Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre.

SOAHAC values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer; however, hiring preference will be given to qualified Indigenous applicants. SOAHAC is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you require accommodation to apply or if selected to participate in an assessment process, please advise Human Resources.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please forward your cover letter and resume to careers@soahac.on.ca.