Aftercare Worker - (FT Contract until April 30, 2027)

Ontario Native Women's Association; Northwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Paid time off at Christmas

Paid holidays

35 hour work week

Cultural/personal wellness days

Flexible scheduling

Professional development

Job summary

Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) is seeking an Aftercare Worker to provide holistic support for Indigenous women and families. The role focuses on counseling, crisis intervention, and coordinated aftercare services that honor cultural safety and gender-based approaches.

The position requires experience in mental health, substance use, and advocacy, plus strong collaboration with healthcare providers, Elders, and community partners. ONWA champions wellbeing and community leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or a two-year Social Work Diploma required.
• Minimum three years advocating for Indigenous women/families.
• Experience with mental health, substance use, and recovery supports.
• Ability to provide evidence-based counselling.
• Experience with case coordination, aftercare and referrals.
• Strong crisis intervention, risk assessment and safety planning.
• Experience documenting assessments and reports.
• Ability to build positive relationships with healthcare providers and community partners.
• Knowledge of Indigenous culture and trauma-informed care.
• Willingness to work independently and in teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide wholistic counselling and aftercare services.
• Offer crisis intervention and advocacy for Community Members.
• Coordinate case management and referrals.
• Support families with mental health and substance use needs.
• Engage in trauma-informed, culturally safe care.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Case coordination

Counselling skills

Advocacy

Communication skills

Independent & teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Social Work Diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

Database systems

Internet-based systems

Job description

Why make ONWA your career choice?

Make a difference in the lives of Indigenous peoples by supporting and advocating for positive change.ONWA prides itself on providing all employees with a total rewards package that is generous and supports our workforce and their family members:

• Competitive salaries
• Paid time off at Christmas
• Additional paid stat and civic holidays
• 35 hour work week
• Paid cultural/personal wellness days
• Flexible scheduling to support work-life balance
• Ongoing professional development.

VISION

At the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA), we celebrate and honour the safety and healing of Indigenous Women and Girls as they take up their leadership roles in the family, community, provincially, nationally and internationally for generations to come.

SCOPE

Reporting to the Branch Manager, the Aftercare Worker provides wholistic services that meet the needs of Indigenous women and their families through a range of supports focused on mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being through a cultural, trauma-informed, gender-based, and family-centred approach. The Aftercare Worker provides counselling, consultation, aftercare services, follow-up support, advocacy, crisis intervention, referrals, and case coordination for Community Members who have previously received mental health supports, completed substance dependency treatment programs, attended healing lodges, or are participating in harm reduction programs.

QUALIFICATIONS

SKILLS

• A Bachelor’s degree is preferred; however, a minimum two-year Social Work Diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience advocating for and supporting Indigenous women and/or Indigenous families.
• Experience working with Indigenous populations experiencing mental health and substance use concerns.
• Ability to provide evidence-based counselling support services.
• Experience providing case coordination, aftercare services, referrals, advocacy, and follow-up support.
• Strong crisis intervention, risk assessment, safety planning, and emergency response skills.
• Experience completing assessments, case notes, reports, and other program documentation.
• Experience facilitating presentations, wellness education, and community-based workshops.
• Excellent organizational, administrative, time-management, and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with Community Members, healthcare providers, treatment centres, community agencies, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Traditional People.
• Proficient working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, internet-based systems, databases, and office technology.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of Indigenous culture, traditions, teachings, ceremonies, and community-based healing approaches.
• Knowledge of mental health, substance use, addictions recovery, and wellness support services.
• Thorough knowledge and experience working from a gender-based lens and Indigenous women centred perspective.
• Strong understanding of behavioural, emotional, psychological, social, and mental health challenges experienced by Indigenous women and their families, including children and youth.
• In-depth understanding of psychological, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
• Awareness and understanding of historical, intergenerational, and ongoing trauma experienced by Indigenous women and families, including psychological, neurological, physiological, social, and spiritual impacts.
• Understanding of trauma-informed care, cultural safety, wise practices, and strength-based service delivery.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention, case management, care coordination, and community support services.
• Knowledge of community resources, referral pathways, treatment centres, healing lodges, harm reduction programs, and healthcare systems.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Mental Health Act.
• Knowledge of not-for-profit organizations and community-based service delivery models.
• Understanding of ONWA’s vision, mandate, strategic priorities, and Indigenous women-centred approaches.
• Ability to speak an Indigenous language is considered an asset.

Please know, this is an existing role we are looking to fill.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.