Cultural Support Worker

West Central Women's Resource Centre (wcwrc); Winnipeg; Hybrid; CAD 39,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

3 weeks vacation pay

Benefits

RRSP matching

Job summary

The West Central Women’s Resource Centre (WCWRC) invites applications for a Cultural Support Worker to engage women, two-spirit, gender diverse people, and families in Indigenous teachings and healing practices. Start ASAP, salary $28-32/hour with benefits and RRSP matching, 37.5 hours/week, on-site at 640 Ellice Ave.

Responsibilities include cultural advising, crisis intervention, facilitating group programming, and coordinating ceremonies with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure culturally

Qualifications

• Understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and healing practices.
• Experience applying anti-oppression and anti-racism approaches.
• Ability to support participants impacted by trauma and substance use.

Responsibilities

• Provide one-to-one cultural advising and crisis intervention.
• Support access to traditional medicines and smudging and share teachings.
• Deliver land-based and cultural teachings to the community.
• Coordinate learning opportunities about Indigenous history and ceremonies.
• Support ceremony activities including full moon ceremonies, sweat lodges, cedar baths and seasonal events.
• Collaborate with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure culturally meaningful programs.

Skills

Indigenous cultural knowledge

Anti-oppression framework

Harm reduction philosophy

Trauma-informed care

Strong communication skills

Time management

Microsoft Office proficiency

Tools

Outlook

Microsoft Office

Job description

The West Central Women’s Resource Centre (WCWRC) provides services and programming to women, gender-diverse folks, and their families in the West Central neighbourhood of Winnipeg. WCWRC is person-centered and practices empowerment, inclusion, harm reduction, multi-level, and community economic development philosophies to support participants experiencing poverty, homelessness, mental illness, violence, substance use or participating in sex work.

The West Central Women’s Resource Centre is committed to inclusion and equity and strives to ensure that our staff team reflects the diversity of the community we serve. Persons with relevant lived experience, Indigenous peoples, Black people and other people of colour, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions are encouraged to apply and will be prioritized. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by groups that have been historically, persistently and systemically marginalized and encourage (but do not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

If you require an accommodation for the recruitment/interview process (including alternate formats of materials, or accessible meeting rooms or other accommodation), please contact us and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Position Summary:

The Cultural Support Worker will create opportunities for women, two spirit people, gender diverse people and their families to learn more about Indigenous traditional teachings, culture and knowledge as part of the work of the Community Healing and Wellness department. This is done in an effort to support and celebrate Indigenous culture and personal healing, while working against violence, racism and colonialism.

Start Date:ASAP

Salary Range: $28-32/hour (plus benefits which include 3 weeks vacation pay, benefits and RRSP matching)

Time requirement: 37.5 hours/week

Duties and Responsibilities

Cultural Support

• Provide one-to-one cultural advising and crisis intervention when necessary to participants, including through referral to resources
• Support participants with access to traditional medicines and smudging as needed and provide information and teachings about traditional medicines and practices
• Provide land-based teachings and cultural teachings to community
• Coordinate learning opportunities about Indigenous history, culture, ceremony, and traditional practices
• Provide support and coordination to ceremony activities, including but not limited to full moon ceremonies, sweat lodges, cedar baths, equinox and solstice events, letting go ceremonies, etc.

Programming

• Coordinate and facilitate a range of group programming based on the needs and desires of community, including but not limited to sharing circles, beading, drumming, ribbon skirt/shirt making and other crafts
• Providing support and coordination to Community Healing and Wellness activities includes planning, booking rooms and resources, budgeting, preparation and reporting
• Work collaboratively with team members, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to ensure programming is culturally meaningful and responsive to community needs

Evaluation and Reporting

• Ensure strong, useful program evaluation and data tracking is occurring for all aspects of the programs and events of the Community Healing and Wellness department
• Support the Director of Community Healing and Wellness with required reporting
• Ensure the Director of Community Healing and Wellness is kept aware of all trends, priority issues, concerns, and opportunities and assist with problem solving issues raised

Other

• Actively participate in WCWRC staff retreats, trainings and meetings
• Collaborate and support with other departments or programs as requested (including drop in support)
• Other duties as assigned to support the ongoing work of the centre

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge and understanding of traditional Indigenous culture and teachings, values and ways of healing and being
• Understanding of the impacts of colonization, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the child welfare system, and other ongoing colonial systems
• Demonstrated ability to work within anti-oppression and anti-racism frameworks
• Strong understanding of empowerment and harm reduction philosophies
• Experience supporting participants impacted by trauma, substance use, houselessness, and gender-based violence
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
• Professional and responsible with sensitive and confidential issues
• Comfortable with Outlook and Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred:

• Experience working within the non-profit sector
• Experience working collaboratively with community organizations
• Self-motivated, able to work with minimal supervision

Working Conditions:

• There is a risk of exposure to potentially unpredictable behaviors and situations
• Weekdays, with occasional evening and weekend work
• On-site at 640 Ellice Ave. location with some travel as required for ceremony

We thank all applicants but only candidates being considered will be contacted.