Indigenous Patient Navigator

Interior Health; Fernie; On-site; CAD 69,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive remuneration package

Employer paid training/education

Employer paid vacation

Employer paid insurance premiums

Extended Health & Dental coverage

Municipal Pension Plan

Work-life balance

Indigenous Employee Network

Indigenous Employee Voices Committee

Job summary

Interior Health in Fernie, BC, seeks an Indigenous Patient Navigator to support Indigenous clients with culturally safe, client-centered care across Elk Valley communities. You will collaborate with the Indigenous Patient Navigator teams to bridge Indigenous perspectives with health services, grounded in dignity and trust.

Responsibilities include coordinating care across acute, home health, mental health, and public health sectors, and connecting clients with community resources.

Qualifications

• Lived and living experience as a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit person.
• Commitment to Indigenous culture, protocols, and health perspectives in BC Interior.
• A degree or diploma in social work, healthcare, or a relevant field (e.g., RN or LPN).
• Two years of related healthcare experience.
• Knowledge of Indigenous organizations and service mandates.
• Preference for proficiency in one or more Indigenous languages.
• Completion of a medical terminology course is an asset.
• Valid BC Driver’s License.

Responsibilities

• Provides consultative and navigational services for Indigenous clients and healthcare providers to understand and identify client needs, supporting cultural interpretation and health literacy translation.
• Coordinates client referrals and access to Indigenous spiritual services and traditional spaces within IH programs.
• Maintains documentation and participates in discharge planning and interagency collaboration to address client needs.

Skills

Cultural safety

Indigenous knowledge

Healthcare navigation

Community liaison

Education

Degree or diploma in social work or healthcare

RN/LPN qualification (asset)

Job description

Position Summary

Are you passionate about walking alongside Indigenous patients and families to support their health and wellness journey in a culturally safe and respectful way? This position calls for someone who has experience working with Indigenous communities and can build meaningful connections while bringing an understanding of self-governance and a trauma-responsive approach to care. In this role, you’ll help bridge Indigenous ways of knowing and being with the healthcare system, ensuring that each person’s experience is grounded in dignity, trust, and cultural safety. If this sounds like you, we invite you to join our dedicated team in beautiful Fernie, BC, located within the Ktunaxa territory.

This role serves the Elk Valley communities of Fernie, Elkford, and Sparwood, and works closely with both the East Kootenay Regional Hospital (EKRH) Indigenous Patient Navigator and the Mental Health & Substance Use Indigenous Patient Navigator in Creston to support coordinated care and strong regional partnerships.

Some of the Benefits of Joining Interior Health:

• An attractive remuneration package
• Excellent career prospects
• Employer paid training/education
• 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

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $69,218 (min) to $86,522 (midpoint) to $99,501 (max) per annum, based on 1.0 FTE. Interior Health typically establishes salaries within the minimum and midpoint of the salary range based on qualifications, experience of the applicant, and an internal equity review of the salaries of other employees.

How will you create an impact?

In accordance with the established vision and values of the organization, the Indigenous Patient Navigator (IPN) works as part of the Interdisciplinary Care Team and as required, acts as a resource for both Indigenous clients and healthcare providers to ensure the provision of care is culturally safe and client centered. The IPN works with Indigenous people located in the assigned Interior Health (IH) service area across varying sectors of health (e.g., acute care, residential services, mental health, public health, and home health services), depending on the local service area.

What will you work on:

• Provides consultative and navigational services for health professionals, the community, and clients to understand and identify client needs by supporting cultural interpretation and/or health literacy translation services and by supporting culturally competent practice (e.g., access, system barriers, and navigation challenges).
• Provides support and acts as a resource, as required, for healthcare providers, including primary healthcare physicians, regarding the provision of culturally safe care. Coordinates client/family spiritual care requests and/or access to sacred spaces within the healthcare system to support Indigenous beliefs and customs. Coordinates and provides community resources and connections to Indigenous spiritual services as required.
• Provides client support services within the hospital care system/community by initiating and maintaining working relationships with Indigenous clients to assess their needs and ability to access and receive culturally safe care. Supports clients, as requested in the assigned service area, to understand, access, and navigate acute care, home health, community, mental health, addictions, chronic disease, and public health services. Assists clients in addressing their concerns by linking with the IH complaint process.
• At the client or healthcare provider’s request, the IPN provides client support services related to discharge planning by participating in the discharge planning process, including assisting in the early identification and assessment of clients’ needs and liaising with the appropriate community and IH program and services (e.g., mental health, addictions, and/or other IPN or community resources).
• Provides client-specific navigation of services for Indigenous clients in conjunction with an interdisciplinary team that may include such work as attending bed meetings, supporting staff with client/family culturally safe needs assessment, checking for referrals, and attending health-related service rounds. As required, coordinates client referrals to and from interagency, Indigenous communities, urban Indigenous organizations, and other health programs and services.
• Provides a link between Indigenous communities and IH healthcare providers and supports Indigenous peoples’ understanding of the provincial healthcare system, the First Nations Health Authority, and federal healthcare systems where applicable. Provides information regarding the provision of and access to healthcare programs and services to Indigenous clients, families, and communities.
• Supports connection to community services such as Indigenous translators.
• Coordinates client-specific meetings between the inter-professional team, including Indigenous healthcare providers, to address concerns or system barriers that arise.
• Maintains and updates appropriate documentation and records related to the provision of client care. Completes summary and statistical casework information as required.
• Attends regularly scheduled meetings with Managers and Administrators and monthly IPN teleconference calls. Charts client referrals, receives and documents referrals from home health and community service organizations, and travels as required.
• In alignment with IH’s Occupational Health & Safety Program, employees shall adhere to all Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures at all times and attend all required training. Employees are responsible to report any identified hazards, unsafe conditions or incidents to the manager or supervisor immediately.
• 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.

Honouring Interior Health’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).

Qualifications

Education, Training, and Experience:

• Lived and living experience as a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit person.
• Demonstrated knowledge of, or commitment to learn, culture, protocols, traditions, and ideology of Indigenous Peoples and organizations in the B.C. Interior. Demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous worldviews and perspectives of health and wellness.
• A degree or diploma in social work, healthcare, or a relevant field (e.g., Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse).
• Two years of related experience working in a healthcare environment.
• Knowledge of federal, provincial, territorial, regional, and Indigenous organizations mandated to provide health services.
• OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Preference will be given to candidates proficient in one or more Indigenous languages.
• Completion of a medical terminology course is an asset.
• A valid BC Driver’s License.