Indigenous Peer Support Worker

Interior Health Authority; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A regional health organization in Canada is looking for an Indigenous Peer Support Worker to provide culturally relevant support to Indigenous individuals. This part-time role focuses on mental health and wellness by utilizing lived experience and cultural knowledge. You will engage with clients to help them navigate resources, offer advocacy, and promote a safe and welcoming environment. If you have a passion for empowering others and improving community health, apply now.

Benefits

Employer paid training/education

Extended Health & Dental coverage

Work-life balance

Ceremonial, Cultural, Spiritual Leave

Qualifications

• Experience with mental health and/or substance use support.
• Ability to engage with cultural supports and wellness practices.
• Knowledge of healthcare services relevant to Indigenous communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer support and advocacy for Indigenous individuals.
• Engage in holistic, culturally relevant care planning.
• Facilitate connections to traditional healing practices and resources.

Skills

Cultural knowledge

Lived experience in mental health/support

Communication skills

Community engagement

Advocacy skills

Job description

Are you someone who carries the strength of your community and a passion for walking alongside others on their healing journey? We are seeking an Indigenous Peer Support Worker who brings lived experience, cultural knowledge, and a heart for supporting wellness in ways that honour Indigenous identity. In this role, you’ll help create safe, welcoming spaces rooted in connection, respect, and traditional ways of knowing and being. If you’re ready to uplift others through shared experience and community centered support, we encourage you to apply.

This part time role works Tuesday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:00, based out of the Kelowna Foundry & Community Health Services Centre.

What We Offer

• Employee & Family Assistance Programs
• Employer paid training/education opportunities
• 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

How will you create an impact?

The Indigenous Peer Support Worker (IPSW) uses their own lived experience with mental health and/or substance use, wellness planning, and knowledge of healthcare services to assist Indigenous individuals requesting cultural supports as part of their care. The IPSW identifies themselves as a Peer and works in partnership with the person and the MHSU team to provide and inform holistic, culturally relevant, wellness-focused care. The IPSW works in collaboration with the MHSU team and community partners so that the person’s self-identified goals for wellness are supported and consistent with the values of self-determination, choice and harm reduction.

The IPSW supports individuals to connect with resources and explore various forms of skill building, incorporating Indigenous ways of being and knowing to improve relationships with self, family and community. The IPSW demonstrates how lived experience can strengthen and guide the individual throughout their wellness journey. Where requested by the person, the IPSW directly provides, or provides access to cultural practices and traditional medicine. The role collaborates with Elders, Traditional Healers and Knowledge Keepers to share language, history, ceremony and protocols as well as stories of resiliency and celebration.

What Will You Work On

• Participates in collaborative, person-directed care planning with the client and the healthcare team by contributing lived-experience insights, helping to identify client strengths and goals, and supporting the team in determining appropriate support programs as needed.
• Develops reciprocal relationships based on mutual respect with the person, family members, other identified supports, Elders, Traditional Healers and/or Knowledge Keepers.
• Contributes to the care-planning process by offering recommendations grounded in lived and living experience. In coordination with the care team, identifies aspects of the care plan that can be strengthened through peer-informed perspectives. Ensures the client’s voice, goals, strengths, cultural identity, and choices are centered throughout the planning process. Uses culturally relevant, person-preferred approaches—such as the Medicine Wheel or other Indigenous wellness frameworks—to support the individual in sharing their experiences and priorities. Engages the individual, identified family members and personal networks in conversations to explore culture as it relates to personal, cultural and spiritual identity.
• Provides supportive counselling including Peer support (social, emotional, appraisal and practical support), follow the established goals as outlined by the care team, determines the tasks and activities that will support goal‑achievement in consultation with the client and care team.
• Supports, coaches and assists clients to advocate for themselves. Assists clients with making informed decisions and problem solving, attending appointments and supports clients in communicating their needs in a variety of settings (i.e., employment settings, housing and community resources).
• Maintains an awareness of current community resources related to cultural supports, wellness and harm reduction, with particular attention to resources developed and led by Indigenous organizations. Assists the person to navigate, access, create connections, and support ongoing involvement as required.
• Engages the person in cultural supports that promote health and healing in a safe and supportive manner by:
  • Coordinating access to cultural resources (including language, ceremony, land‑based healing and traditional medicine) when requested by the person, and in collaboration with traditional practitioners including Elders, Traditional Healers and Knowledge Keepers;
  • Providing and coordinating individual and group activities that honor Indigenous identity and spirituality (may include story‑telling, talking circles);
  • Incorporating cultural initiatives into program areas where able to (i.e., traditional meal preparation).
• Assists the person towards self‑managing all aspects of their wellness, including cultural identity, mental health, substance use and other health conditions by such methods as sharing information and lived experience perspective, linkages with community supports and advocacy groups, and practical problem solving.
• Identifies potential emergency situations and communicates with the care team so short‑term strategies can be developed to address and reduce harm including actions such as responding to overdose, using first aid and assisting the individual to access drug checking and overdose prevention services.
• Provides input and feedback regarding the person’s expectations for services to the team; provides input into all areas of the person’s care plan; shares information with team members regarding cultural considerations for individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance use concerns; provides additional context specific to resistance to oppressive systems (colonization, racism).
• Supports the creation of culturally welcoming environments informed by recommendations from individuals accessing services, Indigenous organizations, Elders and Knowledge Keepers; may include recommendations for physical environments (i.e., spaces for cultural activities), emotional environments (i.e., friendly reception, support navigating space), and spiritual environments (i.e., opportunities to participate in ceremony, smudge meeting spaces). Maintains any necessary resources and supplies.
• Connects and collaborates with Peers locally and regionally, as well as Interior Health’s Indigenous Mental Wellness Team.
• Prepares and maintains written and computerized records and completes other program documentation, including progress notes and incident reports.
• Provides medication support to individuals, including providing reminders and encouragement to take medications as prescribed.
• Participates in planning by providing input in staff meetings, quality improvement initiatives, committees and in‑services.
• 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.

Apply today!

Pursuant to section 41 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to applicants of Indigenous Ancestry. Applicants should include First Nation, Metis and/or Inuit Self Identification within their resume and/or cover letter.