Indigenous Youth Worker (leave replacement)

Wabano Centre; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 58,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks vacation

Pension plan

Health benefits including wellness

Wellness Spending Account

Employee assistance program

Access to cultural workshops

Job summary

Wabano Centre in Ottawa is seeking a Youth Outreach Worker to support Indigenous youth navigating justice and reintegration resources. The role emphasizes cultural connection, care planning, and advocacy to empower youth in crisis and re-engagement with community programs.

The position is full-time, on-site, with a schedule that includes evenings and one Saturday per month, offering benefits and a supportive multidisciplinary team in a culturally rich environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years experience with Indigenous youth and families
• Experience with youth who have come into conflict with the law
• Experience in creating and implementing care plans with clients
• Knowledge of Ottawa social services
• Established working relationships with local social service agencies
• Experience with Indigenous communities, cultures, traditions and/or community practices
• Experience with youth camps and/or activities

Responsibilities

• Co-create care plans with Indigenous youth and reconnect them to culture
• Advocate for youth within the justice system and support reintegration
• Provide on-site youth support and coordinate with partners and funders
• Support program delivery through culturally rich activities and camps

Skills

Indigenous youth experience

Conflict with the law experience

Care plan development

Cultural connections

Collaboration with social services

Advocacy within justice system

Youth engagement activities

Job description

Leave replacement position until October 2027/ Full time and onsite position

Are you someone who is wanting to support youth who are needing help with justice or are needing extra support?

Are you able to incorporate cultural teachings and help youth in finding their voice and community connection?

Context

Is working with youth your passion? Do you get excited when helping youth turn their lives around? Do you understand youth justice systems and thrive when creating new ways to work with them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this role could be for you.

Wabano has been operating for over 25 years in the Nation’s Capital, and since our inception, we have made youth programming a focus. We now have a bundle of culturally rich programs for Indigenous youth. These programs include afterschool support, cultural experiences for students, outreach to schools, support for youth in conflict with the law and on-the-land camps… just to name a few.

Wabano is now looking for a dynamic individual to work with Indigenous youth who have come into conflict with the law, connecting them to a caring network of support to help transform their lives.

The Role

There is an over-representation of Indigenous youth in the justice system, the youth reintegration and diversion Worker help change this reality. They support Indigenous youth who are in or have come from detention centres, or who have been charged by police for inappropriate behaviour(s). The Youth worker will be closely working with these youth to co-create care plans, re-connect them to culture and advocate for them within the system.

The ideal candidate would have

• Minimum 2 years experience with working with Indigenous youth and their families;
• Experience with working with youth who have come into conflict with the law;
• Experience in creating and implementing care plans with clients;
• Knowledge of Ottawa social services;
• Previous established working relationships with local social service agencies;
• Experience with Indigenous communities, cultures, traditions and/or community practices.
• Experience with Youth camps and/or activities;

Beyond qualifications, we are looking for an individual that is inspired by the work of Indigenous grassroots initiatives and is motivated by finding fun, interactive ways to merge culture into youth activities.

Other Job Requirements

• The youth reintegration and diversion worker maintain not only their own work/life balance, but are also responsive to client needs and partner/funder requirements (i.e. court appearances, committee meetings etc.). As such the working schedule fluctuates week to week. Generally, however, they can expect to work:
  • Regular schedule 9am-5:30pm
  • Some evenings per week 11am – 7:30pm (depending on activities)
  • One Saturday per month (schedule would be revised accordingly)

Range $58,000 – $62,000 per year + Benefits

Why work at Wabano

Wabano has worked hard to be accredited; meaning we have ways of doing things (established policies and procedures) that make for a great working environment.

Our staff team:

• Comes to work each day in a stunning building with Indigenous art and architecture all around
• Is given 4 weeks’ vacation every year
• Has a pension plan, which means that you can start saving for retirement with Wabano’s help
• Has free health benefits. This includes things like massage, dentist, chiropractor, eyeglasses, and more. And Critical Illness Coverage as well as a Wellness Spending Account (renewed on an annual basis)
• Has access to an employee and family assistance program. This means that there are therapists and other professionals (like lawyers) ready to help you 24-7.
• Meets cool people. Wabano is known for our stellar cultural workshops and symposiums that host guests of all kinds: Elders, traditional knowledge keepers, celebrities, musicians. Staff have access to all of them and often to additional employee-specific training.
• Is a multidisciplinary team. We have seniors’ workers, housing workers, doctors, nurses, therapists… so you are not supporting clients on your own. We can provide clients a compete circle of care right on site.

Wabano is a place where people grow their careers. Why not let Wabano be part of your unique career development?

First Nations, Inuit or Métis candidates will be given priority, please self-identify.

Wabano is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.

Preference will be given to candidates of Indigenous ancestry (please self-identify in your application).

Wabano is dedicated to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity or interview, please let us know if you require accommodation.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Successful applicants will be required to provide a criminal reference check to work with a vulnerable population.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. All applications are reviewed by our hiring team; Wabano does not use artificial intelligence tools or artificial intelligence-enabled applications to screen or select candidates.

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