Job Positng – Peer Support Worker – Thompson MB

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak; Thompson; Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. is seeking a Peer Support Worker for the MMOP in Thompson, MB, delivering trauma-informed, culturally safe wellness support to unhoused residents and community members.

You will build trusting relationships, assist with access to primary care, harm reduction, and social supports, while coordinating with nurses, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community partners to promote holistic wellness and Indigenous-centered care.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a high school diploma; a related social services credential preferred.
• Experience in Indigenous spaces and anti-racist practices valued.
• Experience in health, social services, or outreach environments preferred.
• Ability to build respectful relationships with First Nations communities and unhoused individuals.
• Ability to apply harm reduction and abstinence approaches with respect to individuals' choices.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships through culturally safe, non-judgmental support.
• Assist unhoused individuals to access primary care, harm reduction services, and referrals.
• Provide listening, navigation, warm referrals, and accompaniment as needed.
• Support harm reduction initiatives with dignity and respect.
• Organize medicines, cultural materials, and safe spaces for circles and ceremonies.
• Support workshops, outreach events, and community wellness activities.
• Collaborate with nurses, social workers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and partners.
• Maintain welcoming, stigma-free environments and manage logistics.
• Complete scheduling, data entry, and basic admin tasks.
• Participate in team planning and continuous improvement activities.

Skills

Trauma-informed care

Culturally safe practice

Harm reduction

Community outreach

Relationship building

Cultural awareness

Education

High school diploma

Community service worker diploma (preferred)

Job description

Hybrid – Thompson, Manitoba, with travel to surrounding First Nation communities

Salary range: $65,000 to $75,000 annually, plus comprehensive benefits and pension

The K.I.M. team invites applicants to apply for the following exciting opportunity!

Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. is a First Nations-led health transformation organization supporting northern Manitoba First Nations in achieving health sovereignty, improving access to care, addressing gaps in services, and creating racism-free, equitable and culturally safe health systems.

The Minoayawin Mobile Outreach Program (MMOP) provides a bundle of low- to no-barrier services to unhoused residents of Thompson and surrounding First Nation communities. MMOP supports access to trauma-informed health care, Indigenous harm reduction, Elder-led cultural care, outreach services, clinic-based supports, and specialized wellness programming in ways that give equal validity to Indigenous and Western knowledge bases and practices.

Reporting to the Program Lead, Minoayawin Mobile Outreach Program, the Peer Support Worker provides culturally grounded, anti-Indigenous-racism-free, trauma-informed, and relationship-based wellness support to members accessing MMOP services. The role supports members through community outreach, clinic-based services, and community programming by helping create safe and welcoming spaces, offering practical supports and a listening ear, assisting members to access care and referrals, supporting harm reduction and everyday health needs, and helping facilitate Elder-led, Knowledge Keeper-led, and community wellness activities.

Qualified First Nation candidates will be given preference.

The Peer Support Worker will be responsible to:

• Build trusting, respectful relationships with members by providing culturally safe, kind, practical, and non-judgmental support through community outreach and clinic-based settings.
• Support members who are unhoused or experiencing barriers to care by helping them access primary care, harm reduction services, counselling, social work, cultural care, referral pathways, everyday essentials, and other wellness supports.
• Provide immediate, relationship-based support, including listening, navigation, warm referrals, accompaniment where appropriate, and connection to internal and external resources.
• Assist with harm reduction initiatives, including distribution of supplies, education, and support rooted in dignity, choice, and respect.
• Support Elder-led and Knowledge Keeper-led cultural care by preparing, caring for, and organizing medicines, cultural materials, supplies, and safe spaces for circles, ceremony, and community wellness activities.
• Assist with workshops, group sessions, focused health days, outreach events, community gatherings, and other programming that promotes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness.
• Work collaboratively with nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, social workers, counsellors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community partners to support continuity of care.
• Help maintain welcoming, safe, and stigma-free service environments by supporting supplies, set-up, clean-up, food preparation, member flow, and respectful communication.
• Complete basic administrative and program support duties, including scheduling support, data entry, documentation, maintaining supply lists, and supporting team communications.
• Participate in team meetings, planning discussions, debriefs, training, and continuous improvement activities that strengthen MMOP’s low-barrier, culturally safe, and community-responsive approach.

The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Minimum of a high school diploma. A community service worker diploma or equivalent education in social services, community health, Indigenous studies, or a related field is preferred.
• Equivalent learning, lived experience, and experience working in Indigenous racism-free spaces and relationships will be considered and are valued.
• Experience in a health, social service, outreach, housing, harm reduction, community services, or First Nation community-based environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build respectful relationships with First Nations community members, people who are unhoused, people who use substances, and people experiencing mental wellness or social challenges.
• Ability to apply both abstinence-based and harm reduction approaches while respecting members’ choices, readiness, dignity, and self-determination.
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally safe, trauma-informed, member-centered, strength-based, harm reduction, recovery-oriented, and anti-oppressive practices.
• Knowledge of First Nations peoples, cultures, histories, strengths, and the impacts of colonialism, intergenerational trauma, systemic barriers, and Indigenous-specific racism is desired.
• Experience supporting Elders, Knowledge Keepers, ceremonies, land-based programming, circles, cultural activities, or community wellness programming is an asset.
• Experience facilitating or co-facilitating group sessions, workshops, community events, or wellness activities is desired.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviours using calm, respectful, trauma-informed, and non-violent crisis intervention approaches. Training in this area is considered an asset.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, organization, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and with community partners.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, email, spreadsheets, social media, video conferencing, data entry, and electronic records or program databases is an asset.
• The ability to speak one of the northern First Nations languages is desirable.
• Preference may be given to candidates with roots in a northern First Nation community.

The following are considered conditions of employment:

• Ability to travel on occasion as a MMOP team member to First Nations surrounding Thompson, MB, by air, land, and boat.
• Must be able to safely lift and carry up to 50 pounds and be comfortable walking in increments of up to 20 minutes while supporting outreach activities.
• Satisfactory criminal record, vulnerable sector, and child abuse registry checks will be required.
• Must be able to work some evenings per month for outings and events based on programming needs.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Class 5 driver’s licence.
• Must be eligible to work in Canada.