Lead - Harm Reduction

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority; Sioux Lookout; On-site; CAD 69,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority seeks a Lead – Harm Reduction to support communities in prioritizing needs and developing strategies addressing substance use and mental health. The role collaborates with Harm Reduction and Approaches to Community Wellbeing teams to support the full spectrum of harm reduction approaches.

The Lead is accountable to the Manager - Harm Reduction, requiring strong engagement, leadership, cultural safety, and the ability to travel to remote communities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a health-related field or an acceptable combination of experience/education.
• Minimum of three (3) years direct service experience in substance use and addictions.
• Knowledge of First Nations cultural teachings and values in the Sioux Lookout area.
• Knowledgeable about substance use topics and treatments.
• Ability to apply child and adult learning principles to share knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Harm Reduction team in prioritizing needs and developing strategies.
• Plan and facilitate trainings, workshops, and events on related topics.
• Develop information resources with community workers and share knowledge.
• Build and maintain networks of community-based workers and Suboxone program staff.
• Advocate for changes to laws and policies to support harm reduction.

Skills

First Nations cultural knowledge

Ojibwe/Cree dialect familiarity

Three+ years direct service

Cultural safety

Suboxone program knowledge

Leadership and engagement

Confidentiality

Communication

Planning and organization

Problem solving

Decision making

Travel to remote communities

Driver’s license

Networking

Facilitation

Training delivery

Resource development

Aftercare programming

Grant writing

Community support

Stakeholder management

Outreach

Advocacy

Listening

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work or health-related field

Job description

Description

Salary: $68,778 - $100,438 per annum

Posting Type:This job posting is for a vacant position.

Closing Date:October 27, 2026 @ 8:30a.m. CST

Position Summary

The Lead – Harm Reduction supports communities in prioritizing needs and developing strategies to address substance use and mental health issues. The Lead - Harm Reduction works along with other members of the Harm Reduction team and other Approaches to Community Wellbeing teams to support the full spectrum of harm reduction approaches

Accountability

The Lead - Harm Reductionis directly accountable to theManager - Harm Reduction.

Qualifications

• Persons of First Nations ancestry will be given preference (OHRC, Part II, Special Employment).
• Familiarity with speaking in an Ojibwe, Anisininew, and/or Cree dialect is an asset
• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a health-related field or a combination of experience/education deemed acceptable by SLFNHA
• Minimum of three (3) years of direct service in the substance use and addictions field or related area or a combination of experience/education deemed acceptable by SLFNHA
• Knowledge of cultural teachings and values of First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout area
• Knowledgeable about a range of topics related to substance use (e.g., substance use disorders, dependence, theories, treatment models, prescription drug misuse symptoms and effects, concurrent mental health issues, counselling approaches, etc.)
• Ability to apply child and adult learning principles to effectively share knowledge
• Knowledgeable of the root causes of disruption to wellness, mental health difficulties, and substance use among First Nations peoples (e.g., racist and colonial policies and trauma); and ability to develop culturally safe program/service approaches
• Familiarity with the management of opioid addiction through use of Suboxone from induction through to stabilization and then maintenance
• Excellent engagement and leadership skills to facilitate group dialogue and program development
• Professional integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality
• Excellent computer, written, communication, and assessment skills
• Excellent planning, organizational, problem solving, and decision-making skills
• Ability to travel to remote First Nations communities regularly
• Valid Class G driver’s license
• Ability to perform requirements of the role on a regular basis
• Develops and maintains a network of community-based workers supporting substance use programming, including Suboxone program coordinators, harm reduction program staff, and NNADAP workers;
• Maintains communication with community-based workers to understand the substance use programming around substance use in the community, including service utilization and demands;
• Organizes and hosts orientations and sharing circles that connect community Suboxone program staff and other substance use workers from across the region and create safe space for knowledge sharing, peer support, celebration, and identifying areas of need;
• Plans and facilitates trainings, workshops and events on related topics or topics identified by community workers (e.g. directly observed therapy (DOT) training; situation de-escalation training; harm reduction strategies, safer substance use, naloxone training);
• Develops information resources with, and for, community-based workers (e.g., new worker manuals, safer substance use information posters, medication dispensing sign-in forms, and others at request of community or as per the need of the department);
• Works with communities to enhance or develop aftercare programming for substance use;
• Supports communities in the development of funding proposals to support their harm reduction programming;
• Develops approaches to supporting community members to live well while on their healing journeys with substance use based on knowledge of communities, cultural teachings, and Western approaches to treating substance use dependence and supporting recovery;
• Builds strong relationships with, and clarifies the roles of, community workers and leaders, Tribal Councils, and other organizations involved in First Nations substance use prevention, healing, and harm reduction;
• Support and increase awareness of the Harm Reduction’s team work and participate in community outreach activities or working groups as necessary
• Guides advocacy work for changes to racist, colonial, and inequitable provincial and federal laws and policies;
• Develops approaches to listening to community members’ experiences with substance use support programs and uses learnings to continuously improve programs/services;
• Work collaboratively with the Harm Reduction team, ACW staff, and SFLNHA to effectively fulfill these responsibilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• Prolonged exposure to computer screens
• Prolonged sitting
• Occasional lifting up to 15 pounds
• Preapproved overtime as required
• Travel into First Nations communities as required