Indigenous Community Health Worker

  • CompanyUniversity Health Network
  • Job TypeHealth
  • Required ExperienceAt minimum, 4 years practical and related experience, and/or on the job training
  • Job TypeFull Time
  • Education / CredentialsCompletion of a 2 year college program or relevant health or social work field
  • ResumeRequired
  • Cover LetterRequired
  • Application Deadline02/11/2024

Job Description

Indigenous Community Health Worker – Toronto, Ontario

Indigenous Community Health Worker

Job Posting #: 928325
Site: UHN
Department: Indigenous Health Program and Social Medicine & Population Health
Reports to: Operations & Program Manager, Indigenous Health Program
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: To commensurate with experience and consistent with UHN compensation policy
Status: Permanent Full-Time
Posted Date: January 26, 2024
Closing Date: February 11, 2024

The University Health Network is committed to high quality and equitable care for all patients. UHN recognizes the significant barriers to accessing care that continue to exist for Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and is committed to addressing these gaps by advocating for culturally safe, high quality, trauma-informed care that is free of racism and discrimination for all Indigenous patients. It is also committed to supporting the well-being of Indigenous staff, learners, and health care providers so that they can learn and work in an environment that respects and values their Indigenous identities.

Position Summary

The Indigenous CHW will work at UHN and in community settings to provide direct 1:1 support to Indigenous patients/clients through the collaborative coordination of health and social services. Patients/clients will be connected with the Indigenous CHW who will develop a comprehensive plan to address their medical and social needs, including navigation support, advocacy, and referral to community services.

In addition, the Indigenous CHW will provide support to the Indigenous Health Program and UHN Social Medicine and Population Health Program to inform program development and role refinement; build, grow, strengthen, and sustain relationships with community partners; and advocate for the needs of Indigenous clients.

This position recognizes the University Health Network’s commitment to health equity, to create a culturally safe institution for structurally marginalized people, and to educating future health care providers about health equity.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis persons are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties

Support for UHN’s most medically and socially complex patients/clients

  • Finding appropriate community & clinical supports for individual clients
  • Provide information, advocacy, supports, and coordination of health and social services, as well as strengthening and supporting the communication and connection between patients/clients, UHN, and community
  • Facilitate requests for access to Indigenous ceremonies and medicines
  • Facilitate connections with family, Elders, Traditional Healers and other community supports
  • Participate in care coordination discussions and client debriefs as required
  • Build trust with, and advocate for patients/clients and family/significant others
  • Build comprehensive care plan to address complex health and social needs, and facilitate ongoing connections to community services
  • Follow up with clients and health care team to ensure relevance and desired impact of coordinated social and health care supports and refine care plan as needed
  • Support the development of data collection and tracking initiatives to better understand the experiences and outcomes for medically and socially complex patients/clients and their families, and adhere to reporting mechanisms (workload statistics, volumes, referrals, types of needs identified, etc.,)
  • Problem solve to overcome barriers, challenges, and/or needs of clients within an interdisciplinary team

Relationship Building

  • Build, grow, strengthen, and sustain relationships with the community organizations
  • Support the development and linkages of UHN institutional partners and the UHN Indigenous Health and Social Medicine Teams.

Program Development and Support

  • Help to create a screening, intake, and referral process and recommend ways to increase awareness and access to Social Medicine and Indigenous Health supports
  • Identify gaps or barriers to care for marginalized clients within existing departmental and organizational policies
  • Support the development and/or revision of policies, procedures, and/or best practices targeted towards improving the wellbeing and safety of UHN’s most medically and socially complex patients/clients
  • Support the development, design, implementation, and evaluation of the program, which is rooted in Health Equity.
  • Participate in team meetings, conferences, debriefs, committees, events, workshops, etc., and provide administrative supports as required
  • Assist with development, dissemination and posting of communication materials related to resources and supports for patients/clients with the highest needs, their families, and staff

Supports to staff and learners

  • Act as a resource for staff regarding the needs of UHN’s most medically and socially complex patients/clients, their families, and communities
  • Provide monitoring, oversight, and advocacy related to the quality and equity of services being offered by providers, staff, and learners for highest needs patients/clients and their families
  • Support access to educational opportunities related to heath equity, anti-racist, and anti-discriminatory practice and trauma-informed care
  • Works in compliance of the Occupational Health & Safety Act and its regulations, reporting hazards, deficiencies, and contraventions of the Act, in a timely manner.

Performs cross-functional and/or other duties consistent with the job classification, as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

  • Completion of a 2 year college program or relevant health or social work field or recognized equivalent of lived or work experience
  • At minimum, 4 years practical and related experience, and/or on the job training
  • Strong knowledge of, and familiarity with, community resources to address the health needs of Indigenous peoples and the social determinants of health, including housing, poverty, and food insecurity
  • Dynamic knowledge of community engagement principles
  • Dynamic knowledge of Indigenous Nations, community engagement and cultural protocols
  • Experience building and nurturing relationships with Indigenous communities, leaders, Elders, Healers, language speakers and Knowledge holders
  • Experience with the provision of trauma-informed care and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practices
  • Strong understanding of acute care setting and ability to navigate hospital systems an asset
  • Well-developed decision-making, problem-solving, and judgement skills
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Well-developed public speaking abilities
  • Fluency in an Indigenous language (written and/or verbal) an asset
  • Facilitation and/or teaching experience
  • Experience in program development and implementation
  • Experience in program evaluation and data collection
  • Proven ability to work as a team member and independently
  • Ability to have and use diplomacy and tact at all times

Professional Affiliations/Memberships

• Member in good standing with professional college (if applicable)

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

  • Competitive offer packages
  • Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
  • Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
  • A flexible work environment
  • Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
  • Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN’s attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

Vaccines (COVID and others) are a requirement of the job unless you have an exemption on a medical ground pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code.

UHN is a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance. Any information received related to an accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

University Health Network thanks all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

UHN: Careers at UHN: Job Description (recruitingsite.com)