Full-Time Youth Indigenous Wellness Mentors (IYWM)

Tewegan’s Opportunity!

Tewegan is looking for Full-Time Youth Indigenous Wellness Mentors (IYWM) to join our dedicated team. Reporting to the Executive Director – our Mentors work in a shifted rotation for a 24/7 operational setting along with alumni, residents, and their communities as we clear a path forward. Our team reflects the innate value and capacity of Indigenous young women and 2Spirit folk, inclusive of gender fluid and non-binary folk, and all their relations. We work to contribute to ethically grounded rationales, meaningful strategies, relevant information sharing, and consistently proactively engagement as directed by each resident’s purpose orientation plan. IYWMs are responsible for offering accessible engagement, education, advocacy & support with residents in their day-to-day practices. We bolster skills to navigate and establish independence across critical life domains which includes food sovereignty, wealth planning, employment, housing, academic and wellness stabilization activities.

This culturally rooted Life Promotion strives to restore and repair severed connections & relations while we build each other up. Our team walks with Indigenous young folk in resilience-building, centring in the innate capacity and purpose of each young person with dignity as each navigates urban Indigenous realities. Through the lens of Indigenous Harm Reduction, our programs co-create plans while building opportunities for communal engagement with meaningful self-confidence, self-belief and asset building skills. We attend to the ‘Right Now’ opportunities and challenges that residents and alumni navigate daily. We recognize that demonstrating consistency, relentless positive regard, and genuine curiosity while using skilled listening inspires generative experiences with our residents, alumni, and all their relations in our individual practice as helpers.

Tewegan’s mission is to offer Indigenous Young Women and 2S folk (ages 16 to 29 & that are living Indigenous homelessness) a place of welcome through the provision of a 12-bed transitional home while stabilizing their experience of connection in urban indigenous Ottawa. We are committed to nurturing a thriving workplace that builds a generative practice in which each employee can experience self-confidence, growth, and competency in their roles.

Duties & Responsibilities:

●  Welcome, engage & maintain a culturally safe, trauma-informed and co-created rapport with residents, co- workers, and community members in direct service across mediums (social media, phone & in person)

●  De-escalate & create a safe space with residents in distress (ie. building self-regulation strategies when loss or threat of loss is present)

●  Effective prioritizing of in house routines with emergent needs of residents through collaborative engagement & boundary setting strategies;

●  Communicate effectively & updating quickly on the events of the day especially as it relates to practical daily functions (ie. Attending to continuous and informed consent for time-sensitive referral services)

●  To be responsible for learning and generative practice through persistently contribution and collaboration in decision making, advocacy, and engagement in team reviews and practice sessions

●  Complete Mentor Relational Accountability Agreements, Full Time responsibilities, training as directed and quarterly participation in land-based learning activities.

●  Role model & ensure that Indigenous Harm Reduction Plans are co-created and updated with each individual resident consistent with Relational Practice Standards

●  Provide daily support to residents in problem-solving systems navigation & practicing daily life skills

Support Communal Health and Safety, by completing daily in-house care routines and administrative activities;

●  Participate in cultural, social, recreational programming activities with residents, Alumni and community.

●  Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

●  Formal post-secondary education in the area(s) of Native Studies, Social Work, Psychology, and/or related Community or Human Services diploma OR equivalent combination of education and experience

●  A minimum of two years experience working directly with Indigenous young folks and/or working with young folk within a residential setting (excluding group home)

●  Possess a sound knowledge of traditional influences that promote Indigenous wellness with young Indigenous women/Two-Spirited peoples as well as the issues they face

●  Ability to foster and promote programs in a culturally safe trauma-informed engagement with Youth

●  Demonstrated working knowledge of M365/Office applications,

●  Demonstrate capacity to maintain respectful, cooperative working relationships with Indigenous Youth along with their families and communities.

●  Working knowledge of the Child & Family Services Act, the Mental Health Act, a working knowledge of Ontario Works, Homelessness & Housing Sector & Benefits as well as other relevant legislation & service providers

●  Highly effective communication skills both orally and written.

●  Ability to follow direction, deliver programs and work effectively as a team.

●  Maintain strict confidentiality.

●  Strong time management and organizational skills in order to meet deadlines.

●  Must have strong analytical skills, be solutions-oriented & have creative problem-solving skills

●  Ability to work within our framework as it relates to Tewegan policies, SOPs, goals, vision/mission statement & core values

●  Provide an acceptable criminal background check for the Vulnerable Sector

●  Must be able to work a shifted rotation as determined and outlined by the Executive Director (or designate) as required for Essential Services

Preferred Skills & Education

●  Candidates with First Nations, Metis &/or Inuit ancestry and an understanding, practice and share of Indigenous history, culture, traditions, languages, ceremonies, and values are preferred.

●  Certification with CPI, ASIST, MI Advanced, Overdose Recognition & Intervention would be an asset.

●  Candidates without post-secondary education or work experience, but who possess real-world and/or an appropriate combination of life-experience, traditional cultural knowledge and/or academic qualifications will also be eligible for consideration.

●  Be self-directed, industrious, proactive while seeking growth opportunities for co-creation with residents and co-workers.

●  Previous experience with client management data bases

●  Experience in report writing, accurate record keeping, progress tracking & documentation.

How to apply:

Please submit your cover letter and resume by email to: welcome@teweganhousing.ca

Other Details

Depending on what you bring to us, Tewegan will be offering you between $23.45 to $25.45 per hour plus three weeks vacation. Our comprehensive benefits package includes Comprehensive Prescription Drug & Medical, Para Medical & Vision, AD & LTD, with extensive access to full suite & Indigenous specific EAP.

Please be sure that your resume/cover letter clearly outlines your previous education and experience with emphasis on your relevant training within Indigenous communities.

Tewegan strives to employ qualified members of our Indigenous community by providing and supporting employment opportunities. All First Nations, Metis & Inuit are encouraged to self-identify when applying for our exciting opportunities. Tewegan welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request.

The successful candidate must have, or be willing to, obtain a recent Ottawa Police Records Check (Level 3 - Vulnerable Sector) with results that are acceptable to Tewegan as a mandatory condition of employment.

Tewegan requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and proof of vaccination status is a mandatory condition of hire.

This role is an in-person position for Tewegan and is located close to the heart of downtown Ottawa, Ontario.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in Tewegan. Only those that are selected for an interview, will be contacted. Please be advised that the interview process may be a combination of in-person, Zoom and/or other on-line platforms out of respect for others and in adherence with Ottawa Public Health guidelines as we work to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Posting date: 2023 July 17