Indigenous Wellness Specialist FHT

 Unity Health Toronto is working toward making transformative changes in its relationship with Indigenous peoples, and in improvements to health care and care experiences for Indigenous peoples at each of its sites. In order to continue building its capabilities to participate in reconciliation and advancing wellness of Indigenous peoples, Unity Health will be hiring a temporary full-time Indigenous Wellness Specialist-Family Health Team.

 Working as a member of the Unity Health Indigenous care team, the position will be embedded in the SMH Academic Family Health Team, which is part of the Unity Health Primary and Community Care Program is focused on providing comprehensive primary care to more than 45,000 patients. The Wellness Specialist will assist Indigenous individuals and families in becoming attached to primary care at the SMH FHT, navigating appointments, finding appropriate information, resources and referrals to programs and services and/or case management in community. This will include ongoing liaison with FNIM service organizations, direct outreach support for individual service users and their families.

 The Indigenous Wellness Specialist-FHT acts as a community-focused liaison, facilitating connections between Indigenous patients and primary care providers and community programs and services. The role provides intake assessments, information and referral, navigation via the FHT and offering cultural and spiritual support and connection with the Indigenous wellness team members at Unity Health Toronto hospital sites.

 Responsibilities:

 • Conduct initial screening and intake assessments for new patients referred to the FHT

• Assess patient needs using culturally-safe methods and anti-oppression frameworks

• Identify urgent situations requiring crisis intervention or referrals

• Obtain consents, complete intake forms, book appointments with care team

• Document and maintain Indigenous client lists conduct follow-up with patients

• Provide orientation on available services, programs, and expectations of new patients

• Identify and coordinate referrals to appropriate community resources and services

• Accompany patients to appointments and community programming events, provide navigation support as needed

• Act as an advocate on behalf of the Indigenous patients when deemed necessary;

• Follow up on referrals and collaborate with community partners

• Establishes and maintains therapeutic rapport with Indigenous clients to facilitate positive navigation between home and community and the FHT and other Unity Health services, including the Primary Care Teams, Emergency Department, In-Patient wards, Specialist Clinics, Laboratory and Medical Imaging and other relevant hospitals services and programs.

• Work with the Indigenous care team and UHT clinical leads as needed

• Engagement, liaison, and collaboration with health and social service organizations serving FNIM people

• Develop partnerships with FNIM community agencies and the DEOHT partners including developing, implementing and improving primary care referral pathways

• Provides outreach support to clients to support their access to resources and connect them with agencies and culturally safe health care providers

• Provides outreach services to FNIM clients who are unwilling or unable to attend office based appointments in a way which reflects policy on personal safety.

• Participates in UHT Indigenous wellness events and community engagements by representing the SMH FHT

• Participate in community events and meetings to build relationships with partners

• Attend relevant stakeholder meetings and follow-up on action items

• Support environmental scans and other external community consultations

• Planning and coordination of Indigenous specific cultural/ educational resources for the SMH FHT leveraged through the OIWRP.

• Document patient encounters, maintain records, collect data related to evaluation metrics (TBD)

• Provide input on policies, procedures, and programs

• Participate in team meetings and internal working group meetings

• Participates in interdisciplinary and/or inter-agency client care meetings when requested by either the client or healthcare team

• Records all client interactions in a respectful and accurate manner that reflects Indigenous community requirements and protocols, Unity health organizational protocols and established regulatory practices;

• Works with Director of Indigenous Health, community committees and representatives of the FHT to develop community approved data collection and implementation processes which contribute to the development and implementation of system level Indigenous care innovations that are harmonized with the FHT Strategic Plan and UHT’s Indigenous Health Strategic Plan.

 Knowledge & Skills:

 • Indigenous identity with existing ties to local and regional communities and Nations would be considered an asset

• College certificate, undergraduate degree in relevant health or social services field or equivalent relevant work/life experience

• 2 years’ experience working with Indigenous community-based services

• Social Services education at the Community College level, Health Promotion and/or Public Health education is an asset

• Lived experience of social marginalization(those with lived experience of being marginalized by poverty and discrimination are encouraged to apply)

• Experience in engaging Indigenous people facing significant barriers to accessing health, social services and housing

• An ability to respectfully and meaningfully engage clients experiencing homelessness; demonstrated understanding of the unique issues and barriers facing the Indigenous population

• Demonstrated and exceptional ability to engage and build relationships with diversity of FNIM individuals and agencies in a respectful and strength-based manner

• Strong knowledge of local community resources and past advocacy experience preferred

• Experience and skill in engaging with non-Indigenous service institutions and health care providers and encouraging them to uphold their roles and responsibilities with respect to caring for FNIM peoples

• Demonstrates an understanding of the intersections between trauma, determinants of health and issues around homelessness, mental health and substance use able to communicate with clients in a professional, empathetic and culturally safe manner

• Ability to work within an anti-oppression & trauma informed framework;

• An ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team;

• Ability to work flexible hours as needed to meet the needs of patients

• Ability to manage challenging encounters and de-escalate situations, formal training is an asset

• Comfortable working with clients in diverse external locations, and familiarity with St. James Town, Moss Park and Regent Park

• Strong organizational, coordination and administrative skills; specifically Microsoft Office, Outlook and a comfort using electronic charting records

• Knowledge of addictions treatment modalities an asset

 Qualifications:

 • Lived Experience - Indigenous person; social marginalization

• Regulated Health Professional (i.e. CNO, MRTO)

• Certification – (Sanyas, Crisis intervention/De-escalation, Trauma Informed, Anti-oppressive)

• Intermediate - De-escalation techniques

• Advanced Cultural safety practices

• Advanced Community Outreach and engagement

• Advanced cultural and ceremonial understanding

• Basic electronic medical records

Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process.

 When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist or the Hiring Manager, and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.