Indigenous Child and Youth with Special Needs Family Support Worker

Reports to Family Development Program Manager

About Us:

The Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA) is a rapidly growing Indigenous community-based organization, serving BC's largest urban Indigenous population of children, youth, families & Elders. Our Vision is to build a community of strong, healthy, successful Indigenous people connected to each other and to their roots by fostering their health & well-being through culturally relevant services, support, and advocacy.

Why FRAFCA:

• Opportunity to work alongside cultural knowledge keepers & Elders;
• Holistic, culturally safe, approaches to serving our clients and community;
• Freedom to share and observe own cultural practices (i.e. smudging in the office);
• Offices located along main transportation routes; main office by the Skytrain Station;
• Extended Health Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Travel) and Employee Assistance Plan after the 3-month probationary period;
• 10 annual paid sick/personal leave days;
• Paid vacation days (up to 25 days based on years of service);
• Parking available on site.

Indigenous Child and Youth with Special Needs (ICYSN) Family Support Worker Position Summary:

The ICYSN Support Worker aims to enhance and maintain the stability of Indigenous families, using a cultural safety framework and working from a family-centred approach. The ICYSN Support Worker addresses social factors and cultural norms that can impact a family's ability to understand their child's enhanced support needs and to access needed services and supports. The ICYSN Family Support Worker will support Indigenous families, whose child/youth has been assigned a CYSN Social Worker, to access programs, resources, and funding for which they may be eligible and to help identify and overcome barriers to receive community support services. This is primarily an outreach-based position that will work with families in their homes and in their identified communities. The ICYSN Family Support program will offer wraparound support for children with support needs and their families. The ICYSN Family Support Worker will work with children and youth ages 6-19, and their families by assisting them with the planning process, providing information and advice on service access and availability, coordinating referrals to other agencies, and ensuring that services are delivered in a proactive, responsive, and culturally appropriate manner.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supporting Families to access programs, resources and funding for which they may be eligible.
• Community outreach with families, including transporting to and from appointments.
• Weekly parenting groups that focus on bonding, support, mutual aid, skill-development, cultural teachings and practices, skill development and education opportunities.
• Shopping and planning for groups and program needs.
• Develop and keep stocked a sensory and resource library.
• Cultural activities for children and families.
• Liaise with stakeholders, funders and community networks on behalf of the families.
• Integrating Indigenous culture and ways of being into all interactions with families and professionals, including traditional practices, ceremony and teachings.
• Following working procedures for referrals, intakes and reporting;
• Maintaining knowledge about Ministry Programs (AIDP, ASCD, EIT, SAT, complex behaviour key workers) and CYSN programs;
• Empowering parents to participate in planning and decisions about their child;
• Assisting parents to coordinate services and access resources;
• Participating in integrated case management;
• Developing and maintaining family-centred partnerships with parents, community professionals and agency staff;
• Accompanying family to appointments as required and assisting with coordinating family transportation to appointments;
• Assisting families with completing forms and gathering required documentation;
• Collecting and maintaining relevant data required for reporting on services delivered;
• Helping families apply for funding and assisting them in finding and hiring autism professionals.
• Providing information and system navigation support to the families of eligible children to understand service and support eligibility requirements and timelines and find out outcomes of service and support decisions;
• Supporting families with planning by understanding the needs, strengths, preferences and goals of the child and the family, and providing recommendations to address barriers;
• Building family capacity by supporting the development of personal connections, personal support networks and community connections;
• Educating families about community resources and referring families to appropriate programs and supports;
• Working with other community resources and professionals to ensure an integrated approach and utilization of resources;
• Encouraging and facilitating ongoing engagement with existing services and supports;
• Monthly reporting of progress and challenges to the appropriate CYSN Social Worker.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in human service. Bachelor's degree in a related field is a plus.
• Prior experience working with Indigenous communities.
• One year of related experience working with children and youth with special needs.
• Knowledge of community serving agencies and support in the Service delivery area.
• Demonstrated knowledge of special needs, specifically Autism, Developmental and intellectual disabilities.
• Physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of performing the duties.
• Maintain a clean criminal record check and vulnerable sector.
• Must adhere to the organization's health and wellness plan.

Key Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the diversity of Indigenous cultures, identities, and lived history.
• Appropriate training and qualifications required to deliver the program services as appropriate, such as:
• The particular needs of children and youth with special needs.
• Trauma-Informed practice;
• Participation in community of practice panels;
• Ability to maintain strong and positive stakeholder relations and excellent interpersonal abilities.
• Intent to contribute back to the community and passionate about community care.
• Substantial communication skills to function efficiently at the job role.
• Is proactive, a problem solver and can quickly gain trust of people living on the streets.
• Be organized and pay attention to detail.
• Understand the impacts of trauma, poverty and marginalization and keen to contribute to the team for betterment of the situation.
• Experience in collaborating with multi-disciplinary, front-line teams.
• Knowledge of Indigenous communities, organizations, and service providers within the Fraser Valley.
• Knowledge of intergenerational impacts of residential school and colonization on the individual.
• Driver's License (working one day a week from MCFD office).
• Competent use of Microsoft Office suite (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

How to Apply:

Apply online at https://frafca.org/careers/careers/ OR submit your resume and cover letter at: A101-10095 Whalley Boulevard, Surrey, BC V3T 4G1.

We thank all applicants, but only those selected for interview will be contacted. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Open until suitable candidate is found.

Pursuant to S. 41 of the BC Human Rights code, preference may be given to Aboriginal Applicants. We are committed to the National Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. FRAFCA is engaged primarily in promoting or serving the interests of Indigenous peoples, FRAFCA prioritizes employment to Indigenous peoples. Preference will be given to Indigenous applicants, unless that preference or employment would constitute a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act.