The Indigenous Support Worker provides culturally safe, trauma-informed, and relationship-based support to Indigenous women residing in a recovery house. The position supports women as they work toward healing, wellness, recovery, stability, and greater connection to themselves, their families, communities, cultures, and traditional ways of knowing.

The Support Worker recognizes that trauma, substance use, homelessness, mental health challenges, poverty, violence, and involvement with social systems can be interconnected. The role is grounded in compassion, dignity, harm reduction, cultural humility, and respect for each woman’s individual healing journey.

The successful candidate will help create a safe, welcoming, non-judgmental home setting where residents are supported to develop strengths, build life skills, access services, and participate in cultural and community-based healing opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Resident Support

● Build trusting, respectful relationships with residents through a trauma-informed and culturally safe approach.

● Provide emotional support, encouragement, active listening, and practical assistance.

● Support residents in identifying personal goals related to recovery, wellness, housing, relationships, education, employment, and community connection.

● Assist residents in developing daily living skills, routines, coping strategies, and healthy relationships.

● Support residents during periods of emotional distress, substance-use challenges, or other crises in accordance with organizational policies.

● Promote harm reduction, personal safety, and wellness.

● Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while creating a warm and supportive home workplace.

● Respect each woman’s autonomy, choices, identity, privacy, and pace of healing.

Indigenous Cultural Support

● Help create an environment that honours Indigenous identity, culture, traditions, spirituality, language, family, and community.

● Support opportunities for residents to connect with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, cultural workers, traditional healers, community organizations, and cultural activities where appropriate.

● Encourage participation in cultural practices according to each woman’s own Nation, community, beliefs, and preferences.

● Support culturally relevant healing activities, ceremonies, land-based activities, sharing circles, traditional arts, and other programming as directed by the organization and appropriate cultural authorities.

● Help residents reconnect with family, community, Nation, and cultural resources when desired and safe to do so.





● Practice cultural humility and remain open to ongoing learning.

Trauma-Informed Practice

● Understand the impacts of intergenerational trauma, residential schools, colonialism, racism, gender-based violence, child welfare involvement, displacement, and other systemic experiences without defining residents by their trauma.

● Use approaches that promote physical and emotional safety, choice, collaboration, trust, empowerment, and cultural connection.

● Avoid coercive, shaming, or punitive approaches.

● Recognize trauma responses and respond with patience, curiosity, and compassion.

● Support residents in identifying their strengths and existing resilience.

● Maintain a predictable and respectful environment while recognizing that recovery is not linear.

Recovery and Wellness Support

● Encourage healthy routines and participation in recovery and wellness plans.

● Support residents in accessing substance-use, mental-health, primary-care, and other health services.

● Provide information and referrals to appropriate community resources.

● Support residents attending appointments and navigating systems when appropriate.

● Promote relapse-prevention and harm-reduction strategies consistent with the organization’s philosophy and policies.

● Support residents returning to recovery after setbacks without shame or judgment.

Advocacy and Community Connections

● Advocate for residents’ needs while supporting their self-determination.

● Assist residents in accessing housing, income assistance, healthcare, education, employment, legal services, transportation, childcare, and other community resources.

● Develop positive working relationships with Indigenous organizations, healthcare providers, treatment programs, housing providers, and other community partners.

● Support residents in navigating systems that may have historically created barriers or experiences of discrimination.

House Responsibilities

● Contribute to a safe, respectful, clean, and welcoming residential environment.

● Participate in house meetings, wellness activities, cultural programming, and community-building activities.

● Follow emergency, safety, overdose response, medication, confidentiality, and incident-reporting procedures.





● Complete accurate and timely documentation while protecting residents’ privacy.

● Participate in staff meetings, training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.

● Work collaboratively with other staff and service providers.

Qualifications

Required

● Experience supporting Indigenous women or other individuals experiencing substance use, trauma, homelessness, mental-health challenges, or related barriers.

● Understanding of trauma-informed practice, harm reduction, recovery-oriented care, and cultural safety.

● Strong interpersonal, communication, listening, and conflict-resolution skills.

● Ability to establish respectful relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

● Ability to respond calmly and appropriately during difficult or crisis situations.

● Understanding of the impacts of colonization, intergenerational trauma, racism, residential schools, and systemic barriers affecting Indigenous peoples.

● Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional standards.

● Current First Aid/CPR certification or willingness to obtain.

● Successful completion of required criminal record/vulnerable sector screening, where applicable.

Assets

● Lived experience relevant to the program.

● Experience working in an Indigenous community, treatment centre, transition house, shelter, recovery house, or supportive housing environment.

● Knowledge of local Indigenous communities, Nations, services, and resources.

● Experience with cultural programming, circles, ceremony, or land-based healing.

● Mental Health First Aid, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, overdose response/Naloxone training, or related training.

● Relevant education in Indigenous studies, social work, community support, addictions, mental health, counselling, or a related field.

Personal Attributes The successful candidate will demonstrate:

● Compassion, patience, and respect.

● Cultural humility and a commitment to Indigenous self-determination.

● Non-judgmental and strengths-based practice.

● Reliability, integrity, and accountability.

● Emotional maturity and strong boundaries.

● Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

● Commitment to confidentiality and ethical practice.

● Willingness to learn from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, colleagues, and the women being supported.

● A belief that recovery and healing can take many forms and that each woman’s pathway is unique.

Pay: From $20.00 per hour

Benefits

- Casual dress
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

📌 Indigenous support worker (Nanaimo)
🏢 Sisters in recovery
📍 Nanaimo