WHO WE ARE

Inner City Youth Development Association (ICYDA) is seeking an experienced and compassionate Indigenous Social Worker to support marginalized youth who face significant barriers to education, well-being, and community connection.

ICYDA works with urban marginalized Indigenous and other youth through relationship-based, culturally responsive, arts-based and trauma-informed approaches. We are seeking a Social Worker who understands that meaningful support begins with the agency values of trust, respect, cooperation, and non-violence, and who can work well with a team-oriented team serving youth with complex needs.

ICYDA prioritizes relationship and community building, employing the use of a circle three times per day for program participants and staff to sit together on the gym floor and discuss day-to-day events, activities, issues and concerns. While ICYDA does consist of an accredited high school program and works with related colonial systems, consistent efforts to integrate Indigenous perspectives and activities are always made. In addition to this dual perspective of colonial and Indigenous practices, ICYDA encourages social justice at all program levels.

In our inclusive and diverse community, staff and program participants are expected to adhere to our core values of trust, respect, cooperation and non-violence.

THE POSITION The Indigenous Social Worker will provide direct support, advocacy, participant caseload management, crisis intervention, informal counselling and connections to community resources. They will work closely with ICYDA staff, educators, families, Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, community agencies, and Indigenous community partners.

Youth Engagement Program Leads may adjust workload assignments, including participant caseloads, based on participant complexity and acuity, staffing levels, operational priorities, participant safety concerns, and organizational needs.

As Key Contact, the Indigenous Social Worker will maintain consistent relationships, document participant progress, coordinate supports and services, communicate with internal staff and external service providers, and contribute to participant support planning.

Key Contact duties include:

- Meeting with and developing rapport with assigned Key Contact participants.
- Ensuring that necessary Youth Engagement Program coordinated supports are provided and accessed, as well as wrap-around services such as food access, housing referrals and legal supports.
- Monitoring participant attendance and responding to absenteeism with appropriate supports and encouragement.
- Reviewing participants' general progress in high school program classes.
- Completing a Plan for Change document quarterly with assigned participants.
- Completing Wrap-Around Supports meetings, including Success in School meetings, at least twice each year with family, legal guardians, caregivers, community support workers, service providers, and other key support figures. These meetings coordinate supports related to well-being, safety, stability, attendance, educational engagement, and community participation.




- Providing observations for the psychologist and coordinating meeting support for each Key Contact participant with the inclusive education team, including completion of Observation Forms.

Indigenous Cultural duties include:

- Supporting the Indigenous Program Coordinator in planning and delivering Indigenous programming, cultural activities, ceremonies, special events, and Two-Eyed Seeing Council initiatives.
- Supporting and participating in out-of-city sweat lodges, including participant accompaniment and practical assistance.
- Participating respectfully in ceremonies under the guidance of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and the Indigenous Program Coordinator.
- Providing culturally appropriate supports to youth and agency guests, including smudging, protocol, and other supports within the position’s knowledge, experience, and role.
- Supporting Indigenous youth in strengthening cultural identity, belonging, and community connections.
- Collaborating with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, organizations, and community partners.

Additional responsibilities include:

- Building trusting and respectful relationships with youth.
- Providing social-work assessment, intervention, advocacy and case management.
- Supporting youth experiencing barriers related to housing, poverty, mental health, family circumstances, children’s services involvement, and other social challenges.
- Connecting youth with appropriate community, health, cultural, legal and social-service resources.
- Providing crisis intervention, safety planning and referral support within the scope of professional practice.
- Providing transportation and accompaniment support to participants when required.
- Maintaining appropriate documentation, confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Participating as a member of ICYDA's multidisciplinary education and youth-support team.

Qualifications This role may be a strong fit for someone who combines professional social-work skills with practical experience supporting Indigenous youth, building trust over time, and coordinating wrap-around supports with families, caregivers, schools, and community partners.

The successful candidate will have:

- A minimum two-year diploma in Social Work from a recognized post-secondary institution.
- Current registration and good standing as a Social Worker in Alberta.
- A minimum of three years of professional experience supporting marginalized, vulnerable or at-risk youth populations similar to those served by ICYDA.
- Knowledge of Indigenous histories, cultures, teachings, and contemporary realities, including the continuing impacts of colonization, residential schools, and child-welfare systems.




- Competency in Indigenous cultural knowledge, Indigenous ways of being, and culturally responsive practice.
- Experience providing trauma-informed and strengths-based services.
- Strong relationship-building, communication, advocacy and case-management skills.
- Strong collaboration skills and the ability to function effectively within a multidisciplinary team environment.
- A valid Alberta driver's licence.
- Ability and willingness to transport program participants using both a personal vehicle and the ICYDA van, as operationally required.
- Current First Aid/CPR certification.
- Current ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) certification.
- Evidence of a clear Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Search.
- A commitment to respectful, youth-centered and strengths-based practice.

Indigenous Knowledge and Lived Experience ICYDA recognizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, community relationships, and cultural understanding in providing meaningful services to Indigenous youth. Indigenous applicants and applicants with substantial experience working respectfully and effectively with Indigenous communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment

Status: Full-Time, 1.0 FTE

Probationary Period: One year from the date of hire.

Hours: 40 hours per week, 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday to Friday, with possible overtime and time in lieu. Overtime may be required for participant appointments, Indigenous cultural activities, field trips, meetings, or crisis situations, and is normally taken as time in lieu, subject to management approval.

Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Salary: $52,206 to $94,281 annually, based on ICYDA's salary grid. The grid recognizes up to four years of post-secondary education and up to ten years of relevant professional experience.

Benefits: In accordance with ICYDA's employee benefit program.

- A paid health insurance plan, available immediately upon hire.
- An annual retention incentive calculated as a percentage of annual salary. This bonus is available after one year of employment with the organization.
- Three (3) weeks of vacation during the summer.
- Employer-paid closure periods, including the two-week Christmas break, the one-week Spring break, and an additional two weeks during the summer.

ICYDA is committed to a respectful, inclusive, and discrimination-free workplace and to providing accommodation in accordance with Alberta human-rights legislation.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter via email to [email protected] describing your experience in the following areas:

- Your social-work experience.
- Your experience supporting marginalized or at-risk youth.
- Your experience working with Indigenous individuals, families or communities.
- Your experience with participant case management and support coordination.

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $52,206.00-$94,281.00 per year

Perks

- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Vision care

Work Location: In person

📌 Indigenous Social Worker (Edmonton)
🏢 Inner City Youth Development Association
📍 Edmonton