The posting
Position Summary The Indigenous Cultural Liaison Support Worker (ICL) provides the Indigenous lens and consults with Indigenous clients to provide/connect them with a range of Indigenous specific supports in the community, while advocating for access and rights as needed. These can include but are not limited to liaising with and/or supporting cultural activities/programming; Indigenous-led and informed case planning for Indigenous clients; connecting clients with outside organizational supports/connecting to agencies that assist; and accompanying clients in navigating the health and/or court systems. In addition to these Indigenous specific supports, the ICL provides daily supports to all program participants, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, including medication administration, building security, crisis intervention, building maintenance, and front-line overdose response. Using a culturally informed model that is rooted in harm reduction, the ICL walks alongside clients in their self-identified and self-determined goals for culture, connection/reconnection, and community integration; while navigating colonial systems of oppression, advocating for access, rights, and Cultural Safety as needed. Job Competition # job2026.367 Closing Date: Midnight, October 15, 2026 Job: Indigenous Cultural Liaison Support Worker, Alderbridge, Temporary until March 6, 2027, or return of incumbent, Full-Time, 1.0 FTE Hourly Range: $33.49 - $35.31 (BCGEU, Grid 34) Hours: 75 bi-weekly Schedule: Tuesday – Saturday: 7:00AM – 3:00PM. At present, includes a 30-minute unpaid meal break. Work Site: Richmond, BC Start Date: As soon as possible A clear British Columbia Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable adults and/or children is a condition of employment with RainCity Housing. Applicants must be willing and able to receive a clearance under the Criminal Record Review Act. Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Native American) ancestry/identity is a bona fide occupational requirement for this position. Program Summary Opened in April 2019, Richmond Modular housing provides 40 units of single room occupancy (SRO) housing to low-income individuals 19 years of age or older who live in the community, have a history of homelessness and who need additional support services to maintain housing. This supported housing program will be staffed by a combination of support workers, including an Indigenous Cultural Liaison Support Worker and a Peer Services Support Worker. Each unit will contain a private bathroom with toilet, shower, and sink, as well as a kitchenette. The building will have 24/7 staffing, with a minimum of two staff working on site to maintain the building, deliver programs, support tenants and ensure a safe environment within the building. The program supports also include an onsite kitchen facility and a cook to prepare at least one hot meal per day. The building will also have custodial, home support and facilities management staff. QUALIFICATIONS Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. We are looking for employees who will be dedicated to helping fulfill our mission. Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering, and lived experience of mental health/substance use/homelessness; Minimum education and experience include:
A Diploma in community social services or other relevant training.
Two (2) years of related experience with emphasis on mental health, addictions, homelessness and/or social services. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Current Standard First Aid and CPR certification. Food-safe certification for sites that have food-handling requirements.
List Of Duties Cultural Liaison Duties
Researches and connects individual and group supports for indigenous tenants regarding indigenous ways of understanding holism and recovery, indigenous services and resources, and indigenous culture. Actively plans, arranges, and seeks out these relationships while on shift in coordination the program team and manager. Walks beside indigenous tenants as they connect with community and cultural events and build supports with the tenant such as Elders. Connects with supports available through the Cultural Safety Working Group and Indigenous Cultural Liaison Manager and ICL Community Building Groups at RainCity. Collaborates with additional ICL supports in the site around planning and running the programming. Assists with creating an effective and supportive connection between the Indigenous/non-Indigenous service providers and community supports and tenants. Advocates for tenants as needed. Assists to build connection to the greater community to promote healing and wellness beyond RCH building to foster connection circle of care and support. Orientates new tenants to the role of the ICL and familiarize them with cultural services.
Relationship And Support
Responsible for building dignifying and strengths-based relationships with participants. Uses anti-racist and anti-discrimination approaches in work with participants. Receives participant feedback, inquiries, and complaints, and responds as required.
Service Planning
Develops strengths-based, recovery-oriented, and culturally informed services plan in collaboration with participants and program team and regularly communicates and adjusts to ensure alignment with the participant and their support team. Participates in all service planning activities, including referral and intake, goal setting, linking with external resources, advocacy, and monitoring in the areas of daily living, financial, vocational/educational, social supports, health, harm reduction, culture, recovery, and leisure/recreational supports, and maintaining and finding housing. Communicates, coordinates, collaborates, and advocates with family, landlords and external service providers involved in the care and support of program participants, in accordance with established policy.
Health And Wellness
Promotes harm reduction in all work with participants, including substance use, mental and physical health, and sex work; prevents and responds to drug overdoses as required. Collaborates with program participants in health and wellness planning, including safety plans and safety checks; identifies and links to external healthcare supports as needed. Distributes medication to participants in accordance with established policy. Supports the program’s food services.
Preventing And Managing Crises
Observes participants, identifies, and assesses potential emergency situations, and develops short-term strategies to deal with such situations and intervening and de-escalating as required. Reports medical, behavioural, and other issues as required. Supports self, co-workers, and participants in the aftermath of a critical incident. Monitors and ensures the safety of program participants and premises, including managing security access and monitoring systems, providing guest management, and conducting apartment checks.
Team Commitment
Actively participates in building a skilled, cohesive, and collaborative staff team, including demonstrating a commitment to program participants and their communities, as well as organizational and program policies; communicates directly and respectfully in disagreements; and assists in orienting, training, and mentoring staff. Actively supports the unique work of Peer Support Specialists and Peer work, and Indigenous Cultural Liaisons within the program context.
Participates in opportunities to help improve program operations. Works collaboratively to ensure a smooth and thorough shift change, including communicating guest restrictions, participant safety concerns, program participants’ goals and case management, building safety issues, and plans for critical incident response or overdose response.
Building And Apartment Supports
Works closely and collaboratively with operations to coordinate repairs and maintenance and turnover of units/apartments and the building. Performs housekeeping in the staff office, common areas (where applicable) and maintenance of outdoor premises, including needle and garbage disposal.
Assists participants in maintaining a clean apartment, including encouraging independence and increasing skills, washing belongings and cleaning apartment, assisting with pest control, and liaising with home support, if applicable. Completes shift duty list, as per program requirements.
Documentation And Technology
Completes and maintains documentation in logs, databases, critical incident forms, shift change and other hard copy or computer-based systems. Performs required tasks using technology systems, including cameras, card readers, building access, intercom, telephone, Canoe, and Callbot.
Performs other related duties as assigned. Competencies
Skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including:
Demonstrated anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and ongoing colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples. Demonstrated anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity-seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health conditions, and sex workers.
Demonstrates sound emotional skills in developing strengths-based, dignifying relationships with participants; ability to maintain professional, confidential relationships. Sound understanding of the structural barriers that impact people experiencing mental health conditions, substance use, racism, discrimination, homelessness, and/or poverty. Basic sound knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment, and support resources. Basic sound knowledge of harm reduction, trauma-informed care, substance use treatment and support resources. Knowledge of the housing continuum. Strong ability to take initiative to ensure participant care and work is completed. Strong verbal, written, and active listening skills; ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with and about people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Ability to develop and implement program participant-centred service plans. Ability to administer medications according to established policies and procedures (if applicable to the program). Ability to maintain and develop personal wellness in the workplace and support the wellness of co-workers. Ability to work collaboratively with others and to take direction. Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks. Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions. Ability to learn and be self-reflective. Demonstrated crisis intervention and de-escalation skills. Ability to prevent and respond to drug overdoses. Capable of adapting to changing priorities and developments within the program, organization, and community sector. Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision. Ability to operate office equipment, including computers and required software. Physical ability to carry out the job duties, functions, and responsibilities.
