Title: Public Health Advisor - Mental Health and Harm Reduction - Indigenous Peoples Help Desk

Employee Working Location: Remote (Canada)

Employment status: Permanent full time

Salary band: $60,500 - $86,000/year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) - one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet and an awardee on the Forbes list of Canada's Best Employers 2024 - is seeking a Public Health Advisor - Mental Health and Harm Reduction - Indigenous Peoples Help Desk to join its team.

We are guided by our Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons who share our values and want to contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace to apply.

The incumbent will work within the parameters of the Creating Safe Environments (CSE) strategy, ensuring CRC's work in health with Indigenous communities is safe, respectful, and founded on an Indigenous determinants of health (IDoH) framework. This position will provide culturally relevant mental health and harm reduction expertise in working with Indigenous communities.

In this role, you will:

• Developing and delivering holistic mental health and harm reduction Health Promotion activities to develop individual and community capacity and resiliency.
• Identification of mental health and harm reduction and broader health trends for the Indigenous population and potential policy implications.
• Addressing and trouble-shooting options to respond to barriers to mental health and harm reduction services and programming related to the impacts of historical trauma, lack of equity, risk perceptions, social and geographic contexts.
• Integrating a Two-Eyed Seeing approach into the IPHD's health promotion strategy, including emphasis on traditional practices.
• Reviewing, creating, and delivering briefings and trainings, including via virtual platforms.
• Collaborative work with Indigenous leadership
• Ensuring guidance promotes local leadership action and capacity.
• Working within the CSE framework, using an integrated approach for the identification of immediate and emerging needs and capacity, and support solutions in response to requests from Indigenous communities (including on reserve, off reserve, urban).
• Contribute to the identification of Indigenous developed health promotion resources and their documentation in the IPHD repository.

What we are looking for:

• Health degree (Bachelor or Master) in one of the following areas: social work & psychology, public health, medicine, nursing, (does not require current Canadian professional licensure) OR formal or informal training in Complementary or Traditional Healing practices and Indigenous Studies and/or Wholistic health
• Demonstrated understanding of provincial and federal standards of practice and legislation for Opioid Harm Reduction as it relates to Indigenous populations.
• Substantial (3 years+) experience living / working in Indigenous communities in Canada, working specifically in mental health and harm reduction.
• The ideal candidate has lived and/or has professional experience with First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Nations or communities.
• Active in broader Indigenous networks and has an enduring commitment to sharing and advancing knowledge derived through Indigenous knowledge systems including balancing Western and Indigenous world views.
• The official languages recognized within the Canadian Red Cross are English and French; however demonstrated skills and ability to communicate in one or multiple Indigenous language(s) or ability to communicate and adapt within Indigenous protocols is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of unique strengths and complexities that exist within Indigenous communities and the impact of colonialization on mental health and wellness outcomes.
• Experience in the provision of health or community services (formal or informal).
• Ability to reinforce self-determination and coping mechanisms (i.e., aiding in re-establishment of traditional forms of support and resilience found in the community).
• Demonstrated ability to think critically and problem solve quickly with minimal support.
• Able to coordinate and foster effective working relationships with various stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt and respond to unexpected and changing work needs and to propose/apply solutions in a fast-paced environment when needed.

Working conditions:

• This is a remote position with deployments in remote communities. There may be a need for domestic deployment based on the needs.
• This position does not operate in a clinical environment.
• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).
• A Full vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for this position and operation.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible - those who apply after the selection process has started may be held for a second review if needed OR reviewed for alternative roles. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to apply and thank you in advance.

If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential. #RegularRecruitment

Salary Band:
$60,500 - $86,000