Family Wellness Worker

Are you passionate about supporting Indigenous women, babies, and families through culturally supportive, wholistic care? Do you value building trusting relationships through consistency, kindness, and being present in the everyday moments of family life?

The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society (ACEH) is seeking Family Wellness Workers to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women and their children living at Xexe Pahlatsis Lelum (Sacred Cradle House).

WHO WE ARE

The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society (ACEH) has a vision to lead long-term, systemic change to better meet the needs of Indigenous people living away from home and experiencing homelessness. Our work is centered on the voices, lived experiences, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples.

Through culturally supportive care, ACEH works to create safe and welcoming spaces where Indigenous people can reconnect with family, culture, community, and ancestral lands.

OUR VISION

Our way is to care for all our people, from the youngest to the oldest. We are all one. Some of our people living away from home are suffering, isolated and homeless. We stand together to end homelessness.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Please submit a resume and cover letter highlighting your Indigenous ancestry, involvement with an Indigenous community or organization, experience working with new mothers and/or babies, education, certifications, and other relevant experience. Your cover letter should also describe how your knowledge, skills, and abilities would support and contribute to ACEH and the community through a cultural lens.

This position is part of a Special Program under section 42 of the B.C. Human Rights Code. The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness is committed to advancing equity through the exclusive hiring of self-identified women, with priority given to self-identified Indigenous women for the position of Family Wellness Worker.

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Only qualified candidates will be shortlisted for an interview.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Family Wellness Worker provides culturally supportive, wholistic care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women and their children living at Sacred Cradle House.

While the role supports women throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period, the focus extends to the broader wellbeing of mothers, babies, and young children throughout their stay.

Family Wellness Workers work alongside women and children throughout the ordinary rhythms of daily life. This includes sharing meals, spending time in common spaces, supporting parenting, participating in programming, and helping create the trusting relationships that make Sacred Cradle House feel like a home.

This is a relationship-based support role. A warm, consistent, and caring presence is an important part of creating safety and trust for women and families who may have experienced institutions where they felt watched, assessed, or reported on.

The focus of the role will naturally change throughout the day. Daytime and evening shifts prioritize relationships, family support, shared meals, programming, and community life. Overnight shifts provide greater opportunity for documentation, preparing the home for the following day, and more substantial housekeeping while remaining available to residents.

JOB DETAILS

Position Type: Full-time, Part-time, Casual

Location: Victoria, BC

Compensation: 30.28 per hour (with a nighttime premium of $2.06, applicable for hours worked between 11 pm to 7 am)

Start Date: Conditional on receiving a clearance letter through the Criminal Records Review Program.

Scheduling: The available positions follow a two-week rotating schedule. Applicants should review both Week 1 and Week 2 schedules carefully when applying.

Current Available Full-time/ Part-Time Schedules:

1. N/A2

Week 1: Monday to Friday, 11:00 p.m.–7:15 a.m.

Week 2: Monday to Thursday, 3:00 p.m.–11:15 p.m.

2. A1

Week 1: Saturday–Sunday, 3:00 p.m.–11:15 p.m.

Week 2: Friday–Saturday–Sunday, 3:00 p.m.–11:15 p.m.

3. A2

Week 1: Saturday–Sunday, 3:00 p.m.–11:15 p.m.

Week 2: Friday–Saturday–Sunday, 3:00 p.m.–11:15 p.m.

4. N2

Week 1: Saturday–Sunday, 11:00 p.m.–7:15 a.m.

Week 2: Saturday–Sunday, 11:00 p.m.–7:15 a.m.

BENEFITS

For positions working 24+ hours per week:

• Extended Health and Dental Benefits
• Employer-matched RRSP contributions up to 5%
• 3 weeks (15 days) paid vacation annually (6% accrual, pro-rated for part-time)
• 5 paid sick days per year
• Additional sick leave accrued at 1 day per month
• 3 unpaid personal days per year

For casual positions:

• 10.64% in lieu of vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, and benefits
• 5 paid sick days per calendar year
• 3 unpaid personal days per calendar year

Casual Availability Requirements

Casual employees are required to maintain the following minimum availability:

• Availability for four (4) shifts per month, including:
• Two (2) day shifts
• Two (2) night shifts
• Casual employees must work a minimum of 24 hours per month, where work is available, in order to maintain active casual employment status.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build strong, caring, and trusting relationships with women and children throughout daily life at Sacred Cradle House.
• Serve as a key worker for assigned women, getting to know their goals, circumstances, and support needs and helping coordinate their day-to-day support.
• Ensure commitments made to women are followed through, including referrals and connections to appropriate services and supports.
• Provide consistent and familiar support to assigned women and communicate important follow-up needs with the team during shift handoffs.
• Help women feel welcome and at home when they arrive and support them as they transition out of Sacred Cradle House.
• Support women with the everyday care of their babies and young children as needed, including bathing, diapering, comforting, safe sleep, feeding, storing milk, and age-appropriate routines, while supporting the mother's confidence and independence.
• Support women with basic needs such as nutrition, hygiene, and identification.
• Encourage and support participation in cultural, social, recreational, and life-skills programming.
• Share meals and time in the kitchen and common areas as a natural part of relationship-building and support.
• Support women in accessing resources aligned with their goals, including income assistance, health care, family reunification, counselling, parenting supports, and other community resources.
• Contribute to a calm, welcoming, and culturally grounded home environment.
• Conduct regular and respectful wellness checks to support the safety of women, babies, and children.
• Respond to emergencies and overdoses, including administering Naloxone and responding to infant emergencies and CPR needs.
• Support conflict resolution through respectful and culturally supportive de-escalation.
• Immediately report to a supervisor any reasonable belief that a baby is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect.
• Complete daily logs, case notes, wellness records, incident reports, and other documentation in clear, factual, and non-judgmental language.
• Maintain assigned women's records in CAMS and ensure documentation reflects the woman's own words and perspective.
• Communicate relevant information directly with the incoming shift to support continuity of care.
• Maintain the cleanliness, safety, organization, and welcoming feel of the house and common areas.
• Complete housekeeping, organizing, and other operational tasks as required.
• Participate in team meetings, training, cultural opportunities, and other organizational initiatives.
• Perform other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION

• Practical experience and personal insight working with Indigenous mothers and newborns.
• Experience working with Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, and/or social services.
• Training or education in a related field, such as Early Childhood Education, community social services, or a related discipline, is an asset.
• A combination of lived experience and relevant training is valued.
• Valid First Aid and CPR Certification.
• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable adults and children.
• Naloxone training or willingness to obtain training.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to work holistically, professionally, and non-judgmentally with people from a broad range of cultures, backgrounds, lived experiences, needs, and abilities.
• Familiarity with cultural practices and traditions related to birthing, parenting, and child-rearing.
• Understanding of the impacts of colonization, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the child welfare system on Indigenous families.
• Understanding of intergenerational trauma and its impact on health, wellbeing, parenting, and family relationships.
• Ability to build trusting relationships through consistency, kindness, and respectful communication.
• Ability to respond calmly to unexpected and high-risk situations.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention and manage conflict in a culturally supportive manner.
• Understanding of mental health, substance use, and their impacts on individuals and families.
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while providing warm, relationship-based support.
• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Ability to maintain clear, factual, and non-judgmental records.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Ability to prioritize competing needs and respond to changing circumstances within the house.
• Commitment to providing consistent and reliable support across all shifts.
• Ability to work respectfully alongside women, children, Elders, Family Members, staff, and community partners.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• This is an active, floor-based role requiring regular movement throughout the house and common areas. Employees must be able to:
• Walk up and down four flights of stairs as required.
• Safely lift and carry items weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Safely perform lifting, crouching, bending, kneeling, and other movements required to support the operation and cleanliness of the house.
• Participate in cleaning, organizing, stocking, and other physical tasks as required.
• Remain active and present throughout the house and common areas for extended periods.