Lead, Indigenous Cultural Resource Integration

Position Summary
Who are we looking for?

Do you believe Indigenous wellness is strongest when culture, relationships, and community leadership are at the centre of care? The Lead, Indigenous Cultural Resource Integration is a meaningful opportunity to draw on lived experience, cultural knowledge, and relational leadership to support Indigenous mental wellness and substance use services. Rooted in Indigenous worldviews, this role weaves Elders, Indigenous Peer Support Workers, ceremonies, and community partnerships into the Recovery Community Centre. Together, this work helps create culturally safe, community‑led spaces where Indigenous people can heal, reconnect, and thrive.

Some of the Benefits of Joining Interior Health:

- An attractive remuneration package
- Excellent career prospects
- Employer paid training/education
- Employer paid vacation
- Employer paid insurance premiums
- Extended Health & Dental coverage
- Municipal Pension Plan
- Work-life balance

Benefits for Indigenous Employees:

- Ceremonial, Cultural, Spiritual Leave
- Indigenous Employee Network
- Indigenous Employee Voices Committee

Salary Range:

Salary range for the position is $90,770 to $130,481. Interior Health establishes salaries within the minimum and maximum of the salary range based on consideration of the qualifications, experience of the applicant, and an internal equity review of the salaries of other employees.

How will you create an impact?

In accordance with the established vision and values of the organization, the Lead, Indigenous Cultural Resource Integration guides the meaningful integration of Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, identity and values throughout program design and delivery. This position provides leadership, guidance, and wise practice support for MHSU teams and services to be inclusive, relevant, safe, and effective. Honoring the strength and resilience of Indigenous individuals and families, this position works within the assigned program area to enhance Indigenous experiences with MHSU care.

The Lead fosters and maintains relationships and partnerships with Indigenous communities and Interior Health’s Indigenous Mental Wellness team to support engagement and collaboration in program design, development, delivery, evaluation, and quality improvements. This role is committed to ensuring services reflect Indigenous community wellness priorities.

Understanding that culture is treatment, the Lead is responsible for weaving diverse Indigenous perspectives on wellness, and wellness practices throughout the assigned program area. Recognizing the importance of Indigenous traditional health and wellness practices in this work, this role is responsible for establishing and integrating a network of providers, including Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Peers. In addition to ensuring access to ceremony and cultural teachings, the Lead will also directly support these services at point of care.

The Lead, Cultural Resource Integration is dedicated to ensuring services reflect multiple perspectives on wellness; respecting and celebrating Indigenous practices and their significance in providing high quality care.

What will you work on:

- Leads development of program strategies, plans, and priorities to integrate Indigenous perspectives throughout care; ensuring programs, supports and activities are culturally safe, relevant, meaningful, and helpful to Indigenous peoples.

- Leads development of Indigenous traditional, culturally-specific, holistic care within the program, including service development, delivery, evaluation, and improvements.

-Facilitates engagement and inclusion of Indigenous Partners’ and Peers’ priorities and perspectives throughout the assigned program areas. Supports fiscal planning and management related to engagement activities, including administration of honoraria, contracts and expenses for Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Peers.

- Provides leadership and guidance supporting program policies, staff tools, client resources, and program practices (i.e., teaching/information sharing) to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples accessing the service.

- Ensures Indigenous wellness and healing practices are embedded and accessible throughout services. Where the Lead has knowledge and training in specific practices, this may include facilitating individual or group sessions, as appropriate.

- Establishes and maintains a network of traditional wellness providers, including Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

- Facilitates the meaningful integration of Indigenous supports, including Indigenous Patient Navigators, and Indigenous Peer/Support Workers.

- Regularly reviews services to identify opportunities, recommend priorities and provide solutions for integrating Indigenous perspectives, resources, programs, and activities into the service delivery area; supports quality improvement initiatives by evaluating program processes, recommending enhancements, and contributing to strategic change initiatives that strengthen service delivery models across the region.

- Maintains comprehensive understanding of current Indigenous research and evidence to guide planning efforts that meet the unique wellness needs of Indigenous Peoples.

- In collaboration with Indigenous Partners, Indigenous Mental Wellness, MHSU Operations, MHSU clinical network and other relevant IH portfolios, contributes to performance indicators and supports the monitoring and responding to evolving Indigenous health and wellness needs. Develops and maintains project and process documentation, including tracking mechanisms for issues, action items, risks, and lessons learned, and consults with partners and subject matter experts as required.

- Reviews feedback from Indigenous Partners and Peoples accessing the service to inform improvements. Communicates program activities and progress by preparing and distributing reports, developing presentations, and sharing approved materials with partners and leadership.

- In alignment with IH’s Occupational Health & Safety Program, employees shall adhere to all Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures at all times and attend all required training. Employees are responsible to report any identified hazards, unsafe conditions or incidents to the manager or supervisor immediately.

- Performs other related duties as assigned.

Interior Health strives to create an environment where you enjoy the work you do, the place where you work, and the people around you. Together, we create great workplaces. Apply today!

Honouring Interior Health’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).

Qualfications
Education, Training, and Experience:

- Lived and living experience as a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit person.

- Demonstrated knowledge of, or commitment to learn, culture, protocols, traditions, and ideology of Indigenous Peoples and organizations in the B.C. Interior. Demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous worldviews and perspectives of health and wellness.

- Bachelor’s degree in a clinical area.

- Five years of recent, relevant experience in mental health and substance use.

- Alternatively, an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience related to Indigenous mental health and substance use.

- Valid BC driver’s license: access to a personal vehicle may be required.