NATIVE INMATE LIAISON OFFICER
Contract: Full-time 40 hours per week
Location: Thunder Bay Jail
Job Description:
Under the supervision of the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre Executive Director, together with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Native Inmate Liaison Officer works on-site to address the requests and needs of Indigenous inmates. The ultimate goal is to assist Indigenous clients serving terms of imprisonment in their successful reintegration into the community by providing culturally relevant programs, services, smudging ceremonies and activities aimed at promoting Indigenous healing and wellness.
Responsibilities
- To act as a liaison to facilitate effective and non-judgmental communication between Indigenous inmates, their families, institutional staff and other community resources
- Conduct smudging, drumming, tobacco offerings, feasts and other Indigenous ceremonies with inmates on a regular basis. Pipe ceremonies would also be an asset
- Develop, organize and coordinate regular cultural, social and spiritual programming and activities with inmates and institutional staff such as making medicine pouches
- To act as a resource with the admission and release of Indigenous inmates
- Assist the Executive Director to prepare and submit regular reports pertaining to program activities and clients for statistical purposes
- Coordinate and facilitate individual and/or group counselling to Indigenous inmates
- Daily record keeping in a log book is a must in addition to other documentation as required by the correctional institution
- Training will be provided at no cost to contractor
Qualifications
- Experience working in correctional, justice or other social services setting is preferred
- Previous experience working in an Indigenous organization or community is preferred
- Working knowledge of Indigenous culture, customs and practices is required
- Positive attitude and demonstrated capacity to act as a healthy lifestyle role model
- Able to work independently with minimal supervision
- Strong communication skills, oral and written. Computer literacy skills are essential such as Microsoft Word and Excel
- Professionalism and dependability are required
- Ability to speak Ojibwe, Cree or Oji-Cree is a definite asset
Please submit your resume along with a cover letter and three references to: Blue Sky Community Healing Centre, Attention Cindy Crowe Executive Director at crowe@tbaytel.net References will be contacted initially before any interviews.