Customary Care Facilitator
Top Benefits
About the role
Job Posting #
2025-06
Title:
Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care Facilitator
Location:
Toronto, ON
OACAS is seeking Indigenous child welfare professionals with backgrounds in training and facilitation, knowledge of custom approaches with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, youth, and families, and experience working within an anti-oppressive and reconciliatory framework to deliver the two-day Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care course.
Job Summary
Co-developed with ANCFSAO, OACAS is preparing to offer Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care to support child welfare staff and leaders to expand their knowledge and shift mindsets to increase the use of custom approaches with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, youth, and families. Comprised of 3 hours of eLearning, 2 days of in-class learning, and a series of pre-course readings, this course covers Indigenous history, worldviews and approaches, and capacity building strategies for increasing and sustaining customary care arrangements.
The eLearning components of this curriculum build learner understanding of the history as it relates to customary care, Indigenous models and service principles, and the legislation, tools, and processes to guide their work. The in-class learning session allows learners to apply and expand their knowledge from the eLearning. In-class, learners will engage in an experiential form of learning that will invite them on a journey of application that includes learning from each other.
Facilitators are required to have an in-depth understanding of:
- The history of colonialism and impact of residential school, child welfare legacies, and intergenerational trauma.
- The inherent rights and authority of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in customary care planning.
- Indigenous wholistic worldview, values, customs, and service principles supporting customary care.
- Facilitating customary care approaches through circle process.
- Reasonable efforts when engaging First Nations, Inuit and Métis families and communities in customary care.
- Legislation, standards, and guidelines applicable to customary care.
- Working through barriers to customary care.
- Resources that sustain customary care arrangements.
- Other related topics.
Successful candidates will participate in other professional development opportunities as preparation to deliver the course, including a facilitator onboarding session.
Duties and Responsibilities**:**
- Become knowledgeable of course content through completing Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care eLearning modules and reviewing Facilitation Guides and other facilitator resources.
- Independently deliver Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care to staff within your agency, zone or training consortium.
- Deliver curriculum to diverse audiences while promoting reconciliation and equity, intersectional considerations and approaches, and an understanding of and respect for the Indigenous context as relates to curriculum content.
- Promote an anti-oppressive and anti-racist approach to learning enhanced by an understanding of and an ability to critically examine the power imbalance inherent in organizational structures.
- Possible travel, overnight or otherwise, to deliver training to agency child welfare staff across Ontario.
- Follow the policies, procedures, and expectations outlined in any materials provided by OACAS.
- Attend ongoing professional development opportunities for Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care facilitators and participate in other activities and programs offered by OACAS to stay current with curriculum updates and changes.
Qualifications**:**
- Lived experience as an Indigenous person
- One or more of the following:
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience training Indigenous-focused content or working directly with FNIM families.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience training adults.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in the child welfare or related sectors (i.e. Youth Services, Mental Health, Intimate Partner Violence, Child Rights, etc.).
- Minimum of 1 year of experience in child welfare or related sectors (i.e. youth services, mental health, etc.).
- Ability to independently deliver the two-day in-class portion of Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care, based on facilitation guides and using circle process, and building on pre-requisite self-study elearning modules.
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders and working within an anti-oppressive and reconciliatory framework within an Indigenous worldview.
- Strong facilitation skills and the ability to facilitate challenging or sensitive conversations.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to varying audiences.
- Experience using technology to enhance learning (e.g. experience with learning management systems, etc.).
Assets**:**
- Bilingual English/French.
- Knowledge of AODA.
- Recent direct service experience at an Ontario child welfare agency.
- Previous experience delivering OACAS training.
Facilitating Learning Curricula
OACAS works with agencies to onboard and qualify all facilitators delivering OACAS curricula – including agency-based as well as sessional facilitators. Agency-based facilitators are those who are qualified to deliver OACAS learning curricula at their home agency. Agency-based facilitators provide training on agency time as part of their day-to-day duties. There is no contractual relationship nor is compensation provided to agency-based facilitators from OACAS for this role.
Although not the priority of this recruitment, OACAS also maintains a roster of sessional/contract facilitators. Sessional facilitators are contracted and compensated directly by OACAS to travel across the province to deliver training where scheduling gaps may exist. As sessional facilitators are compensated directly by OACAS, the expectation is that they engage in this work on their own time. To avoid possible conflicts of interest, we ask that facilitators choose either the agency-based facilitator or sessional facilitator path.
Candidates who can lend their time to this important curriculum, are encouraged to share their CV and a Letter of Endorsement (completed by their manager).
Successful candidates will be requested to train on as as-needed basis, and therefore may continue their current employment. Please note, training requests are occasional and may be infrequent.
APPLY ONLINE at
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=5504a194-52e8-4f07-ae3b-2acc61f702f0&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_CA by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday August 5th, 2025.
We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those considered for an interview will be contacted. OACAS is committed to building a diverse workforce representative of the communities we serve. We encourage and are pleased to consider applications from all qualified candidates, without regard to race, colour, citizenship, religion, sex, marital / family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, indigenous status, age or disability.
Accommodation at OACAS
We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier free. Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Applicants are required to make any accommodation requests for the application, interview or selection process known in advance by contacting the Human Resources Department at 416 987-3677 or hr@oacas.org*.*
Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the interview or selection process which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.
Customary Care Facilitator
Top Benefits
About the role
Job Posting #
2025-06
Title:
Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care Facilitator
Location:
Toronto, ON
OACAS is seeking Indigenous child welfare professionals with backgrounds in training and facilitation, knowledge of custom approaches with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, youth, and families, and experience working within an anti-oppressive and reconciliatory framework to deliver the two-day Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care course.
Job Summary
Co-developed with ANCFSAO, OACAS is preparing to offer Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care to support child welfare staff and leaders to expand their knowledge and shift mindsets to increase the use of custom approaches with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, youth, and families. Comprised of 3 hours of eLearning, 2 days of in-class learning, and a series of pre-course readings, this course covers Indigenous history, worldviews and approaches, and capacity building strategies for increasing and sustaining customary care arrangements.
The eLearning components of this curriculum build learner understanding of the history as it relates to customary care, Indigenous models and service principles, and the legislation, tools, and processes to guide their work. The in-class learning session allows learners to apply and expand their knowledge from the eLearning. In-class, learners will engage in an experiential form of learning that will invite them on a journey of application that includes learning from each other.
Facilitators are required to have an in-depth understanding of:
- The history of colonialism and impact of residential school, child welfare legacies, and intergenerational trauma.
- The inherent rights and authority of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in customary care planning.
- Indigenous wholistic worldview, values, customs, and service principles supporting customary care.
- Facilitating customary care approaches through circle process.
- Reasonable efforts when engaging First Nations, Inuit and Métis families and communities in customary care.
- Legislation, standards, and guidelines applicable to customary care.
- Working through barriers to customary care.
- Resources that sustain customary care arrangements.
- Other related topics.
Successful candidates will participate in other professional development opportunities as preparation to deliver the course, including a facilitator onboarding session.
Duties and Responsibilities**:**
- Become knowledgeable of course content through completing Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care eLearning modules and reviewing Facilitation Guides and other facilitator resources.
- Independently deliver Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care to staff within your agency, zone or training consortium.
- Deliver curriculum to diverse audiences while promoting reconciliation and equity, intersectional considerations and approaches, and an understanding of and respect for the Indigenous context as relates to curriculum content.
- Promote an anti-oppressive and anti-racist approach to learning enhanced by an understanding of and an ability to critically examine the power imbalance inherent in organizational structures.
- Possible travel, overnight or otherwise, to deliver training to agency child welfare staff across Ontario.
- Follow the policies, procedures, and expectations outlined in any materials provided by OACAS.
- Attend ongoing professional development opportunities for Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care facilitators and participate in other activities and programs offered by OACAS to stay current with curriculum updates and changes.
Qualifications**:**
- Lived experience as an Indigenous person
- One or more of the following:
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience training Indigenous-focused content or working directly with FNIM families.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience training adults.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in the child welfare or related sectors (i.e. Youth Services, Mental Health, Intimate Partner Violence, Child Rights, etc.).
- Minimum of 1 year of experience in child welfare or related sectors (i.e. youth services, mental health, etc.).
- Ability to independently deliver the two-day in-class portion of Nurturing Each Heartbeat: A Course in Customary Care, based on facilitation guides and using circle process, and building on pre-requisite self-study elearning modules.
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders and working within an anti-oppressive and reconciliatory framework within an Indigenous worldview.
- Strong facilitation skills and the ability to facilitate challenging or sensitive conversations.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to varying audiences.
- Experience using technology to enhance learning (e.g. experience with learning management systems, etc.).
Assets**:**
- Bilingual English/French.
- Knowledge of AODA.
- Recent direct service experience at an Ontario child welfare agency.
- Previous experience delivering OACAS training.
Facilitating Learning Curricula
OACAS works with agencies to onboard and qualify all facilitators delivering OACAS curricula – including agency-based as well as sessional facilitators. Agency-based facilitators are those who are qualified to deliver OACAS learning curricula at their home agency. Agency-based facilitators provide training on agency time as part of their day-to-day duties. There is no contractual relationship nor is compensation provided to agency-based facilitators from OACAS for this role.
Although not the priority of this recruitment, OACAS also maintains a roster of sessional/contract facilitators. Sessional facilitators are contracted and compensated directly by OACAS to travel across the province to deliver training where scheduling gaps may exist. As sessional facilitators are compensated directly by OACAS, the expectation is that they engage in this work on their own time. To avoid possible conflicts of interest, we ask that facilitators choose either the agency-based facilitator or sessional facilitator path.
Candidates who can lend their time to this important curriculum, are encouraged to share their CV and a Letter of Endorsement (completed by their manager).
Successful candidates will be requested to train on as as-needed basis, and therefore may continue their current employment. Please note, training requests are occasional and may be infrequent.
APPLY ONLINE at
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=5504a194-52e8-4f07-ae3b-2acc61f702f0&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_CA by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday August 5th, 2025.
We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those considered for an interview will be contacted. OACAS is committed to building a diverse workforce representative of the communities we serve. We encourage and are pleased to consider applications from all qualified candidates, without regard to race, colour, citizenship, religion, sex, marital / family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, indigenous status, age or disability.
Accommodation at OACAS
We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier free. Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Applicants are required to make any accommodation requests for the application, interview or selection process known in advance by contacting the Human Resources Department at 416 987-3677 or hr@oacas.org*.*
Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the interview or selection process which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.