Job Summary:

The primary objective of the Family Connections Worker is to ensure that identified Metis children in the Agency’s care have the best possible opportunity for placement in either extended family or Metis family homes that will meet their cultural needs, support their Metis identity and connection to their community.

The Family Connections Worker will gather current and historical information about Metis children’s family and community for the purpose of cultural connections, relationships, and permanency. The Family Connections Worker assists Metis children and families to reconnect with their Indigenous community, family, and extended families. The Family Connections Worker collaborates with Social Workers and Planning Circle Facilitator to facilitate gatherings to develop plans to support Metis cultural connections for children and their families and to promote Metis cultural practices and traditions.

Reports to: Program Coordinator 2

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Gather current family information and history for genealogy/family finding
• Develop genograms for all identified referrals
• Gather information relevant to children and families’ cultural connection needs by reviewing files, interviewing, meeting with caregivers, and extended family. Uses a variety of inventories, checklists, and questionnaires to gather information.
• Assess the information gathered to identify family connections for children and families and to identify resources for family history and heritage information needs.
• Provide support and guidance to identified family members in building cultural and community connections for children and families.
• Provide support and feedback to families and extended families when working to build cultural connections for children and youth.
• Participate in care team meetings as required to support family and cultural connections for children and youth. As required, participates in the development of cultural connection plans with the care team.
• Assist the Planning Circle Facilitator and families in gathering the circle for the purpose of developing and strengthening family connections for children and families.
• Develop a strategy in collaboration with Social Workers and Planning Circle Facilitator to gather the circle.
• Plan and create presentations related to family and cultural connections for children and families
• Work collaboratively with Elders and Indigenous community members as needed.
• Liaise with other community service providers and professionals as required for the purpose of ensuring cultural connections for children and families.
• Maintain related records and statistics and provides reports to the supervisor.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications, Education and Experience:

• Bachelor of Social Work degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a related human/social service field or the equivalent in education and experience.
• Practical knowledge of child welfare and family support services in the community.
• One (1) years recent related experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Job Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent understanding and knowledge of Indigenous/Metis cultures, traditions and socio-economic issues affecting urban Indigenous families.
• Excellent oral, written, facilitation and interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with program staff, volunteers, and non-profit or publicly funded groups, agencies, and organizations.
• Knowledge of child development milestones.
• Self-directed and motivated to complete research with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated teamwork, good time management, job task planning and organizational skills
• Has computer knowledge and ability to use word documents and genogram programs

Additional Information:

• This position requires the ability to function independently frequently under pressure while managing multiple concurrent projects and deadlines including effectively managing emergency situations. Program delivery activities may require a moderate level of physical fitness to effectively carry out duties of the position.
• All employees are required to complete two hours of cultural learning per week.

Core Competencies:
Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies:

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Indigenous Centred Service Approach is a desire to serve Indigenous people, focusing one’s efforts on understanding their interests to increase the quality of the service and produce better outcomes. It implies a willingness to support Indigenous people in determining their own future. It involves demonstrating a welcoming demeanour, an attitude of helpful curiosity, and a willingness to enter the interaction or relationship without judgment or stereotyping. It means being open-minded and flexible in one’s attitudes toward people who are different from oneself and showing respect for the differences. It includes experiencing Indigenous people as strong, vital.

Behavioural Competencies

• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively with diverse teams, work groups, and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

• Planning, Organizing and Coordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities, and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization's mandate.

• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches/divisions, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations, and non-government organizations. It means focusing one’s efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.

• Results Orientation is a concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one’s own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (results orientation); challenging goals one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement).

• Seeking and Using Feedback involves recognizing that improving performance and authenticity can occur through a reciprocal relationship. This requires an acknowledgement that here is an opportunity for mutual learning and development and levels the field in what is brought to supervision. Reciprocal learning can require active listening and modeling personal change in order to foster trust.

• Decisive Insight combines the ability to draw on one’s own experience, knowledge and training and effectively problem-solve increasingly difficult and complex situations. It involves breaking down problems, tracing implications and recognizing patterns and connections that are not obviously related. It translates into identifying underlying issues and making the best decisions at the most appropriate time. At higher levels, the parameters upon which to base the decision become increasingly complex and ambiguous and call upon novel ways to think through issues

• Reflective Practice is the ability to critically assess how one’s values, beliefs, ethics and culture influence decisions and relationships. An ability to demonstrate exemplary behaviour and curiosity regarding the perspectives of others, results in appropriate boundaries and insightful practice.

• Responsive Learning is facilitated through multiple approaches to encourage a deepening and expanding of skill sets with a view to continuing to build expertise that result in improved individual and organization outcomes.

Rate of pay: JJEP Wage Grid Level 12: $29.17 to $33.49

Start date: July 15, 2026

Please apply for this position from our website at the following link: https://www.metisfamilyservices.ca/mfs/join-us/employment/

This position requires union membership.

Metis Family Services thanks all applicants for their interest in this career opportunity; however, only those considered for the position will be contacted.