Gabriola Primary Care Network (PCN) - Indigenous Lead

Gabriola Primary Care Network (PCN) – Indigenous Lead

Position Description

Reports to: PCN Manager

Employment Type: This is a remote position with occasional in-person meetings on Gabriola Island as needed. Applicant does not need to live on Gabriola.

Location: Gabriola Island, Canada

Hours: 22.5 hrs weekly

Term: Temporary position for 1 year

Compensation: $45 hourly

Division Summary

The Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice (RRDFP) supports over 150 family physicians and nurse practitioners across 12 chapters in the province. Operating within four regional health authorities and the First Nations Health Authority, our members serve over 90 communities, including territories of 58 First Nations and Métis Chartered Communities. The Division is an independent non-profit society led by a Board of Directors who work with our staff, members, partners and communities to achieve our shared goal of innovative, accessible, and sustainable health services for thriving rural communities. More about our organization can be found here: divisionsbc.ca/rural-and-remote.

Position Summary

The Gabriola Primary Care Network (CRD PCN) is directly informed by a Ministry of Health approved PCN service plan. The PCN Service Plan focusses on improving access to primary care for Gabriola Island and with a particular focus on priority populations who have both current or historic barriers to accessing care or who have complex care needs. The PCN continues to build a network of health services which will support connecting patients and families to the healthcare providers they need. A Strategy of the Gabriola PCN is Improving Health Equity for Vulnerable Populations with a focus of improving care and improving primary care supports for First Nations/ Metis/Inuit community members. Leading this critical priority, the Indigenous Lead will support building cultural safety and humility across the PCN, support the Indigenous Communications Committee, and support Indigenous communities, organizations, and members in accessing culturally safe care in the Gabriola PCN.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategy with input from the PCN Steering Committee and the PCN Leadership Team to ensure cultural safety is embedded throughout the Primary Care Network.
• Engages with Gabriola PCN Steering Committee representatives, community members and service providers to reflect on local needs related to cultural safety practices in healthcare delivery, with a focus on lifelong learning and continuous improvement.
• Coordinates opportunities for service providers within the Primary Care Network, to support their journey in understanding cultural safety and humility, Indigenous-specific racism and applying their learnings to care and environment of care (e.g., creating welcoming and safe spaces).
• Provides strategic support to the PCN Steering Committee, to ensure that recommendations are captured and elevated.
• Collaborates with PCN leadership and the PCN Steering Committee to ensure productive two-way communication for effective implementation of PCN initiatives.
• Engage with Indigenous community members to support increased awareness and understanding of primary care access and service delivery.
• Support the identification of strengths and challenges from Indigenous perspectives and facilitate initiatives that address barriers and challenges to access to primary care for Indigenous clients.
• Collaborate and support the multidisciplinary teams within the Primary Care Network’s clinics, through participating in team meetings and partnership sessions.
• Collaborate with PCN Leadership, the PCN Steering Committee and Indigenous community members to support defining Nation-based or Indigenous approaches to care and coordinate capacity building as requested to improve access to care.
• Support preparation of reporting materials for project governance processes, draft and distribute project updates, communications, and summaries as required, assist with the development of project materials, summaries, and working documents.
• Support communications with project participants, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Qualification

• Minimum of two years' experience in project coordination or similar roles, ideally in healthcare, primary care or public sector environments.
• In depth understanding and knowledge of Indigenous culture, specifically the diverse Indigenous cultures within the Gabriola area.
• Preference will be given to candidates of Indigenous Ancestry.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to facilitate meaningful and respectful dialogue the creation of respectful relationships across the healthcare continuum.
• Ability for self-reflection and personal development and demonstrated humility.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships through Indigenous ways of communication and coming together.
• Demonstrated deep understanding of Canadian and Indigenous history, an understanding of the roots of harm (colonization and racism) and the ongoing harm related to historic and current colonial policies and structures.
• Demonstrated understanding of the TRC Calls to Action related to health and the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• Demonstrated lived and work experience with understanding and knowledge of Indigenous Health and Wellness, including but not limited to: knowledge of local Indigenous communities, including differences in respect to access to health services, health benefits and advocacy.
• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of health and wellness services available, to inform and bring awareness of services and supports to local Indigenous communities including, First Nations, urban Indigenous, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
• Understanding of the significance of incorporating traditional Indigenous perspectives and practices within healthcare and the associated complexities.
• Demonstrated awareness and understanding of lateral violence and tensions, rooted in colonization that affect the wellness of Indigenous communities.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment and collaboratively with a small team
• Flexible and adaptable to changing work demands
• Utilizes initiative, critical thinking and creative problem-solving ability to implement plans
• Excellent communication, administrative and organizational skills.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.