Community and Cultural Liaison

Roles and Responsibilities: Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Community and Cultural Liaison is responsible for ensuring services are provided in a victim-centric, culturally safe, respectful, and/or inclusive manner. This position is part of a team of Centralized Professional Support Staff (CPSS) that perform the core administrative functions of the organization. Duties of this position include: Contribute as an integral member of the CPSS team: Administrative duties as a core member of the leadership team, including attending meetings and consulting on agency business as required.

Consult and provide support to the CEO on cultural safety, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility matters (e.g., policy, investigations, hiring practices, etc.). Collaborate and coordinate with other regional Community and Cultural Liaison on cultural safety, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility policies, practices, and initiatives. Fulfill requirements of the Program and Funding Agreement as it pertains to assigned portfolio, including performance indicators and reporting requirements.

Address and incorporate constructive feedback from stakeholders to ensure continuous improvement of services. Develop EDI and accessibility practices and policies for the RVSS: Perform research and data analysis to understand the demographics and cultural needs, preferences, and concerns of victims across the Service Delivery Region. Learn and apply best practices and innovative approaches to address social and community issues.

Develop policies, guidelines, and resources for culturally safe service provision and communication with victims. Ensure all service delivery locations comply with cultural safety principles and practices. Identify and monitor safe meeting spaces outside of the RCMP detachments.

Manage the procurement and distribution of cultural artifacts and resources, as appropriate. Relationship building with community support agencies and cultural partners: Coordinate community outreach activities to initiate and foster relationships with partner agencies. Act as the primary contact for relationship building with marginalized, minority groups and diversity partners.

Act as the primary contact for Government of Alberta Indigenous Programs (e.g., MMIWG initiatives and FILU) (in conjunction with the CEO). Collaborate and develop positive partnerships with: o Government of Alberta Victim Services and other Ministries/Branches (e.g., Children’s Services) o Police agencies o Courts o Municipal and Indigenous Victim Services Units o Specialized victim serving organizations (e.g., Sexual Assault Centres, Child Advocacy Centres, etc.) o Other community agencies and organizations that support victims of crime (e.g., women’s shelters, cultural groups) o Communities and Municipalities o Victims Attend and participate in community events; advocate, educate and bring awareness to the impacts of victimization and the needs and issues of victims. Ensure meaningful services and referrals for victims: Lead the development and maintenance of a list of appropriate and relevant victim supporting agencies in the Service Delivery Region.

Facilitate the development of partnership agreements with other specialized and/or community-based victim serving organizations to ensure efficacy of service delivery (e.g., minimize crossover and duplication of efforts), in conjunction with the CEO. Assist with referrals to diversity partners (e.g., cultural agencies, language supports, etc.) to support daily operations and/or crisis situations. Facilitate the development of mechanisms for communication, services and supports to meet the diverse needs of victims (e.g., language translation, accessibility accommodations, etc.).

May provide direct services and supports to victims, as required. Facilitate staff training and development: Assist with staff onboarding and training, as required. Develop and deliver training programs centred on cultural safety, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Arrange informational presentations and/or learning opportunities with partner organizations. Build and maintain a library of resources pertaining to cultural safety, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Support staff in planning, coordinating, and evaluating special programs/events, including peer training and wellness/engagement initiatives.

Other: Pursue continual learning by participating in educational opportunities such as in-services and training programs (internal and external). Maintain functional knowledge of provincial legislation and processes. Keep current and engage in continual learning and developmental opportunities on victim services best practices including front-line service delivery.

Be helpful, respectful, approachable and team oriented, building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. Qualifications: 4 years of post-secondary education in Social Sciences, Political Science, Gender Studies, Indigenous Studies, Cultural Studies, Education, Organizational Development, Leadership or a related field from a recognized post-secondary institution (degree preferred). and Minimum of 3 years experience in the community/partnership development field, including doing needs assessments, community engagement, strategy development, implementation, continuous improvement, and working with a broad range of stakeholders, preferably related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and vulnerable populations. Note: Equivalencies of a combination of education and directly related experience may be considered to meet the minimum requirements.

Assets: Skilled in multidisciplinary teamwork, community and organizational development and project management. Knowledge of diversity and inclusion policy/initiatives, social programs, community resources and victim serving organizations in the Service Delivery Region. Prior experience in building community collaborations and partnerships, including development of Memorandums of Understanding or other partnership agreements.

Experience in engaging a diverse range of stakeholders to build strong partnerships to gain support for positive change and action around diversity issues particularly vulnerable and under-represented populations (e.g., First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, new immigrants, elderly adults etc.). Highly developed written and verbal communication skills with the ability to be confident, clear, respectful and sensitive. Demonstrated skill in developing and sustaining relationships, multi-stakeholder collaboration, engaging communities, project management, meeting facilitation.

Ability to facilitate and implement creative, innovative and proactive strategies and actions to address social issues. Strong leadership and conflict resolution skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Excellent organizational, time management and prioritization skills.

Demonstrated ability to achieve results in the context of a respectful, inclusive and service-minded style. Embrace the philosophies of cultural safety, equity, diversity and inclusion, and foster an environment that encourages others to do the same. Knowledge of First Nations, Inuit and Metis history, traditional culture, political structures, Truth and Reconciliation and context specific to First Nations, Inuit and Metis people in the Service Delivery Region.

Experience in program development, group facilitation, and adult learning principles. Computer literacy, including effective working skills of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook required. Additional Requirements: Enhanced criminal record check for the vulnerable sector is mandatory for all new hires.

This check must be current and clear, completed within 90 days of the hire date. o Note: As part of our recruitment process, we initiate the enhanced criminal record check. Therefore, candidates are advised not to pursue security clearances independently. RCMP security clearance (reliability check) may be required.

Valid class 5 driver’s license (or provincial equivalent). Online Victim Services Training, including Cultural Safety will be provided upon commencement. Salary: $68,000.00-$72,000.00/year – base salary plus a benefits package and pension or retirement savings plan ( Note: The RVSS benefits package and retirement plan are currently under development and more information will be available in the future.) Please submit your application to: careerssarvss.ca and clearly indicate in the subject line that you are applying for the ‘Community and Cultural Liaison’ position.