The Women’s Rural Resource Centre is seeking a compassionate, relationship-focused Indigenous Counsellor & Outreach Support to join our Direct Care Team.
Reporting to the Executive Director, this position provides culturally safe, trauma-informed counselling, advocacy, outreach, and practical support to Indigenous women and family members accessing WRRC services within the community and Emergency Shelter. Grounded in a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, the role brings together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing to support healing, wellness, safety, and self-determination.
Key responsibilities
- Provide culturally safe, trauma-informed one-on-one counselling, crisis intervention, safety planning, advocacy, referrals, and participant-centred case management.
- Help participants navigate healthcare, housing, legal, income-support, child-welfare, and community-service systems.
- Facilitate circles, support groups, and culturally grounded wellness programming.
- Build relationships with Indigenous organizations, housing providers, legal services, and community partners.
- Support WRRC’s Transitional Housing & Support Program through outreach, housing stabilization, legal advocacy, service coordination, and system navigation.
- Collaborate with WRRC’s counselling, shelter, outreach, housing, and advocacy staff to provide coordinated and holistic support.
- Maintain confidential participant documentation and contribute to program reporting and data collection.
- Participate in WRRC’s on-call team and provide occasional after-hours support.
Qualifications and experience
- Post-secondary education in Social Services, Community Services, Human Services, Indigenous Studies, Addictions and Mental Health, Social Work, Counselling, or a related field is an asset.
- Equivalent combinations of education, lived experience, cultural or traditional knowledge, and relevant work experience will be considered.
- At least two years of experience in counselling, outreach, advocacy, case management, housing support, or direct-support services.
- Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, and their impacts on women and families.
- Demonstrated understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, teachings, worldviews, and approaches to healing.
- Knowledge of colonization, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, intergenerational trauma, systemic racism, and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.
- Experience working with Indigenous individuals, families, communities, or organizations is strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of housing supports, community resources, legal advocacy, and system navigation.
- Ability to work independently in community settings while contributing to a collaborative team.
Position details
Term: Part-time, two-year contract
Hours: 30 hours per week, four days per week
Location: WRRC’s office, Emergency Shelter, and community settings in and around Strathroy, Ontario. Some travel and evening hours may be required.
WRRC is committed to accessible employment practices. Accommodations are available upon request throughout the recruitment and selection process.
We strongly encourage applications from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis candidates. Given the Indigenous-specific counselling responsibilities of this role and the population served, preference may be given to qualified Indigenous applicants in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. We value lived experience and cultural knowledge alongside formal education and professional experience.
