Social Worker – Yaqan Nukiy (Creston, BC)

Social Worker – Yaqan Nukiy (Creston, BC)

Full-Time/Permanent – 35 hours/week


Who We Are:  Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child & Family Service Society (KKCFSS) is a non-profit Delegated Aboriginal Agency governed by the Ktunaxa Nation Council Social Sector Board. KKCFSS is available to Ktunaxa citizens, First Nations, Métis and Inuit living on and off-reserve in the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory.

KKCFSS believes in a holistic approach to providing services with some fundamental beliefs:

  • Healthy communities make healthy children.
  • Children are the future of our, and all, nations.
  • Children have the right to a safe, secure and culturally appropriate family and community experience.
  • Children have the right to grow up connected to their family, community and culture.
  • Families have the right to culturally relevant services.


The Opportunity:

The Social Worker functions as part of a multi-disciplinary team of professional specialists who are dedicated to the empowerment and well-being of Aboriginal peoples. Specifically, the Social Worker is entrusted to:

  • Assist families and communities, through the provision of supports, to ensure children thrive and are safe with the goal of maintaining the family unit.
  • Assess safety of Aboriginal children.
  • Enter into agreements for alternate care of children.
  • When there is no other means to ensure the safety of children, remove children to ensure protection.
  • Present oral and written reports/testimony to court.
  • Act of guardian for children where family and/or community are not able to.
  • Where safety cannot be ensured assess and approve alternate care arrangements for children.
  • Provide support and monitor alternate care homes (kinship care homes, foster homes, etc.).
  • Facilitate support services to youth.


In the Role as Social Worker, You Will:

  • Coordinate and conduct child protection assessments and investigations for all Aboriginal children on and off reserve.
  • Manage highly sensitive and confidential information on a daily basis – determining what information can/ cannot be shared with clients, community members, collaterals, leadership, other systems (i.e. schools, doctors, RCMP).
  • Provide ongoing Family Support and Child Protection Services to children and their families including initiating referrals to other KKCFS staff and external agencies. Provide family and community support services with goal of supporting and maintaining family units.
  • On an ongoing basis assess client functioning and risk to children.
  • Formulate and implement casework plans.
  • Prepare children and families and required documents for court.
  • Attend and give evidence in family and young offender court.
  • Support and monitor temporary and permanent placements of children in care.
  • Use a variety of approaches/strategies to achieve desired outcomes gained through extensive knowledge of approaches to working with families.
  • Coordinate family meetings upon request by families, community members, KKCFS staff, and Ministry of Children and Family Development staff.
  • Coordinate joint meetings between community, leadership, Métis and other Aboriginal organization staff and KKCFS staff.


What You Will Bring to the Role:

  • Undergraduate degree in Social Work or related field.
  • Eligible for full delegation under the Child, Family and Community Service Act.
  • 2 years’ experience working with families at risk (equivalency and other positions that work with child rotection).
  • 2 years’ experience working with Aboriginal communities.
  • Extensive knowledge of aboriginal issues both historical and current in British Columbia.
  • Knowledge of ethics and professional approaches in resolving ethical dilemmas.
  • Be a positive community role model.
  • Work in ways which empower and build capacity among individuals and communities.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with other staff as well as other inter-disciplinary partners in both the aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities.
  • Excellent communication skills, including written, oral and computer skills.
  • Maintain confidentiality.
  • Ability to ensure personal and client’s safety.
  • Ability to deal effectively with disclosures of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
  • Ability to deal effectively with conflict and apply dispute resolution and problem solving and negotiating skills in an effective and problem solving manner.
  • Problem solving skills and strategies – ability to engage individuals presenting strong emotions and at times resistance to the involvement of social workers.
  • Willingness to analyze approaches used with families, to learn from mistakes, and to explore alternative strategies to working with families.
  • Valid BC driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.
  • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
  • Healthy communities make healthy children.
  • Children are the future of our, and all, nations.
  • Children have the right to a safe, secure and culturally appropriate family and community experience.
  • Children have the right to grow up connected to their family, community and culture.
  • Families have the right to culturally relevant services.


Our Commitment to You:

  • Excellent compensation package.
  • Generous and flexible time off options unique to KKCFSS, promoting work life family balance.
  • Education and professional development opportunities.
  • Salary Range $66,550-$80,938.
  • Healthy communities make healthy children.
  • Children are the future of our, and all, nations.
  • Children have the right to a safe, secure and culturally appropriate family and community experience.
  • Children have the right to grow up connected to their family, community and culture.
  • Families have the right to culturally relevant services.


Apply Now!  Visit  https://kkcfss.org/ for more information about this Agency, and https://foundrybc.ca/eastkootenay/ to learn more about the East Kootenay Foundry.


Please submit your cover letter and resume to:
Tasy Strouzas, HR Manager
Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Service Society
7472 Mission Road
Cranbrook, BC V1C 7E5
kkcfss-hr@ktunaxa.org


Preference will be given to candidates of Ktunaxa or other First Nations ancestry.  If you are a Ktunaxa citizen who is interested in this opportunity but do not feel you have the necessary qualifications, please contact the Ktunaxa Nation Council Education and Employment Sector.


We thank those who apply; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.