Indigenous Patient Navigator

Are you passionate about walking alongside Indigenous patients and families to support their health and wellness journey in a culturally safe and respectful way? This position calls for someone who has experience working with Indigenous communities and can build meaningful connections while bringing an understanding of self-governance and a trauma-responsive approach to care. In this role, you’ll help bridge Indigenous ways of knowing and being with the healthcare system, ensuring that each person’s experience is grounded in dignity, trust, and cultural safety.

If this sounds like you, we invite you to join our dedicated team in beautiful Vernon, BC, located within sylix territory.

• An attractive remuneration package
• Excellent career prospects
• Employer paid training/education
• Employer paid vacation
• Employer paid insurance premiums
• Extended Health & Dental coverage
• Municipal Pension Plan
• Work-life balance

• Ceremonial, Cultural, Spiritual Leave
• Indigenous Employee Network
• Indigenous Employee Voices Committee

The salary range for this position is $69,218 (min) to $86,522 (midpoint) to $99,501 (max) per annum, based on 1.0 FTE. Interior Health typically establishes salaries within the minimum and midpoint of the salary range based on qualifications, experience of the applicant, and an internal equity review of the salaries of other employees.

In accordance with the established vision and values of the organization, the Indigenous Patient Navigator (IPN) works as part of the Interdisciplinary Care Team and as required, acts as a resource for both Indigenous clients and healthcare providers to ensure the provision of care is culturally safe and client centered. The IPN works with Indigenous people located in the assigned Interior Health (IH) service area across varying sectors of health (e.g., acute care, residential services, mental health, public health, and home health services), depending on the local service area.

• Provides consultative and navigational services for health professionals, the community, and clients to understand and identify client needs by supporting cultural interpretation and/or health literacy translation services and by supporting culturally competent practice (e.g., access, system barriers, and navigation challenges).
• Provides support and acts as a resource, as required, for healthcare providers, including primary healthcare physicians, regarding the provision of culturally safe care. Coordinates client/family spiritual care requests and/or access to sacred spaces within the healthcare system to support Indigenous beliefs and customs. Coordinates and provides community resources and connections to Indigenous spiritual services as required.
• Provides client support services within the hospital care system/community by initiating and maintaining working relationships with Indigenous clients to assess their needs and ability to access and receive culturally safe care. Supports clients, as requested in the assigned service area, to understand, access, and navigate acute care, home health, community, mental health, addictions, chronic disease, and public health services. Assists clients in addressing their concerns by linking with the IH complaint process.
• At the client or healthcare provider’s request, the IPN provides client support services related to discharge planning by participating in the discharge planning process, including assisting in the early identification and assessment of clients’ needs and liaising with the appropriate community and IH program and services (e.g., mental health, addictions, and/or other IPN or community…