CLINICAL SERVICES
We have actively been participating in the All Nation Health Partners’ Traditional Advisory Committee. This committee has been working to create a culturally safe environment and knowledgeable staff in hopes of diminishing barriers in health disparities.
Currently, we are continuing to experience staff shortages, like many healthcare settings in Canada. Although WNHAC staff have gone above and beyond, the demand for our services has become unsustainable. To ensure client safety, a 45-business day pause on new intakes in our Kenora Central Service Location has taken effect beginning June 13, 2022. We are actively recruiting in a variety of fields, see our employment opportunity page for more information!
HEALING SERVICES
Waashkootsi Nanaandawe’iyewigamig (Healing Lodge) has been renovated, both inside and out! New roof, siding, and a brand-new kitchen! The Mitiigomish Program’s 5 participants graduated early this month and the Agichigiizgoonsag Youth Wellness Program is working with youth on a birchbark canoe and learning to Skaabe for ceremonies. Our Emotional Wellness Workers continue their outreach work and have recently gifted skirts to those clients we serve (miigwech Nicole Anderson of Minode’e Co. for making these!). Virtual Beading Nights for Emotional Wellness with Darci of EverBead continue to be an amazing success, with our latest event having 30 participants!
This July, the Mitigomish Program will be put on pause to make space for smaller summer programming and events!
PROGRAM SERVICES
Teams have been participating in community events and promoting services this month! We have been highlighting cancer screening, diabetes education and emotional wellness. Health Promotion teamed up with Zaagi’idiwin to host a Full Spectrum Indigenous Doula Training with Anishinaabekwe of Treaty #3, with our goal to have doulas in each community in the area (and we’re well on our way!). Cultural Coordinators hosted our first Traditional Medicine Camp at Waashkootsi Nanaandawe’iyewigamig earlier this month. This was an enormous success, and we can’t wait for the years to come as participants learn, grow, and share their medicine knowledge. Miigwech to Kathy, Laura, Ken, and Carla for leading this year’s camp!
INTRODUCING WAASEGIIZHIG NANAANDAWE'IYEWIGAMIG'S
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SERENA JOSEPH
Giizhigo Ikwe (Sky Woman), Pizhiw Dodem (Lynx Clan), is a proud Anishinaabekwe with strong roots and connection to her homelands at Iskatewizaagegan 39 Independent First Nation (Shoal Lake 39) where she was raised.
Serena’s most rewarding learnings and achievements have come through her role as mom to Callie and Evan who remind her daily of what is truly important in life. Serena is happily married and living her best life with Calvin and their children. She enjoys participating in pow-wows, learning Anishinaabemowin, and sharing new experiences and road trips with her family and friends. Serena credits her mother for role-modeling a strong work ethic, strength, resilience, and living in kindness. Serena holds a diploma in Indigenous Wellness and Addictions Prevention from Confederation College, a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Learning from Lakehead University, a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, and will receive her Master’s in Leadership with a specialization in health from Royal Roads University later this year.
Her journey with Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig began 21 years ago when she started as a Community Facilitator/Support Worker engaging with residential school survivors. Through them, she became grounded in the huge impact the legacy of trauma has had on overall health and wellbeing. This grounding provided an excellent foundation for her next role as a Health Promoter. Taking on progressively more responsibility, Serena became a Team Lead, Acting Director of Client Services, and Program Manager before moving into the role of Acting Executive Director in 2021. Throughout her years with WNHAC, Serena has demonstrated leadership by example and gained the respect of everyone she has encountered. She is committed to relationship-based, traditional governance, and healing. Her goal is to achieve mino-bimaadiziwin through systems that are rooted in and reflect the resilience and resurgence of Anishinaabe culture and language.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
This is a casual position involving shift work, including weekends. The hostel operates 24/7 and provides a supportive environment for clients and family members requiring overnight accommodations; while accessing health care services in Kenora. Maintaining the cleanliness of the facility is a requirement of the position. The position may also involve client and family crisis management, and facilitating access to other WNHAC or community resources. We are seeking individuals who can be available on a casual or on-call basis to complete shift schedules or fill in temporary absences.
DEADLINE: Ongoing Recruitment
This position works as part of a team to support persons who have no other place to isolate while awaiting results of a COVID test, or after testing positive for COVID. The positions are part of the Isolation Centre team within a 24/7 operating environment.
DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
The position works collaboratively with a network of elders and healers, as well as WNHAC service providers, to offer wholistic care and cross-cultural education and support. Cultural Coordinators promote access to traditional health care options and assist the organization in our ongoing efforts to balance traditional and contemporary services that address the whole person.
DEADLINE: August 10th
The position will support community members and clients to address food security issues and adopt healthier eating habits and more active lifestyles to reduce risk factors for developing diabetes and other chronic diseases. The position will also increase the capacity for screening and early identification to reduce secondary impacts, and assist clients with self-management by supporting Health Promoters in their prevention roles, and providing direct services to clients.
DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
Health Promoters support minobimaadiziwin through proactive, wholistic health promotion activities coordinated in collaboration with WNHAC providers and member communities. The focus is on primary and secondary prevention of disease through healthy, positive lifestyles. The position involved extensive travel throughout the catchment area.
DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
Apply
This position will support our Supportive Housing Program. This program will use a cultural approach to help people attain housing. With an Indigenous approach, cultural assessments, and medicine wheel teachings, we hope to guide those in our program through their healing journey by providing safe housing. The program will also provide referrals to partner organizations. The Supportive Housing Program will operate in a 24/7 format with the possibility of shift work.
DEADLINE: August 10th
Apply
This position is the first point of contact for Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig clients and service delivery partners and provides support for one of four interprofessional teams.=
DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
Apply
This is a part-time position involving shift work, including weekends. The hostel operates 24/7 and provides a supportive environment for clients and family members requiring overnight accommodations; while accessing health care services in Kenora. Maintaining the cleanliness of the facility is a requirement of the position. The position may also involve client and family crisis management, and facilitating access to other WNHAC or community resources.
DEADLINE: August 10th
Apply
This position functions within the organization’s management and administration unit, reporting to the Human Resources Manager. The position must establish and maintain linkages with management, team members, supervisors, and individual employees to sustain appropriate communication. The purpose of the position is to support the organization’s human resources management capacity and is responsible for maintaining systems, processing, and supporting strategies for recruitment and retention of quality employees to carry out the centre’s mandate and strategic goals and objectives.
DEADLINE: August 10th
Apply
