Mobile Outreach Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Nurse Practitioner (NP) to join the Primary Care team at Klala Lelum Health and Wellness Cooperative. This is an exceptional opportunity for an individual passionate about working towards our shared goals of decolonizing healthcare and promoting health and wellness equity in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). Kilala Lelum aims to provide access to primary care, Allied Health services, and Elder-led cultural care to new and existing members (patients) through an outreach based, culturally safe, trauma-informed, member-centered, and harm reduction approach.

As an NP working in an environment dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, Kilala Lelum NPs work as part of an interprofessional community health team. This team aims to provide culturally-safe and effective primary care that is strengths-based, inclusionary, and flexible for all individuals, including those living with mental illness, substance use disorder, concurrent conditions, and/or have been impacted by trauma, poverty, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Our goal is to meet the needs of members holistically and provide access to services and supports across the care continuum.

Kilala Lelum NPs should embrace the patient medical home+ model of care and commit to a style of practice that upholds the core values of Kilala Lelum, which include: the promotion of equity and wellness, respect, kindness, and centering Indigenous cultures and knowledge alongside conventional medical training.

Kilala Lelum NPs will make explicit efforts to establish and maintain trusting relationships with members and their families and the urban Indigenous community more broadly. Kilala Lelum NPs are encouraged and supported to participate in teaching and continuing education activities.

Kilala Lelum NPs will provide evidence-based primary care treatment based on best practice guidelines and individual members needs. Kilala Lelum NPs are expected to collaborate/partner with our team of Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The aim is to facilitate the inclusion of Indigenous health and wellness practices, approaches, and medicines within the primary care setting, recognizing the structural racism inherent in the historical and ongoing colonial context.

In collaboration with the Kilala Lelum interdisciplinary health team, Kilala Lelum NPs will work primarily with the Mobile Outreach Program, which offers primary care and Indigenous wellness programs on an outreach basis. Kilala Lelum NPs practices will be a mix of health centre-based, targeted outreach, and mobile clinic-based practice.

Qualifications & Skills:

Kilala Lelum NPs will have a current applicable registration with the BC College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) and have completed a BCCNM-approved Masters degree Nurse Practitioner program. Preference will be given to candidates who identify as Indigenous and/or have experience working with Indigenous peoples. Experience working with people who are homeless or precariously housed and/or individuals who experience marginalization based on gender and social status is an asset.

Kilala Lelum NPs will have expert knowledge of inner-city primary care, substance use disorders, trauma and violence-informed approaches, and adult education principles, methods, and tools. A commitment to ongoing professional development in and the practice of Indigenous cultural safety and trauma-informed care is an expectation. Kilala Lelum NPs must work effectively within a team environment and communicate effectively with coworkers, Indigenous patients, and their families.

Kilala Lelum NPs are expected to work with individuals with diverse backgrounds, adjust to new or unexpected events, deal with and/or guide others in resolution of conflict issues, and provide consultation, leadership, and work direction.

Kilala Lelum NPs must have an acceptable Criminal Record Check and be in good standing with the BCCNM.

Working Conditions:

Work will be completed at the Primary Care clinic at 626 Powell Street as well as various outreach locations in and around the DTES. The NP will work one day per week at the Primary Care clinic and will spend 2-3 days/week doing outreach-based primary care with the Mobile Outreach Program.

Supervision Provided:

This position is supervised by the Primary Care Co-Leads with support from the Primary Care team, Administrative Lead, and Executive Director.

Additional Information:

• Working hours to be determined based on program needs and to meet requirements of 0.6-1.0 FTE (24-40 hours/week).
• This position can be shared with other NPs.
• Ideal start date is late October or early November 2023.
• This position is VCH funded and wage aligned with VCHs NP wage grid.
• Kilala Lelum Health and Wellness Cooperative is committed to equity and diversity, and we encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or membership or self-identification as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

To Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Your cover letter should outline your interest in this specific role, and how your background and experience make you a good fit. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.