Johanna D. Simo

To secure a full time/part-time position working with families and the community in a supportive role

Throughout my life, I have worked closely with many social workers both personally and professionally assisting friends, family and Indigenous community members to access and secure services and supports in a social service capacity. Through these efforts I have come to find my passion for working with vulnerable individuals and families. My expertise is in trauma counseling techniques with the focused on resolving conflicts through mediation, motivating others into personalized action plans that work for them. My passion lies in working with concurrent disorder clients/ service users, FASD, victims of violence, survivors of trauma and playing a vital role in supports. I have found this an enriching and wonderful experience for me. Through my passion for helping people, I have come to realize the impact I have in helping the most vulnerable population make positive life changes. I am a responsible and motivated student ready to apply education in the workplace. Offers excellent applications, ability to handle challenging work, and excellent time management skills. Recent graduate with excellent research, technical, and problem-solving skills. Detail-oriented and able to learn new concepts quickly. I want to thank you for taking the time to get to know a little about me and who I am.

• Developed strong leadership skills through school activities, summer camping programs with youth and firsthand experiences through community volunteering
• Growing up with a sibling who has suffered from a mental afflictions/drug addictions which has taught me patience and understanding as well as coping skills
• Learned great management skills working with others
• Have gained better respect and understanding for those affected with mental disabilities and or barriers
• Relevant know how into helping women and youth in crisis finding their voice, strength and to advocate for their needs
• Gained a respected learning of social, mental, physical, spiritual, emotional health as well as addictions and the experiences throughout life journeys of others and the supports that are needed.

• I grew up in a violent and abusive home alongside with a brother who suffers from Epilepsy and Schizophrenia, this personal experience has allowed me to learn the important values of human life and its perception of the world from a different point of view. This work has taught me humility, respect, and admiration. It has also taught me patience and forgiveness. My responsibilities extending to my brother's wellbeing goes as follows:
• Giving his medications on time
• Being there to help him in school
• Helping him with his chores
• Taking him to school, volunteer, programming, social activities, sports and to any of these appointments regarding health and fitness and social skills, connecting with agencies in support of his life and well-being. Community Living.
• Teaching him to shop for personal needs & food etc., cooking, personal hygiene, paying bills, rent.
• Helping him to attain his own living establishments
• With care and positivity, have been able to help my brother with the proper resources and with Epilepsy Toronto, family doctors, specialists and the help of other professionals have been able to bring my brother in from being homeless and in shelters to a warm inviting home to call his own
• Coping skills with his mental health and substance use (youth into adulthood) This is only some of the work that I have helped oversee in the care of my brother as well as some of the care that I have done with him one on one.

Dear Sirs/Madams Please accept this cover letter and resume as my formal application. You will see from my resume that I have experience working in agency environments that supports the community who accesses human support services. My professional goal is to assist the community by demonstrating the skills and experience I have learned as an Indigenous woman, within both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. In addition to my practical experiences, I have strong leadership, interpersonal and communication skills. My experience is complemented by my formal training in the Toronto Hostels Worker Program as well as "on the job experiences" within the Indigenous and Western work force, my education, and my life experiences. I have worked closely within the Indigenous community and have established well-rounded relationships with the community members and their families over the last 25 years. I have done my placement hours within the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto in the Holistic Team under Stephanie Hill and with Val Kerr at the Galloway site on Tuesdays for Culture Night. I have recently graduated with Honors for my Social Services Worker Diploma, which also carries a minor in Mental Health & Addictions certificate at First Nations Technical Institute & Canadore College. I am a current sutuden in Mental Health & Addictions fast track program: Graduating in June for 2024. I know I am well suited for this position, and I look forward to meeting you personally to discuss my qualifications in greater detail. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Thank you, CHI MIIGWETCH, NAI:WEN, Kind Regards, Johanna D. Simo-Woman Who Walks with the White Buffalo

I am an Indigenous mother of four, and a grandmother of two. I have been working and volunteering within my Indigenous communities all throughout Turtle Island (Ontario) for over 25 years. I am passionate about working in the field of Mental Health & Addictions and serving my communities. I am an active outdoors person who loves to go into nature and actively do medicine picking (foraging), hiking, canoeing, and bringing community members out onto the land for teachings and healing work through the importance of reconnecting to the earth and reestablishing a relationship with self.

2005 to current, Volunteering in various Indigenous communities, cultural events, gatherings and individual one on one sessions.

• Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care Certificate 2023
• Creating Psychological Safety in the Work place Certificate 2012
• Toronto Hostels Training Centre 2011 Hostel Workers Standards Certificate; Youth workers Standards Certificate; WHMIS Certificate Courses: Exploring Urban Aboriginal Issues; Documentation Certificate; Anti-Racism Introduction Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills; Transgender/Transsexual Awareness Mental Health: An Overview; Introduction to Substance Use; Ontario HIV and Substance Use Training Program
• Pre-Employment Skills Development Program 2010 Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment & TrainiWork Place Certificate 2012

• Graduated Social Services Worker Program with Honors, GPA 3.80 June/2023
• Certificate - Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care 12/8/2023

• Avid outdoors person, forager, gardener, herbal medicine picking-canning-preservation-uses- bark teas, hiking, swimming, tobogganing
• Puzzle building & Games night with family, friends and community weekly
• Arts & Crafts such as knitting, painting, creative writing, drawing, painting
• Canoeing & Kayaking
• Camping, Fishing, Traditional Trapping, field dressing, hide preservation and tanning of skins.
• Indigenous crafting - Rattle making, drum making, sewing/ beading/jewelry, lanyard making, moccasins, etc.