Thompson residents have a new opportunity to help shape Indigenous-led care in the city. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) is hiring a Director of Wellbriety, Transitional Housing and Protective Care Services, with applications closing August 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM.
The role will oversee three distinct programs run by MKO in Thompson: the Wellbriety Centre, the Transitional Housing Program, and the Protective Care Unit. The position is based in Thompson and requires at least seven years of progressive leadership experience and five years of senior management experience, including overseeing 24-hour operations.
The Wellbriety Centre has been under MKO management since July 2023, when the organization took over the former Thomson Healing Centre and renamed it. The facility offers 44 pre-transitional beds and 25 emergency shelter beds, plus an overflow warming shelter at the Polaris 5 building. Services follow Housing First and harm reduction principles.
The new director will also guide the Protective Care Unit, which operates under Manitoba’s Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act. This law, passed in 2025, allows highly intoxicated people to be held for up to 72 hours instead of 24, a response to the methamphetamine crisis.
The position comes at a critical time for Thompson. A 2024 Point-in-Time Count found 215 people experiencing homelessness in the city, with 95 percent identifying as Indigenous or having Indigenous ancestry. MKO represents 26 Northern First Nations and is led by Grand Chief Garrison Settee, now in his third term.
Applications for the Director of Wellbriety, Transitional Housing and Protective Care Services are due by August 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM. Details are available on the MKO employment opportunity page.
