Youth & Caregiver Engagement Coordinator, Mha

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.
Company : IWK Health
Req ID: 156219
Department/Program: Mental Health And Addictions , Mental Health & Addictions Program
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT ( 100% FTE) x 2 position(s)
Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: Non-union , Management/Non Union Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $ 34.0746 - $ 42.5932 /hour
Closing Date: May 11, 2023 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values , and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.
The Opportunity
Reporting to a Manager in Mental Health and Addictions and/or the Integrated Youth Services (IYS) Director, the Youth and Caregiver Engagement Coordinator will engage and collaborate with teams, communities and services across the MHA program, youth serving organizations, key community partners and all IYS services across NS. The Youth and Caregiver Engagement Coordinator will support young people and caregivers who are accessing mental health and addictions services offered by our program(s) so they can be provided with opportunities to be meaningfully engaged in planning, co-design, implementation, and evaluation of all clinical services, and research and evaluation initiatives. The Youth and Caregiver Engagement Coordinator will contribute to and sustain an innovative and creative overall engagement program through facilitating recruitment of youth and caregiver advisors, training, and ongoing mentorship of advisors, and developing diverse mechanisms for young people and caregivers in the local community to participate.
Hours of Work
Monday – Friday (37.5 hours per week). Flexible work hours required at times.
Your Qualifications

• Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with key community partners, groups and community service organisations.
• Knowledge of participatory engagement frameworks and role of lived expertise in health service planning
• Demonstrated capability with contemporary technologies and social media including cyber-safe and ethical practices in online spaces.
• Ability to facilitate and sustain motivation and enthusiasm for service participation among young people and their caregivers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Social Work or Public Relations required.
• Candidates who bring an equivalent combination of lived experience, education, training, and/or work experience are encouraged to apply, as well as those with experience and expertise gained from unpaid and unrecognized labour.
• Demonstrates a high level of confidentiality and professionalism, and ability to deal with sensitive issues with tact, diplomacy, and compassion.
• Demonstrated ability in working with a diverse range of young people and caregivers, particularly within a mental health/addictions or health promotion framework.
• Knowledge of the stepped care model and continuum of mental health and addictions services
• Experience coordinating volunteers and/or coordinating youth-informed projects preferably within a mental health/addictions service setting.
• Knowledge of mental health and addiction issues, impact of trauma recovery process and how this can impact young person and their family
• Effective communication and facilitation skills including conflict resolution and consensus building.
• Strong critical thinking, judgement and decision-making skills are required.
• Ability to multi-task when required, deal with conflicting priorities, and coordinate projects to deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience in Mental Health and Addiction services preferred
• Competencies in other languages an asset
• Knowledge and awareness in Equity, Diversity Inclusion, Reconciliation and Accessibility informed approaches
• Knowledge and experience and child of youth populations and services
• Strong knowledge of IWK Health, IWK Mental Health and Addictions program and youth serving organizations and partners across the province
• Willingness to participate in continuous improvement processes with transparency, curiosity, and integrity.
• Knowledge of project management and demonstrated capacity to complete projects
• Demonstrated commitment to family/person-centred care, privileging of first voice expertise, and creating environments that advance equity, inclusion, respect, and social justice.

T hank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Management/Non Union bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials. Additionally, as per Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Vaccine mandate, any offer of employment will be conditional upon submitting proof of full vaccination status. Medical exceptions or any other kind of requested exception based upon the Health Centre’s obligations pursuant to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Code will be considered on a case-by-case basis
I f you are an employee of IWK Health , please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.