Regional Suicide Prevention Manager

About this position

ABOUT US:    

Founded in 1918, The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a national charity that helps maintain and improve mental health for all Canadians. As a nation-wide leader and champion for mental health and addiction, we help people access the community resources they need to build resilience and support recovery from mental illness and/or addiction. Mental health, substance use and addictive behaviour are within the scope of CMHA BC Division, and we provide a wide range of innovative services and supports tailored to and in partnership with our diverse communities.

ABOUT THE ROLE:    

You are a leader with expertise in communication and facilitation and have a deep understanding of mental health services in the Southern Vancouver Island region. You have the familiarity and ability to engage a diverse array of local, regional, provincial, and national stakeholders, including but not limited to municipal and provincial governments. You are highly skilled at providing strategic advice in complex situations, and you thrive in a changing environment.

You engage and work collaboratively with others to determine long-term strategic goals, and emphasize and uphold the importance of including people with lived and living experience in your work. You are a proactive and solution focused project manager that values transparency to develop and enhance programs and policies. You are a mental health advocate that validates the experiences of others and you uphold and embody the values of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The Canadian Mental Health Association will build upon community expertise to implement and test proven suicide prevention interventions starting with the Westshore and Sooke communities. The goals of the project would include developing a set of evidence based best practices and suicide prevention guidelines and tools to support implementing suicide prevention activities across Canada.

This Regional Suicide Prevention Manager provides a vital link between their respective site and the national project, assisting in facilitating the development and implementation of the Suicide Prevention Research Demonstration Project in their province as well as the sustainability of the suicide prevention services demonstrated to be effective during the project. The Regional Suicide Prevention Manager assists with local budget planning and expenditure monitoring throughout the project.

 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES    

Under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer at CMHA BC Division with accountabilities to a regional consortium of agencies, organizations, and structures.

•    Acts as a key communication link between the MHCC and members of the local group including service providers, researchers and government officials regarding all aspects of the project, i.e. administration, research, service, communication, and knowledge exchange.
•    Facilitates the project planning and implementation process in collaboration with local players.
•    Works to leverage MHCC resources with local resources that can contribute to the project’s success.
•    Brings knowledge of local context and service delivery capacity into central planning processes.
•    Participates as a key player in local and national planning, management and decision making.
•    Works collaboratively with all members of the National project team including Community Coordinators 
from other provincial/territorial sites.
•    Organizes local forums for consultation regarding project design, implementation and the interpretation 
and communication of results.
•    Ensures the participation of persons with lived experience in all aspects of the project.
•    Establishes, supports and chairs a Local Advisory Committee for the project that includes persons with
lived experience, service providers and key government decision makers in provincial/territorial ministries responsible for suicide prevention.
•    Provides oversight to the local project and ensures all local project and contract deliverables are met.
•    Participates as a member of national groups and calls as required.
•    Responsible for recommending adjustments to annual service operating budgets and monitoring
performance and related program expenditures to ensure compliance with financial guidelines,
contractual obligations and performance targets.
•    Liaises with provincial and municipal governments to elicit involvement and plan for sustainability.
•    Is the first line for problem solving, conflict remediation and coordination of the multiple interests involved in the local sites?
•    In consultation with the MHCC, may respond to media requests and provide interviews for local media
regarding the local project.
•    Keeps the Project Administrator and Project Lead informed regarding emerging issues and local
challenges that may impact the success of the project including meeting of timelines/deadlines.

You will manage the selection, hiring and training of new employees in your areas of responsibility. You will also plan, assign and direct work; conduct regular performance appraisals; address employee performance issues and take corrective action. In all aspects of this role, apply the Association’s Framework for Support and Diversity in all assignments.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE    

Desired Education & Experience:
•    A minimum Bachelor’s degree in Health and Social Services, Behavioral Sciences or Public Administration
•    Master’s degree preferred

Required Experience:
•    Credible leader with experience in complex planning and project development that includes multiple stakeholders, including academics, service providers and consumers.
•    Project management experience/training an asset.
•    Public speaking and the ability to engage the media (TV, radio or written) clearly and professionally.
•    Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a comparable role:
•    In the non-profit sector, ideally in a health, mental health or substance use context
•    Working compassionately and ethically with people with lived and living experience from all walks of life, including populations that face greater health inequities
•    As a leading member in complex multi-agency collaborative
Required Knowledge of:
•    Keen awareness and understanding of challenges in the local context.
•    In depth knowledge of local context as it pertains to suicide prevention, life promotion and mental health and wellness issues?

Skills and Abilities:
•    Ability to assess capacity, identify readiness of stakeholders
•    Demonstrated ability to engage and collaborate with community including government officials.
•    Ability to engage multiple stakeholders with varied goals and interests and facilitate their joining together to achieve a common goal.
•    Strong communication and facilitation skills.
•    Solid relationships with key policy and service organizations that will contribute to and learn from project.
•    Well versed in the relevant political, social and clinical knowledge bases.
•    Appreciation of value of evidence informed decision making and special properties associated with research demonstration project.
•    Proactive/solution-focused attitude.
•    Recognizes potential obstacles and works to resolve them within set timelines.
•    Understands the needs of others.
•    Flexible and open to change.
•    Conscientious and precise delivery of work even when under pressure.

WORKING CONDITIONS    

•    37.5 hours per week. This is a management position and is not subject to regular overtime policies. Flexibility to travel.
•    Flexible working schedule – available in non-core hours relative to assignments.
•    Performance will be reviewed annually by the CEO.
•    The Manager is an excluded role subject to the Compensation Reference Plan Salary Schedule of Health Employers Association of BC. 
•    This full-time position will have a home base at the CMHA Victoria Office. However, given the regional nature of the role, there will be an opportunity for the incumbent to work out of the offices of partners on the West Shore and Sooke.

HOW TO APPLY:    

Please submit your resume along with a cover letter, clearly documenting how you satisfy the requirements outlined in this job posting to cmha.careers@cmha.bc.ca. by 5 p.m. November 12, 2021. We regret that only short-listed candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview.

We are an equity employer and encourage applications from persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people, people of all sexual orientation and genders, and others who may contribute to our further diversification.