Director, Mental Health & Community Wellness

Job Information

The Director will be responsible for the NWT wide delivery of community counseling services (including the new child and youth care counseling initiative), addictions services, community wellness programs, case management services and supportive living services for both in territory and out of territory programs.

Mental health and addictions issues are often identified as primary or secondary issues for clients accessing acute care / emergency services, primary care and public health.

Many program areas operating within NTHSSA and other government departments (Justice, ECE, Housing) routinely provide service to clients with mental health and addictions challenges.

The Director is required to collaborate with all program areas and government departments as well as non-government organizations (NGOs to ensure that the needs of these clients are met in all NTHSSA Regions as well as supporting TCSA and HRHSSA.

The Director is operationally responsible for the implementation of the community wellness program specific to adult homelessness for the NTHSSA.

This program works in partnership with senior Directors at DHSS to ensure that support services are provided to clients accessing shelter services throughout the NWT during public health emergencies.

This program requires ongoing collaboration, flexibility and positive leadership to ensure the complex needs of this population are met and that the NTHSSA Senior Leadership Committee, other Government Department Leadership and NGOs are collaborative in reaching goals and outcomes set by client users.

The Director is responsible for the operational oversight of Correctional Health Services under NTHSSA. This role provides the leadership necessary to ensure a smooth transition of the Health Service Units from the Department of Justice to NTHSSA and will require ongoing collaboration with leadership at Justice.

A review of current practices and implementation of best practice standards are key priorities while ensuring clients within the corrections system receive optimal care.

The Correctional sites in the NWT provide service to approximately 190 clients, these clients often present with complex needs such as mental health, addictions and a variety of social challenges.

The Director will ensure that the health care needs of clients are met through operational oversight of nursing care, physician clinics and access to specialized services such as Psychiatry and Dental clinics.

The Director is expected to provide positive leadership that strengthens comprehensive mental health and wellness practices throughout the NWT, ensuring that best practice standards are implemented and strategic priorities are met.

As a member of the NTHSSA Senior Leadership Team, the Director contributes to the development of the overall strategy for health and social services delivery throughout the territory, particularly with respect to social services, MHAS and overall community wellness.

The Director leads the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of adult Social Services, MHAS and Corrections Health Services in collaboration with the COOs, CEOs and leadership within the Department of Justice.

The Director will work collaboratively with the COOs, CEOs and appropriate groups of professional and non-professional staff within each region in the NWT to ensure that territorial policies, standards and quality expectations are met at the regional level.

The incumbent will ensure their staff are trained and adhere to patient privacy and information sharing regulations as defined in the GNWT Health Information Act.

The Director is responsible establishment of contractual arrangements NGOs and service providers for the provision of Adult Social Services, MHAS and Corrections Health Service components (including but not limited to family violence shelters, independent living programs, respite programs, addictions treatment, and a full range of services provided to individuals with complex mental health conditions, brain injury, and / or intellectual disabilities, to name a few).

The incumbent is responsible for the Out of Territory Placement budget and is accountable for enhancing services in territory for clients who require supported living arrangements.

The incumbent will ensure quality services are delivered to clients, and that all Adult Social Programs, MHAS and Corrections Health Services provided by NTHSSA are in alignment with DHSS priorities, policies, standards, regulations and legislative requirements.

The incumbent will work collaboratively with appropriate staff from the DHSS Programs Division as needed to ensure this responsibility is fulfilled.

Areas that will require closest collaboration will include :

• DHSS Policy and Legislation, accountable for establishing legislation, regulations, and policies that define the scope of services, as well as service delivery, privacy and official language requirements for funded social programs and services.
• DHSS System Strategy, Performance and Accountability, accountable for requirements relating to evaluation, reporting, and monitoring of outcomes achieved by social programs and services.
• DHSS Chief Public Health Officer of the NWT, accountable for public health, including surveillance, disease prevention and control, and public health emergencies, as it pertains to social services.

The Director leads a team of approximately fifty (50) staff providing leadership to Social Programs (including shelter services), MHAS and Correctional Health Services throughout the Territory.

The incumbent is responsible and accountable to ensure Adult Social Programs, MHAS and Correctional Health Services provided meets or exceeds territorial and national standards.

The Director reports directly to the EDCI and has four (4) direct reports that are accountable to provide direction and support to regions and various GNWT departments, (and at many points this is inclusive of the TCSA and HRHSSA) as follows :

• Territorial Manager, Supported Living
• Territorial Manager, Mental Health and Addictions
• Territorial Manager, Community Wellness
• Territorial Manager, Correctional Health Services

Typically, the above qualifications would be attained by :

A Master's Degree in nursing, health sciences or health administration with a minimum of 10years of directly related clinical experience with progressively more responsibility including a minimum of 5 years mental health & addictions management experience, Or An undergraduate degree in nursing or health sciences with a minimum of 12 years of directly related clinical experience with progressively more responsibility including a minimum of 5 years mental health and addictions management experience.