AddressPosition Title: Mental Health Navigator
Classification: Mental Health Navigator
Department: Primary Health Care (PHC)
Reporting to: Manager, Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre (ONHC)
Position Type: Term (1 FTE) - ASAP until - March 31, 2023
Pay Band: $26.20- $31.56
Application Deadline: Until a suitable candidate is found
Submit resume to:
About SWCHC and ONHC
Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC) is a non-profit, community-governed organization that serves over 16 thousand clients annually. We provide a wide range of health care services such as primary health care, health promotion, community development, mental health, and harm reduction. We are deeply connected to the communities we serve.
We make our work meaningful for our community by striving to ensure that our team reflect the community we serve.
We work within an anti-racism, anti-oppression framework that acknowledges systemic racism exists and seeks to ensure that systems are fair and equitable for everyone.
ONHC is a proud program of SWCHC that provides healthcare, offers timely, coordinated and culturally appropriate health and social services to newcomers. Our approach to care is through a health equity lens with a focus on addressing the social determinants of health to improve the lives and wellbeing of our clients.
Position Description
The Mental Health Navigator assists clients to navigate the healthcare and social service system and ensures that proper referrals are made within the community in order to meet the needs of the clients. The incumbent works closely with other members of the interdisciplinary team to provide health education, advocacy, and practical assistance while playing an intermediary role between clients and service providers. The ideal candidate will understand and support SWCHC's mission, possess excellent interpersonal skills, organizational capabilities, and reporting abilities. The individual is motivated and passionate about working with newcomers and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and has experience providing crisis counseling and basic mental health interventions.
Position Requirements
Education
- Bachelor of Social Work or equivalent combination of training and experience
- Member of a recognized college
- Minimum of 2 years experience in a community setting with emphasis on crisis intervention, practical assistance and case coordination
- Minimum 3 years experience working with marginalized and diverse client populations, specifically with refugees and immigrants
- Awareness of acts or legislation that governs practices: Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS), Child Protection Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), Mental Health Act, Principles of routine practices (universal precautions)
- Knowledge of social determinants of health, mental health promotion and prevention
- Awareness related to cultural competence
- Proficient use of computers and various software applications
- Experience with crisis counseling
- Ability to provide system navigation support
- Good awareness and knowledge of local community resources and services
- Good understanding and knowledge of culturally sensitive care and interventions
- Community mental health experience
- Knowledge and comfort with a harm reduction approach
- Commitment to strength-based philosophy and practice
- Assessment and intervention skills; sound judgment
- Ability to provide basic education to individuals and families
- Working in a collaborative interdisciplinary team environment
- Excellent communication skills, able to bridge gap between clients and service providers and service agencies
- Ability to coordinate case conferences of professionals from various disciplines and family/significant others
- Ability to provide client advocacy
- Fluency in English is required
- Fluency in French, Arabic, Dari, and Pashtu is highly desirable
- Fluency in any other languages is an asset
** It is the policy of SWCHC to require COVID-19 immunization for all employees, volunteers, students, and contractors, including those who work offsite with the following exceptions: Persons with a medical reason that prevents them from being vaccinated against COVID-19; Persons with other reasonable considerations pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code that restrict them from being vaccinated against Covid 19 vaccination.
Somerset West Community Health Centre is an equal opportunity employer who values the diversity of individuals in our programs and services.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of Indigenous, Black and racialized communities, Two-Spirit, nonbinary, LGBTQ+ people; people with disabilities; and members of other equity seeking groups. Applicants are encouraged to share accessibility needs in the application process, and every attempt will be made to accommodate them.
Due to the high volume of applicants, we can neither confirm receipt of nor respond to inquiries regarding your application. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
