Director of Mental Wellness

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Director of Mental Wellness

Full-time; Permanent Position

Overview

There are nearly 40,000 Indigenous people in our Nation’s Capital and Wabano serves over 15,000 of them every year. While Wabano’s core business is health care, we are the cultural hub for Indigenous people in the National Capital region. For over 20 years, Wabano has offered an array of support services to the diverse and growing Indigenous community, from Elder teachings, to ceremonies, to homeless outreach to art therapy.

In the last five years, Wabano has doubled in size and now has five robust departments with 120 staff, creating and delivering unique services for every stage of the life cycle. Out of the five departments, the Mental Wellness team has been a cornerstone of the therapeutic services offered at Wabano. This interdisciplinary team of clinical therapists, art therapists, family support workers, cultural “grandparents” and system navigators offers mental wellness services to support people wherever they are on their healing journey.

Wabano is now looking for an experienced leader to continue the Mental Wellness team’s success and reach. If you are the right person for this role, you understand process, people, and how they work in tandem for service excellence. You have experience managing and leading therapeutic services in a community-based organization. You thrive equally on balancing budgets and balancing workflow (yours and your team’s). But most of all, you have the passion and drive to build strong teams that have the right mix of skills to serve and transform community.

The Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director and working as a member of our senior management team, the Director of Mental Wellness will lead the operational success of Wabano’s Mental Wellness Department and its interdisciplinary teams. We will rely on you to maintain a strong, enthusiastic team dedicated to improving the lives of Indigenous people and with the skills to meet both funder and community expectations.

The Director of Mental Wellness ensures that Wabano’s Mental Wellness programs and services align to Wabano’s strategic plan, meet professional and accreditation standards, and most importantly, respond to community needs.

The successful candidate will be responsible to:
Lead and manage

Supervise and coach 3-5 Team Leads

Provide leadership and performance management to over 20 mental health and addiction staff, including supporting employees through conflict resolution and client crisis management

Talent management: recruit, hire, and oversee orientation and continual learning of the department

Plan and coordinate professional development activities

Create, deliver and evaluate quality services

Identify client and community needs, advocate for new funding through proposal writing and stakeholder relationships and support team in creating services to meet these needs – balancing with funder requirements

Develop and manage the implementation of strategic and annual workplans for Wabano and the team members

Be inspired by Indigenous ways of being and knowing, finding innovative ways to merge culture with services.

Monitor quality of all services, identifying areas for improvement and leading quality improvement initiative when needed

Streamline internal operational processes so that staff can do their work effectively.

Develop partnerships

Represent Wabano in relevant committees and coalitions, advocating for Indigenous needs and initiatives and overseeing any joint projects

Ensure interdepartmental collaboration and service integration

Maintain key linkages with other organizations and individuals promoting health activities in Ottawa to ensure Indigenous representation

Manage Program budgets and Reporting

Create budget forecasts and spending plans, in collaboration with Finance Director and Executive Director

Manage program budgets and monitor spending

Maintain and collate statistics for evaluation and reports to funders and other stakeholders and ensure all reports are completed accurately and on time

Manage funder and stakeholder relationships

Qualifications:
Master’s degree in social services or mental health-related field or combination of education and experience.

Minimum 5 years of management experience with team(s) of 10 or more people.

Including a minimum of 2 years experience managing regulated and non-regulated professionals in mental health and addiction field

Experience with Human Resources Information Systems will be considered an asset.

5 years experience in project management in community-based organization.

Experience in Indigenous organization considered an asset

Experience in health care setting or mental health setting considered an asset

Experience with Electronic Medical Records will be considered an asset

Demonstrated ability to achieve goals set out in strategic plans

Talent for networking and relationship management with a broad spectrum of contacts

Experience, understanding and knowledge about social determinants of health and how they relate to the urban Indigenous community

Sensitivity to Indigenous traditions and cultural practices. Specific knowledge and experience with Indigenous healing practices will be considered an asset

Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution and creative problem-solving skills

Successful Candidates will be asked to provide a clear criminal reference check to work with vulnerable population

Salary:
$80,000- $90,000 + benefits

Why Work for Us:
You would be a part of a collaborative and supportive work environment. Additionally, you would have access to:

Comprehensive Group Health and Dental Insurance Coverage

A Defined Benefit Pension Plan/ Employee Pension Plan with an equal contribution by Wabano (HOOPP)

An Employee Assistance Program

Application Details

Please submit your application to [email protected]. Application materials include a cover letter and resume. As an option, we would welcome a 2–3-minute introduction video to get to know you better.

Wabano is an inclusive and equitable organization, encouraging applications from qualified women and men, including persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. The position is open to all qualified applicants, although preference will be given to candidates of Indigenous ancestry (please self-identify in your application).

Wabano is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity or interviewing, please advise if you require accommodation.

Contact email: [email protected]

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