Salary Range: $90,770-$130,481/year. The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate’s relevant education and experience, and would be in alignment with the provincial compensation reference plan. Salary will be prorated accordingly for part time roles.

 

Pursuant to Section 42 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, preference will be given to applicants of Indigenous Ancestry. We invite applicants to self-identify within their cover letter and/or resume. Indigenous applicants are encouraged to reach out to Sanya'k ?ula (Indigenous Recruitment and Employee Experience) for support, advice, and guidance on the PHSA hiring process.

Job Summary:

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority, patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

Reporting to the Director or Manager, Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC), the Specialist provides advice and guidance to health authority leadership, management, staff and stakeholders on emergency management with a focus on Indigenous relations, improving patient experience, healthcare outcomes, and cultural safety. The Specialist consults with a range of internal and external partners, including partners from the Ministry of Health (MoH), Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), local governments, Indigenous communities, Metis Nation BC, and First Nations Health Authority to ensure appropriate integration of HEMBC planning activities with similar activities across the provincial healthcare system and supports and leads subcommittees, working groups and project teams.

The Specialist leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives to address gaps and barriers faced by Indigenous populations during emergencies and works closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure deliverables are met. The Specialist advises health authority leadership on emergency management, facilitates dialogue on anti-Indigenous racism strategies, and develops integrated emergency management plans, ensuring alignment with corporate and provincial plans. The Specialist partners with Indigenous groups, advocating to address gaps in emergency event mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, and seeks to provide equitable supports for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit populations.

In addition, the Specialist navigates conversations with humility, cultural awareness and sensitivity to garner support from multi-level partners to advocate for resources and representation. This position negotiates across organizations and advocates for the needs of Indigenous groups in an emergency response.

Duties/Accountabilities:

• Provides leadership and education on principles of Indigenous cultural safety, patient experience, and community engagement with the aim of transforming service delivery, research, and organizational culture related to health emergency management. Identifies educational needs that support program and organizational objectives. Facilitates seminars, workshops, and develops educational tools.
• Identifies critical barriers and issues impacting HEMBC and PHSA’s commitment to providing culturally safe and person and family-centered care to Indigenous patients, clients, and families by assessing outcomes, gathering formal and informal data, recommending corrective actions, and leading and supporting actions.
• Identifies and evaluates new initiatives, partnership opportunities, new developments and trends in Indigenous health services planning, related to health emergency management through literature review, contact with peers at other organizations, professional associations and attendance at seminars,
  workshops and conferences.
• Builds partnerships with Indigenous communities, agencies, and groups across BC, in conjunction with the directors and staff, regarding Indigenous health topics, with the goal of optimizing opportunities for collaboration and ensuring an integrated and coordinated approach to improving health care, cultural safety and patient experience during emergencies.
• Works across a broad range of partners, including health authority leadership and the leadership from Indigenous communities and organizations to establish relationships and portfolio plan(s). Navigates conversations with humility, cultural awareness and sensitivity to garner buy-in from multi-level partners in order to advocate for additional resources and representation where needs previously were not heard and no formal or contractual distribution existed and resource allocation is competitive.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to HEMBC staff on Indigenous relations, and supports growth through feedback, instruction, and encouragement.
• Works collaboratively with appropriate Indigenous teams/departments to ensure Indigenous Cultural Safety lens applied holistically.
• Commitments to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• Provides advice and guidance to health authority leadership, ensuring that emergency management principles are central to decision-making and to minimize the impact of emergencies on the health system through a culturally-safe lens. Makes recommendations to HEMBC’s leadership team on ways to improve emergency management in the health system, advocating on behalf of Indigenous populations.
• Develops, recommends, and implements integrated emergency management plans; leads site/sector emergency plans ensuring alignment with corporate and provincial plans and ensures alignment with established policies and procedures; identifies and recommends activities and resources to support continuous improvement in emergency management. The Specialist seeks to provide equitable supports and opportunities for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit populations.
• Works in collaboration with a variety of health authority programs to determine emergency management strategies; supports plan development, implementation, and maintenance to ensure continuity, consistency and standardization of strategies across the region and province.
• Represents HEMBC and health authorities on committees with a wide variety of health sector and external partners, at the executive, regional, and local levels.
• Leads planning efforts based on current, emerging, and urgent risks, to support mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts from an Indigenous lens.
• Develops and maintains emergency management manuals and documentation. Produces written documentation, including briefing notes, presentations, and after-action reviews, and implements systems to organize and keep track of information, work requests or progress. Works with key stakeholders to develop integrated information and reporting systems to support health emergency management incident reporting.
• Assists with the development and management of the portfolio’s budget, to ensure expenditures fall within budgetary guidelines. Leads the development of project proposals, including developing and managing project budgets.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications:

• A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in emergency management, the social sciences, geography, business administration and/or a related field and five (5) years’ recent related experience working in emergency management, including two (2) years’ experience managing emergency management programs in the health system.
• At least five (5) years experience working with Indigenous organizations and communities is preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of the historical experience of the Indigenous communities with the ability to reconcile their experiences and needs when negotiating relationship, workplans and projects.
• Knowledge of and commitment to learning and understanding the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Site Report (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), and other related reports.
• Demonstrated knowledge of emergency management and business continuity issues in a healthcare setting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the standards, systems and response agencies related to emergency management.
• Knowledge of, and ability to support the use of complex communication systems during a disaster.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiations skills including the ability to present to a wide range of individuals, groups and stakeholders.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Ability to develop and deliver training, education programs and/or workshops.
• Ability to work independently, exercise judgment to resolve problems/issues, contribute as a member of a team. Ability to organize and prioritize work, and adapt to changing program and health authority needs.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexibility in adapting to and working with a variety of situations, individuals and groups and respond to changing organizational priorities.
• Demonstrates a commitment to learning and self-development; partaking in professional development opportunities and acquiring new knowledge and skills.