Community Engagement Specialist

We are not accepting new applications at this time and are evaluating the candidates currently.

Full Time, Contract Position

The Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking a full-time, temporary contract (until March 31st, 2023), Community Engagement Specialist to join us to support the Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS). Reporting to the National Manager, Stakeholder Engagement, CSPS, this role will support the Coping for All Resource Project (CFA).

Partnership Summary: The Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS) is Canada’s only national, bilingual, suicide specific helpline. It is available 24/7/365 by phone to those with suicide related concerns. Partial text is available, with 24/7/365 text and chat planned in future phases. The CSPS is managed by a partnership consisting of CMHA, CAMH (lead organization) and Crisis Services Canada, in collaboration with local distress centres across Canada. The project and partnership is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) for 5 years, and is currently in the second year of the project.

Project Summary: The Coping for All Resource Project (CFA) will provide distress centres in Canada with curated resources to assist in meeting the diverse needs of priority and vulnerable populations during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The project launched in January 1, 2022, and includes an environmental scan, national needs assessment, collating and curating resources, and dissemination through the development of an online portal and ECHO community of practice. The project is funded by PHAC and is delivered through the same partnership as the Canada Suicide Prevention Service.

About CMHA: Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada. Through a presence in more than 330 communities across every province and one territory, CMHA provides advocacy and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive. Our vision is a Canada where mental health is a human right. CMHA has been chosen as one of Canada’s best places to work by Forbes magazine in 2021 and 2022.

Location: This position will be based at our office, located in downtown Toronto. To encourage collaboration and explore new ways of working, CMHA National supports a hybrid work model of 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home. However, until further notice, staff are working from home according to public health guidelines and management’s decision.

Position Responsibilities:
Responsibilities for this role include, but are not limited to:

• Developing stakeholder engagement strategies and plans, working in close collaboration with the CFA project manager and the CFA project team. Engage with/build relationships with key stakeholders as agreed and/or support other team members to do the same. Key stakeholder groups include local distress centres; CMHA branches; community social service agencies, Francophone, LGBTQ2S+, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and racialized communities across Canada, etc.
• Supporting the execution of a comprehensive environmental scan of population specific mental health/distress needs realized or exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Planning and implementation for key stakeholder interviews and/or focus groups to understand the needs of helplines and distress centres.
• Supporting the development and distribution of a national needs assessment survey.
• Assisting with the identification, gathering, validation, and adaptation of existing educational tools and resources as related to this project.
• Supporting the planning and development of an online resource portal and ECHO community of practice.
• Supporting day to day operations (including effectively managing workflow and timelines pertaining to a variety of projects/tasks simultaneously, in various stages of completion).
• Actively participating in team meetings and providing input/suggestion/feedback on initiatives within the scope of the Coping for All Resource Project.
• Administrative duties such as file organization, scheduling and facilitating regular meetings, and others as required.

Qualifications:

• 3-5 years related experience in a mental health, social service or related setting with a degree in Social Work, Human Resources, Human Services, Business or a comparable mix of education and experience.
• Experience working on collaborative projects with multiple stakeholders. Excellent interpersonal skills with sound political and business acumen and ability to foster constructive relationships at all levels.
• Experience collaborating with community groups and organizations to identify needs and opportunities, to coalesce around a shared vision.
• Excellent communication skill (written and verbal). Strong facilitation skills, comfortable running interactive discussions with diverse audiences. Effective at tailoring approach to the audience.
• Experience in research is an asset, such as experience with participatory or community engaged research, experience critically appraising grey literature, and experience in survey design and analysis.
• Organized and analytical with strong project management skills and attention to detail. Ability to develop and deliver action plans with clear goals and timelines.
• Understanding of and experience in diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility, as well as community mental health, recovery, and crisis intervention, is an asset.
• Results-oriented, with high degree of initiative, resourcefulness, and productivity. Able to anticipate and solve challenges or barriers.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and change. ability to be flexible, learn and perform challenging tasks outside area of skills and experience.
• Ability to quickly develop within the role.
• Expert working knowledge using Microsoft Office product suite required. Experience working with digital engagement platforms and/or CRM’s is an asset.
• Passionate about mental health.
• Bilingual (French & English) would be an asset for the role.

Compensation: $65,000-70,000 per year commensurate with experience and qualifications; along with benefits, a flexible work environment and a workplace culture committed to personal wellbeing and psychological safety.

Benefits: Dental care, extended health care, life insurance, vision care, employee assistance program, flexible schedule, paid time off (vacation, sick and work life balance days), wellness program, work from home, hybrid work.

Working conditions:

• This is a full-time position, working standard office hours (currently 35 hours/week). This position functions in a normal office environment, using typical office equipment, with extended periods of sitting, telephone interaction and/or working at a computer and no unusual physical demands.
• Due to the public nature of this job, there may be some challenging contacts or situations from external stakeholders.
• CMHA National employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with our Vaccination Policy as a condition of being eligible for the recruitment process.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations will be required. If you are not able to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations for a reason related to a protected ground of discrimination under applicable human rights legislation, you can request accommodation from CMHA National.
• You can review conditions that may qualify for medical exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine here: Medical Exemptions to COVID-19 Vaccination

Are you a fit?
If you are interested in applying for the role, please submit a PDF copy of your resume along with a cover letter to [email protected] by March 25, 2022. The subject line should mention “Community Engagement Specialist”. We thank you for your interest and please note that only those identified for an interview will be contacted.

To learn more about CMHA, visit: www.cmha.ca

CMHA is committed to our workforce reflecting the diversity of the communities within which we work. As such, we explicitly encourage applications from persons with disabilities, members of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities, people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and others who may contribute to the diversity of our staff. We invite you to self-identify in your cover letter. Please let us know if you require accommodations throughout the application process.