Indigenous Health Equity and Experience Specialist

Join us in building a world of possibility! Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canadas largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital. We are a top 40 Canadian research hospital that is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and we serve over 9000 families annually.

Our vision is to support the most meaningful and healthy futures for all children youth and families. Providing both inpatient and outpatient programs and services Holland Bloorview is renowned for its expertise in partnering with clients and families to provide exceptional care and is the only organization to ever achieve 100 per cent in three successive quality surveys by Accreditation Canada.

Holland Bloorview has won numerous awards including Greater Torontos Top Employers Canadas Top Employers for Young People and Canadas Most Admired Corporate Cultures. We offer an inspiring inclusive innovative and collaborative work environment with competitive compensation and benefit packages and programs that support ongoing learning and professional growth.

Position Summary:

As part of the Holland Bloorview team this role will help fulfill the hospitals strategic plan and priorities described in Holland Bloorview 2030. This includes creating the most meaningful and healthy futures for all children youth and families. This will be achieved in an academic health sciences centre with a focus on client and family centered high quality and safe care and a commitment to research teaching and advancing best practices in pediatric rehabilitation.

Reporting to the VP Experience Transformation and Social Accountability and supported by the Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility and Anti-Racism (IDEAA) portfolio the Indigenous Health Equity and Experience Specialist will be:

• Instrumental to building internal and system relationships and make a significant contribution to the developing area of Indigenous health equity.
• They will be providing advice and expertise particularly focused on Indigenous clients and families to the manager IDEAA and executive leadership team and others as appropriate.
• They will bring an intersectional expertise around Indigenous health equity and the Social Determinants of Health paired with trained expertise and/or lived experience as a member of an Indigenous community/nation.

The applicant should demonstrate well-developed critical thinking analytical skills confidently exhibit IDEAA subject matter expertise and hold/demonstrate previous experience partnering with Indigenous communities and those living at various intersections across other groups.

This is an on-site position for two days (15 hours) per week.

Please note that as key activities of this position are Indigenous-focused preference will be given to Indigenous Peoples who demonstrate a strong connection to community and culture. Please identify your Indigenous ancestry (First Nations Inuit or Métis) in your cover letter.

Key Responsibilities:

Support Holland Bloorviews efforts to reduce Indigenous health disparities and advance health equity by acting as a liaison with Indigenous organizations elders and local community leaders to better understand population health needs and initiatives. Personal experiences and perspectives will be valued by leadership on the implementation or advancement of Indigenous health equity.

• Supports the hospital with establishing building and maintaining relationships with Indigenous organizations local community leaders and elders in order to develop and promote innovative mechanisms for service design and delivery.
• Evaluate community engagements and partnerships to build system capacity.
• Provide advice to Holland Bloorview on the strategies needed to address organizational/systemic barriers to advance health equity for Indigenous clients and families.
• Support organizational education by raising awareness of how to integrate Two-Eyed Seeing in healthcare through the organization of educational events forums and meetings.
• Manages projects information and logistics of project deliverables.

Qualifications:

Education

• Masters Degree preferred (e.g. in a health-related discipline including but not limited to Indigenous Studies Public Health Health Administration equity studies sociology or another related field); or an equivalent combination of education and employment experience.
• Advanced understanding of Indigenous-centred health concepts the Social Determinants of Health population health and cultural safety in health care delivery settings.

Health Equity Expertise & Knowledge

• The incumbent will act as a subject matter expert in relation to Indigenous health health equity-seeking concepts and principles best practices and service-design methods.
• Knowledge of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Experience developing and/or applying population health frameworks tools and leading practices
• Basic knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. Ontario Human Rights Code Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Anti-Racism Act.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience within or outside health care settings partnering with Indigenous communities and organizations as well as diverse multi-racial equity-seeking groups/ communities.
• Ideally three (3) to five (5) years of recent related experience in some or all of the following - work with Indigenous and equity seeking populations including experience with public and/or population change initiatives program evaluation program management; or an equivalent combination of education training and experience.
• Ability to lead advisory and consultation processes involving staff external partners and community members including the ability to maintain effective working relationships.
• Excellent strategic thinking skills analytical negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Proficient written and oral communication and interpersonal skills coupled with the ability to communicate with a broad range of key groups including community leaders and senior staff.

Required Experience:

IC