Director, Indigenous Health

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director of Indigenous Health roots their leadership in their Indigenous identity first and foremost — their leadership should reflect an Indigenous worldview and Indigenous values, even though this may at times be at odds with colonial thinking and systems. They courageously speak truths, show confidence in their knowledge (despite the discomfort and destabilizing effects of these truths), and know that their perspective(s) is/are welcome, necessary, and will not be silenced.
Using existing reports (e.g. Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the Coalition of Hamilton Indigenous Leader's 2030 Indigenous Community Vision for Hamilton, the 2023 Hamilton Indigenous Health Strategy) as starting points, with additional community consultation as needed, the Director of Indigenous Health is responsible for providing direction and recommendations and/or leading the planning, coordination, and implementation of practices and processes related to systemic reform regarding policy and services for First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) peoples accessing services at SJHH and those working at SJHH. The overall goal is to implement organizational change that will foster SJHH's movement toward Truth and ReconciliACTION to support the provision of culturally safe patient care environments and conditions for learning, working, and volunteering at SJHH. The recommendations made by, and work led by, the Director of Indigenous Health will be informed by consultations with local Indigenous communities and leaders, Indigenous world views, best practice, related reports (e.g. Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the Coalition of Hamilton Indigenous Leader's 2030 Indigenous Community Vision for Hamilton, the 2023 Hamilton Indigenous Health Strategy) , and personal/lived knowledge and expertise. With their already established relationships with local Indigenous communities, the Director of Indigenous Health will be the point person for developing and fostering the relationship between SJHH and our Indigenous community partners to serve as a foundation for future initiatives including establishing an Indigenous data governance process. #SJHHjobs
QUALIFICATIONS: An Undergraduate Degree in a relevant field. For example, a health discipline (such as psychology, social work, nursing), Indigenous Studies, Social Justice, Health Administration, Public Policy, Social Sciences, etc., or equivalent work experience required Masters Degree is preferred Regulated health professional certification is preferred Minimum 5 years work related experience is required The ideal candidate will possess a combination of the following:
-Endorsed by local Indigenous leaders and communities
-Lived experience with Indigenous worldviews, cultures, and values
- Knowledge and understanding of the Urban Indigenous Community as well as Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, and Mississaugas of the Credit Communities
-Experience working directly with Indigenous communities and local knowledge of historical and contemporary issues and aspirations
-A commitment to supporting reconciliation efforts and advancing the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples
-Proven experience in healthcare, academic, and/or non-profit sectors
-Ability to prioritize and draw on Indigenous identity, knowledges and perspectives, while working in a mainstream healthcare system (i.e., navigating two worldviews)
-Excellent communication, consultation, and facilitation skills
-Strong project management abilities and experience developing strategic plans
-Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse partners
-Proven leadership experience with the ability to: generate ideas that create value and improve processes; practice and apply systems thinking; create a unifying vision; manage and deal with uncertainty; and implement new roles
-Demonstrated experience building partnerships and relationships with Indigenous organizations or communities
-Strong understanding of Indigenous health priorities and regional networks
-Familiarity with data management, privacy, security principles, and applicable data protection laws
-In-depth knowledge of Indigenous data sovereignty; OCAP principles; cultural protocols around data collection, interpretation and dissemination; and ethical data management
-Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, complex information to all levels of internal staff and external organizations to address sensitive situations, resolve conflicts, motivate, negotiate and persuade
-Awareness of federal and provincial government policies and their impact on Indigenous health
-Knowledge and understanding of Ontario's health system
-Ability to engage in collaborative processes
-Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
-Project management and prioritization skills, and the ability to lead initiatives from conceptualization to implementation
-Exceptional interpersonal skills with ability to build trust in order to influence outcomes
-Demonstrated problem solving skills Preference for this role will be given to qualified Indigenous candidates in accordance with Section 16(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act Candidates are encouraged to self-identify their First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis ancestry RESPONSIBILITIES: Some responsibilities include:
With respect to overall leadership, the Director of Indigenous Health will ensure the development and implementation of an Indigenous health plan that aligns with the SJHH strategic plan, corporate priorities, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan Builds and leads an Indigenous Health team at St Joe's and acts as Indigenous Practice Lead across the hospital Establishes and co-leads a Truth and Reconciliation Action Council (council name to be further discussed with the Director of Indigenous Health) to coordinate and lead projects related to truth and reconciliation actions Develops and implements an Indigenous Cultural Safety Training plan for St Joe's that is coordinated with the hospital's EDI training plans As the Indigenous Practice lead, provides guidance to and oversees the provision of all Indigenous traditional healing and wellness practices at SJHH—drawing on their own knowledge and/or the knowledge of Cultural Care Practitioners (Elders, Healers, Senators, traditional knowledge carriers), within the region' Provides direction and recommendations on Indigenous perspectives in clinical services across the hospital through drawing on their own knowledge as well as community and cultural care practitioner consultation Uses a "two-eyed seeing approach" that recognizes and values the benefits of Indigenous and Western approaches to care by infusing Indigenous approaches into existing care streams and at the same time fostering Indigenous-specific care streams Provides leadership, direction and support to the Indigenous Health Team: The Senior Indigenous Inclusion Consultant (title TBD), The lead Indigenous Clinician for the MHA Prioritizing Indigenous Wellness Pathway, The MHA Indigenous Peer Support Workers and Other members of the Indigenous Health Team as required Participates in the interviewing, selection, placement, promotion, transfer and/or termination of all Indigenous Health Team members Works alongside Indigenous communities, Elders, knowledge keepers, and other local healthcare providers to co-create an Indigenous data governance plan that fully embodies the principles of data sovereignty, self-determination, and cultural respect Conducts meaningful and inclusive consultations to understand Indigenous communities' data needs (eg, key questions such as access, outcomes, etc), concerns, and priorities and works with the quality and data team to provide data to Indigenous communities that meets their needs, and that answers and fosters quality improvement for indigenous patients and their families in the care that they receive from SJHH Ensures that the Indigenous data governance plan/process reflects the diverse perspectives and Indigenous nations of the Hamilton and surrounding communities Creates guidelines and structures to protect the confidentiality and safety of Indigenous data while adhering to applicable laws and regulations Implements methods for safeguarding data, including secure storage, access protocols, and strict measures to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure Provides training and capacity-building initiatives to staff and partners to enhance cultural competency, data literacy, and awareness of Indigenous data governance principles Communicates regularly with Indigenous communities to ensure community needs around data governance and sovereignty are truly being met and respected Provides direction and recommendation on any Indigenous-related research at SJHH #J-18808-Ljbffr