Job Title

Introduction To VAST In 1986, a small group of human rights activists and mental health workers gathered in Vancouver to support the flood of refugees arriving from the armed conflicts in South and Central America. They founded the Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST), and this dedicated group of volunteers built what would become BCs largest center for refugee mental health. Today, VAST works with refugees from over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Our programs and services are offered in over a dozen languages, including Arabic, Farsi, French, Mandarin, and Spanish. We support the mental health of refugees who arrive in British Columbia with psychological trauma as a result of torture, political violence, and other forms of persecution on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Classification & Job Title Mental Health Services Manager (MHSM) Full Time Position Rate of Pay $35 per hour Office Location Details Hybrid Offices: Vancouver and/or Surrey Health Benefits Package This position includes a comprehensive health benefits package. Job Summary The purpose of this role is to support VAST clients, staff, management, partners, and funders in providing high quality mental health services and supports. VAST clients have access to individual, group, community-based, and online services, delivered by the VAST Clinical team members, Community Engagement team members, as well as Management and Contractors, and many esteemed guests and academic and community partners. VASTs Individual and Group service provision and providers receive Clinical Supervision from VASTs Clinical Supervisor, with support from the Senior Expressive Arts Therapist, Executive Director, and Social Worker. The Clinical Supervisor is responsible for providing clinical supervision to clinical team members on an individual and group basis. The MHSM will support and coordinate with other team members efforts. The MHSM will support VAST to be active in following VASTs historical best practices, guidelines, and standards, as well as those established in our sector provincially, nationally, and internationally. Typical Job Duties Support the hiring, onboarding, oversight, and support of clinical team members, including but not limited to: Screen, interview, select, and support clinical volunteers Screen, interview, select, and provide supervision (if qualified) for practicum interns as necessary Support the development, management, updating, and adherence to VASTs clinical processes, protocols, and systems Manage the Provincial Refugee Mental Health Coordination role, including the tollfree line, email address, and requests for training, consultation, and capacity building Support the management and establishment of VASTs core and associative partnerships, including launching new relationships, formalizing current relationships, with MOUs or contracts, deciding on joint projects and campaigns, policy positions, support groups, programming, referral pathways, or shared initiatives Oversee the ethical and legal integrity of case file protocols, including quality of content, counseling process, and structure of client files Manage the ongoing improvement of policies, procedures and practices affecting client intake, planning, delivery and evaluation of services in consultation with the Executive Director and Clinical Supervisor and others, where applicable Collaborate with management to improve, revise, and redesign the client database to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures Establish and manage key partnerships related to consultations, trainings, and advisory work with municipal, regional, provincial, international and national bodies, including the CBSA, MAP, City of Vancouver, Province of BC, IRCC, IRCT, UNVFVT Coordinate psycholegal assessments and letters to lawyers for the refugee claim process Manage and maintain written and electronic client records in an electronic database Coordinate workshops with the Executive Director and Clinical Supervisor, and facilitate workshops on refugee mental health for legal, health, social, and settlement service providers Provide statistical and narrative information on the clinical program for clinical evaluation, funding applications and reports, and research Ensure that client therapeutic needs are met as best as possible and evaluated on an ongoing basis and that the client files are kept up to date Assess, evaluate, and document personnel training and support needs Ensure clinical staff are trained on VAST policies and procedures regarding the law and employee responsibilities regarding mandated reporting, such as identification of clinical indicators of suspected child abuse and neglect, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation and applicable and reportable criminal behavior Create an annual training plan and coordinate and/or deliver training to staff on identified topics through a mixture of knowledge and skills based instruction and skill building exercises, as needed, on VAST policies, procedures, and best practices, with the assistance of other team members Ensure that the most senior clinical team member or the Executive Director are available for debriefing and consultation Ensure clients are allocated to an appropriate counsellor in a timely manner Ensure smooth client referrals to appropriate internal programs and external service providers Ensure that confidentiality requirements are met through record keeping and file management systems Keep records of individual consultations, team case review Oversee scheduling and documentation of supervision sessions Prepare and disseminate briefs and reports to relevant actors including policymakers, at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels Maintain existing relationships with universities and cultivate new ones Establish, coordinate, and maintain student training and volunteer programs Maintain relationships/liaison, report on existing grants and conduct/coordinate research on grant projects Qualifications Required Awareness of the torture rehabilitation sector and migration pathways in BC Advanced university degree in any of medicine, public health, law, psychology, psychiatry, social work, conflict studies, migration studies, sociology, or anthropology Knowledge of traumainformed and mental health best practices Knowledge of international affairs, human rights, and international humanitarian law Experience in a teambased management or communications role Effective relationshipbuilding abilities Excellent written and oral communication Proven ability to communicate with formal institutions Preference will be given to candidates with lived experience Experience and knowledge of other cultures and languages is a plus #J-18808-Ljbffr