Access Navigator, Provincial Preschool Autism Service – Central Zone

Job title: Access Navigator, Provincial Preschool Autism Service – Central Zone

Job description: Company : IWK Health

Req ID: 167611

Department/Program: CZ Provincial Preschool Autism Services, Children’s Health Program

Location: Flexible within the Zone

Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE) x 1 position(s)

Start Date: ASAP

Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit

Compensation: $33.7998 – $44.1747 /hour

Closing Date: December 7, 2023 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

Provincial Preschool Autism Services

The Provincial Preschool Autism Service (PPAS) is a partnership between IWK Health (IWK), Nova Scotia Health (NSH), Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS) and Autism Nova Scotia (Autism NS). Based upon an extensive review and engagement, autism services in Nova Scotia are in the process of transitioning to a needs-based model responsive to the individual needs of children and their families. It will provide person and family-centred services to preschoolers across Nova Scotia who are suspected of or have a diagnosis of autism. The new and enhanced services will include a greater number and range of interventions and supports available for children and families. Examples include autism clinical intake and care coordination, family and health professional education, diagnostic assessments, QuickStart parent coaching toddler program, a 12-month intensive intervention for children with the greatest social communication and behavior needs, autism interventions by interprofessional teams, and transition to school. The intent is to create an efficient, sustainable, and integrated continuum of health services for preschool-age children with autism where services and supports are matched to the needs of children and their families.

The Opportunity

The Access Navigator (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinator) is part of a team in the Clinical Intake & Care Coordination stream of service and the single point of contact for clients and families and service providers at the point of referral. Reporting to the assigned PPAS manager and supervised by the Clinical Leader, Clinical Intake and Care Coordination, the Access Navigator (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinator) is responsible for:

• Being the first point of contact for families contacting PPAS
• Exploring child and family needs upon entry into PPAS and in reviewing their goals/priorities as children and family needs change.
• Assisting in matching child/family needs with the services available in PPAS. There is an on-going interaction with the clinicians and administrative staff in PPAS foundational education, intervention, and diagnostic streams of service to support a coordinated continuum of care and with community-based organizations, partners, and clinicians involved in providing autism services to children and families .
• Keeping timely and accurate records of navigation and coordination activities for the purpose of team communication and care coordination
• Developing and maintaining a professional relationship with families throughout their preschool years and supporting the transition to school process.
• Supporting access to school-age diagnostic services as appropriate
• Participating in planning, development, and ongoing evaluation/quality improvement.

This position ensures that clients/families, partners and referring and community providers experience a respectful and consistently high quality of service as children enter and navigate through and within PPAS. The position supporting Clinical Intake is critical to create and maintain client/family, provider and public confidence in PPAS intent, processes and integrity. Principles of equity, diversity, inclusivity, anti-racism, and reconciliation will be required to be embedded within the work of Access Navigators (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinators) to ensure all families have equitable access to culturally safe and inclusive services. The incumbent must have strong communication and relationship building skills to foster productive interactions with families, clinical teams, and partners.

The position is provincial in scope – all Access Navigators (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinators) will have responsibility to have broad understanding of clinical and community-based services and supports across the province (all health zones) to support navigation to local resources and care coordination functions.

Hours of Work

75 hours bi-weekly

Capacity to work flexible hours, allowing for extra travel time and overnight stays

Capacity to work flexible hours to accommodate service needs (evenings, weekends)

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work required (other health care professional degrees with experience in facilitating intakes may be considered).
• Registration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) or applicable College is required.
• Minimum of two (2) years related clinical experience, required.
• Three (3) to five (5) years experience in intake and/or client navigation, preferred.
• Experience in pediatric settings, and specifically autism, preferred.
• Completion of NCI preferred.
• Knowledge of IWK, Nova Scotia Health, Autism Nova Scotia, Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, and community resources and skills in navigating systems preferred.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently conduct virtual and telephone-facilitated intake for the purpose of gathering and providing information and support to patients and families and matching of services required.
• Ability to match criteria for clinical streams to identify patient and family needs required.
• Ability to accurately enter data and use databases and patient information systems to collect patient information and to retrieve reports related to patient demographics and wait times required.
• Able to work in a collaborative and consultative manner as part of an interprofessional team required.
• Demonstrated clinical competence and experience with the described patient population required.
• Competencies in other languages are an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials. Additionally, as per Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Vaccine mandate, any offer of employment will be conditional upon submitting proof of full vaccination status. Medical exceptions or any other kind of requested exception based upon the Health Centre’s obligations pursuant to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Code will be considered on a case-by-case basis

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.

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