Director, Mental Health & Substance Use

About this position

Jean Tweed is a leading, community-based organization that provides a supportive environment for women with substance use, mental health, and gambling concerns. Recognizing the diversity of women’s experience in today’s society, our programs seek to address a range of issues in a woman’s life that may contribute to substance use and gambling concerns. Understanding each woman’s experience within the broader physical, emotional, social, cultural and gender framework, fosters our client-centered approach to health. At Jean Tweed, we share a common belief and passion in our mission.  Here at The Jean Tweed Centre, our experiences are as individual as each of us are, and your unique combination of skills, passions, and experiences makes you a valuable asset to our team.

The Jean Tweed Centre is building capacity to transform the level of support for women with substance use, mental health, and gambling concerns.

Are you a passionate clinical leader who is driven to serve the community, develop teams and support a best practice and learning organization!  Join our team:

The Director, Mental Health and Substance Use will report directly to the Executive Director and is responsible for developing a comprehensive dynamic organizational strategy that responds to issues of women accessing supports at the Jean Tweed Centre (JTC). This position will work collaboratively to build an organizational vision for our support services, support the implementation of sector-based capacity initiatives, and lead a team of managers and supervisors.  The position is part of the senior leadership team which collaborates to foster and promote innovative programs and service delivery. This position contributes to the advancement of cross-organizational effectiveness to realize the Jean Tweed Centre’s mandates, goals, objectives, and strategic action plan.

How will you help to get us there?

As the Director of Mental Health & Substance Use:

KEY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Designs and implements a service delivery strategy that meets the diverse and complex needs of women who are dealing with mental health and/or substance use concerns; including building sectoral partnerships, effective referral agreements, and other innovative mechanisms to meet participant needs.
• Works with the other Clinical Directors and the Executive Director; and the broader leadership team to develop an organizational policy around women health, substance use, housing advocacy strategy, shares, and leverages evidence, engages directly with key stakeholders, cultivates and leverages champions, deploys strategic communications, speaks and publishes across influential platforms on women health and other related issues.
• Hires, supervises, and manages staff performance ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality, organizational performance, continuous learning/improvement and encourages innovation in others. Leads a team of managers and front-line staff with direct and indirect reports. Has experience with managing in a unionized environment.
• Responsible to develop, implement and manage a broad range of clinical services; along with linkages to health services, housing, live in treatment and community programs.  This includes all aspects of program development: research, community consultation, organizational impact analysis, model development, grant/funder preparation, contract negotiations, etc.
• Leads service planning and evaluation processes for departmental initiatives using a trauma-informed, community- and woman-centered approach that fosters community engagement, evidence-informed best practices, public accountability and the delivery of high-quality programs, services and community activities.
• Ensures that all programs are meeting funder/organizational expectations and contractual obligations while ensuring the appropriate use of public funds.
• Provides leadership in managing various special project work that advances the JTC’s strategic objective
• Ensures compliance with all applicable legislation including but not limited to Health and Safety, Collective Agreements, Funding and Accountabilities agreements, Human Resource practices & policies, and not for profit standards.
• Develops and manages various partnerships with community agencies, the City of Toronto, Ministry of Health, Ontario Health, local businesses, and community members to provide accessible services that improve community well-being, as well as representing the JTC at community events, on committees, taskforces etc.
• Attends various Board and Board Committee meetings and provides regular information, reports, updates and recommendations on programs, events, and activities at these meetings.
• Working Knowledge of current issues, best practices, and trends within the Women’s mental health and substance use communities as well as current issues and trends related to immigration, anti-poverty, education, anti-violence, advocacy, community development, housing, public health, community funding, government trends, policies and related legislation.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

• Extensive experience in a senior leadership role in a community-based unionized environment including demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, coach and develop staff and lead effective cross-departmental program delivery.
• Knowledge of the housing context in Toronto, including knowledge of the role of government in the development of affordable housing, and the challenges and opportunities currently facing the housing sector.
• Extensive experience in the planning, development and implementation of community-based housing services for marginalized and/or vulnerable communities.
• Well-developed knowledge of relevant community resources, experience and understanding of individuals living with mental health and substance use concerns.
• Highly developed conflict resolution, problem solving, facilitation and communication skills and ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, at a management level.
• Demonstrated experience managing administrative and financial activities associated with program operations including report and grant writing, well-developed budget and variance reporting experience.
• Demonstrated collaborative experience developing and maintaining cross departmental program/service delivery teams.
• Demonstrated experience in developing partnerships amongst staff, community participants and community agencies.
• Sound decision-making and judgment skills in public relations with the ability to effectively manage communications to community and government agencies, committees and coalitions.
• Working knowledge of statistical methods of data collection and analysis.
• Highly developed interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work and communicate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining working knowledge of Collective Agreements, Occupational Health and Safety Act, MFIPPA, PHIPA, and other relevant legislation.

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counselling, Psychology or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Member of standing clinical regulatory body (social work etc.)
• 3-5 years + of senior management experience in the health care or social service field. 
• Knowledge and experience working with mental health, substance use, healthcare sector including non-profit housing and/or family services. 
• Knowledge of trauma and mental health concerns and interconnections with substance use and gambling concerns. 
• Knowledge and experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment. 
• Knowledge of anti-oppressive, gender-specific and responsive approaches to care. 
• Inter-agency and community experience in developing programs and services. 
• Energetic, self-motivated and committed to handling the challenges of working in a fast-paced environment. 
• Must possess exceptional leadership, interpersonal, organizational and management skills. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Valid driver’s license and access to car/ valid insurance required.
• Valid Vulnerable Sector Screening is required