Patient Advisor, Mental Health and Substance Use Workstream Steering Committee

Island Health is working to realize the 2020-2025 Strategic Framework through eight workstreams. Are you interested in providing insight to mental health and substance use? Join this committee as a patient advisor!

Open to: Patient partners across the Island Health region

Lead Organization or Department

Island Health, Mental Health and Substance Use

Aim

The goals of the MHSU Workstream are to: • Provide specialized MHSU services in the community • Ensure MHSU services are prepared to respond to COVID-19 • Offer timely and appropriate access to tertiary, acute, and community mental health services for adults, seniors, and children/youth The Steering Committee works at a strategic level providing oversight and accountability for workstream activities and includes members from multiple levels of the organization. The patient partner will be a collaborating member of the Steering Committee that reviews and oversees the MHSU Workstream activities.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

• Open to patient partners from the Vancouver Island region • Comfort working with senior executives/physician leadership at the table • Able to apply a broad systems lens • Reliable telephone or computer/internet for teleconference or video conference meetings • Please note:

• The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.
• Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Ashley Clark directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics

• Number of vacancies: 1 • Date/Time: Every second Monday from 11am - 12pm • Location: Teleconference • Commitment: 1 year

Reimbursement

Pre-approved transportation and parking costs to attend meetings will be reimbursed by Island Health (if in-person meetings become an option).

Background

Mental Health and Substance Use services have seen growing demand which has been highlighted by dual public health emergencies: the COVID-19 pandemic and the overdose crisis. Island Health is working to realize our 2020-2025 Strategic Framework through eight workstreams with each focused on delivering results through an annual workplan. The Steering Committee for the Mental Health and Substance Use Workstream is recruiting a patient partner to reflect a patient perspective in the development and implementation of workstream initiatives. Patient partner responsibilities will be: • Guided by the Mental Health and Substance Use Workstream Steering Committee Terms of Reference • To participate as a member in meetings with a focus on providing the patient/family perspective • To maintain confidentiality of personal and business information as per the Island Health Privacy and Confidentiality Agreement

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Ashley Clark
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
250.812.8908
aclark@bcpsqc.ca