Job Summary:
In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic direction of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

Reporting to the Clinical Services Manager, the Team Lead provides clinical supervision, leadership, and expertise to effectively support the delivery of trauma informed mental health and substance use care to patients and families at Red Fish Healing Centre. The Team Lead plans and coordinates the clinical assignments, tasks, and priorities for clinical staff in assigned program areas. This position manages care/service within the Program’s philosophy and goals, the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM) standards and available resources of the Programs. Collaborates with Clinical Services Manager to develop rotations, approve leaves and overtime, respond to PSLS/PCQO/family concerns, monitors unit activities, and complete supervisory activities/annual performance plans for assigned staff members. The Team Lead works collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team and within a trauma informed model of care and Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism lens, coordinates patient/client care activities in a defined area of clinical expertise and provides leadership, supervision, and guidance to designated staff. Facilitates efficient patient/client flow and access within and between units/programs/clinics. Provides leadership in the planning and implementation of innovative approaches for delivering quality and efficient services to support/promote health and wellness prevention strategies for patients/clients with complex and serious substance use and mental health issues. Ensures a high standard of patient/client care by acting as a clinical resource for staff and supporting staff training and development. Assists the Clinical Services Manager or designate with performing administrative duties and coordinates staffing, scheduling, and clinical research activities, ensuring optimal use of client care resources. Promotes education, research, and best practice. Consults and collaborates with interdisciplinary team members, the leadership team and other health care professionals/providers to achieve excellence in patient/client and family centered care and enhancement in the quality of life consistent with established policies, standards of practice and philosophy of BCMHSUS.

Duties/Accountabilities:

1. Manages the daily operations of the units in the program within budgeted resources. Ensures that an adequate number of appropriate qualified staff are available to meet direct/indirect patient care needs. In In collaboration with Clinical services manager, co-develops rotations, approves leaves and overtime and monitors unit activities.

2. Supervises Program staff through regular supervision discussions, monitoring the staff’s clinical performance, and follow up on defined areas for improvement. Collaborates with the Program’s various leadership positions, and others to provide input for staff educational needs and develop plans for continuing education programs.

3. In conjunction with the Clinical Services Manager, hires staff for casual and regular positions by interviewing external applicants and ensuring orientations are provided.

4. Coordinates daily patient/client care related activities and provides leadership in the planning and implementation of innovative and creative approaches for the delivery of services. Promotes quality of care by consulting and collaborating with interdisciplinary team members to help establish appropriate goals of care and individualized care plans considering the patient’s/client’s physiological, psychiatric, psychological, spiritual, and sociocultural needs.

5. Assists staff in operationalizing care standards, patient/client care guidelines, protocols, clinical pathways, and organizational policies. Works with patients/clients/families and the team to minimize variances from the standardized elements of care and length of stay as described in the clinical pathway. Facilitates the evaluation of services to ensure program and service needs are met. Ensures adherence to established policies, procedures, and protocols including those for quality assurance and the safety of staff, patients, visitors, and the community; making sure that an adequate number of appropriate qualified clinical staff are available, coordinating equipment and other resources; and collaborating with other areas/external resources to solve operational problems, facilitating continuity of nursing care. Advises the Clinical Services Manager (or on-call Administrator) of any urgent patient care issues or concerns.

6. Attends and participates in initial patient/client care evaluations and admission meetings as a member of an interdisciplinary team by providing input on a variety of care issues, practice effectiveness and administrative decisions according to client care standards. Assesses the patient’s/client’s overall needs, conducts risk assessments, formulates initial diagnostic impressions, and determines priority of care requirements, including leading the development of individualized care plans.

7. Reviews patient/client progress and client/family needs. Provides formal and informal consultation as needed to health care team members, other health care providers and students. Provides guidance/knowledge in the management of care in a client/group in defined area of clinical expertise. Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration for treatment concerns, continuity of care, crisis management protocols and community resource coordination. Assists with therapeutic interventions and problem solving, provides clinical guidance and information on complex cases, discusses client care issues, and develops linkages/partnerships to meet client need.

8. Establishes, maintains, and enhances therapeutic relationships based on respect with patients/client. Engages others in treatment planning and evaluation, provides follow-up planning, supports patients/clients to manage self-care, encourages informed decision making and empowers client to improve quality of life. Teaches client about management/treatment of medical conditions.

9. Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to organize and implement group sessions according to the needs of the patient/client population and their identified goals. Provides continuous communication with team members and works collaboratively with staff, management and outside agencies in the identification and resolution of client/family care issues, cultural and language barriers, ethical dilemmas, coordination and integration of care.

10. Facilitates transition planning by supporting nursing practice and interdisciplinary team in delivery of ongoing care and transition planning along care path. Liaises with community and hospital transition teams as applicable during transition planning to ensure successful transition to home, new units or other health care facility. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team and other health care providers in the identification and resolution of patient/client care issues, such as defining appropriate lengths of stay, by ensuring care standards are based on clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and clinical pathways.

11. Provides services to patients/clients as applicable to the position regarding community mental health and substance use resources and access to these resources. Provides strategies and skill building techniques to relevant partners and/or support person(s), identifies and provides applicable information and resources, suggests contacts to facilitate optimal planning.

12. Assists staff to access current and appropriate reference teaching materials for specialized groups of patients/clients and their families. Promotes the teaching of patients/clients/families about illness prevention, health maintenance and health promotion by developing teaching strategies, assessing learning needs of patients/clients/families, teaching staff and/or patients/clients/families and evaluating the outcome of learning.

13. Assists the Clinical Services Manager or designate with the coordination of staffing/scheduling activities by participating in the development of rotation schedules, ensuring daily schedules are prepared and troubleshooting staffing/scheduling related issues. In consultation with the Clinical Services Manager coordinates and approves requests for leaves of absence based on operational requirements and communicates changes to staff. Ensures sick/last minute vacancies are filled and liaises with Clinical Services Manager on longer term leaves, regarding status of ill/injured team members and return to work programs/approval. Maintains timekeeping records and communicates with payroll on issues such as changes in timekeeping procedures, employee enquiries and corrections to identified discrepancies.

14. Assists the Clinical Services Manager with planning, developing, and evaluating patient/client care in the unit/program by evaluating clinical practices and systems and drafting new and/or revised procedures, standards, and criteria in conjunction with the interdisciplinary team and clients/families.

15. Assists the Clinical Services Manager with administrative activities and promoting optimal use of client care resources by identifying systems for improving resource utilization, providing input into budget/staff allocation, assisting team members in workload decision-making, evaluating patients/clients for admission/transitions, evaluating patient/client care products/equipment, and identifying new equipment purchases required. Recommends changes to existing administrative processes as needed.

16. Maintains statistical records and reports on various activities by methods such as collecting data, recording, tabulating, and summarizing information, utilizing basic spreadsheet software for budgetary requirements and workload monitoring, and providing input into proposals, budget policies and procedures as required.

17. Assists the Clinical Services Manager by participating in the selection of new staff and performance evaluation of staff by attending interviews, assessing clinical skills and providing recommendations regarding the evaluation of candidates to facilitate optimal hiring decisions. Provides written input into employee performance evaluations to promote quality work performance. Discusses and clarifies performance expectations with staff, determines orientation and training requirements, documents performance concerns and provides input to the Clinical Services Manager regarding probationary period extensions and disciplinary action.

18. Participates in the orientation of new staff by providing support to preceptors and preceptees, monitoring and evaluating the progress of the new staff member through consultation with preceptor and clinical educators and communicating staff performance information to the Clinical Services Manager. Develops and maintains standard onboarding orientation and education procedures.

19. Supports or leads in staff education and training and development activities in collaboration with Clinical Services Manager, Clinical Educator (if applicable) or other designated personnel, by conducting needs assessments of individuals, coordinating or demonstrating the introduction of new knowledge/skills/procedures, role modeling, supporting autonomous practice, promoting a learning environment and arranging in-service sessions and orientations as required. Maintains records and identifies and schedules staff attendances at yearly updates.

20. Participates in students' clinical experience and/or works with Clinical Educator or designate by assigning staff to students in order to meet students' learning needs. Collaborates with the preceptor to assign patients/clients to allow for student’s maximum learning. Gathers feedback from students and staff regarding their experience to identify opportunities and formulate recommendations to the Clinical Services Manager for quality improvement.

21. Integrates quality improvement and risk management principles and activities into nursing practice for assigned areas through evaluating effect of changes in care practice, generating recommendations for alternate approaches, following up on incident reports, conducting safety audits, taking corrective actions, and recommending changes to selected policies, procedures or protocols. Maintains awareness of all necessary legislation, regulations, requirements, client needs, industry trends, technology, and protocols to ensure current policies, standards, and protocols are relevant, safe, effective, current, and cost effective.

22. Identifies opportunities and resources (e.g., rounds, communities of practice, journal clubs) to promote staff awareness and support knowledge sharing. Facilitates evidence informed nursing practice and nursing and interdisciplinary research by identifying issues and practices which require research, by reviewing relevant literature/resources and participating in research activities. Oversees the collection of statistical and performance data and ensures reporting requirements/submissions are met; shares relevant research findings with the team by collaborating with the team to change practices in response to research findings. Promotes and supports Knowledge Translation activities and evaluates results.

23. Participates on committees and teams that promote improvements to patient/client care and the efficient and safe delivery of services by attending meetings to promote optimal support for patients/clients and families and provide input into improvements of care and services and the resolution of issues. Advocates for the achievement of goals and objectives and the efficient and safe operations of the unit/program. Participates in educational programs to ensure resources and activities are current, accurate and appropriate.

24. Sets measurable personal performance goals in collaboration with the Clinical Services Manager for professional development such as, updating own knowledge within area of practice by reviewing current literature and research, identifying new theories, trends and opportunities and developing a plan in collaboration with the Clinical Services Manager for professional development. Reviews progress to ensure that goals are achieved within established time frames.

25. Maintains and updates relevant knowledge and understanding mental health and addiction nursing practices, principles of violence prevention in hospital settings, community mental health, nursing standards of professional practice and Code of Ethics, and the applicable sections of the Freedom of Information and Protection and Privacy Act, FPSC health information records as per FPSC policy. Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of the BC Mental Health Act, social, financial, rehabilitation, emergency, and other community, treatment, and housing resources.

26. Carries out responsibilities in accordance with health and safety requirements. Promotes awareness of Work Safe BC and Occupational Health and Safety standards by reviewing standards with staff to determine adherence.

27. Immediately reports unsafe situations by notifying supervisor or other appropriate personnel and using online patient safety learning system (PSLS). Assists the Clinical Services Manager in leading review of safety events as a handler such as, interviewing patients/clients/families to investigate clinical components of incident reports; refers performance related issues to the Clinical Services Manager. Shares learning from safety events with team members and incorporates recommendations within clinical practice to enhance client safety.

28. Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications:
Education, Training and Experience

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM).
• Baccalaureate in Nursing.
• Completion of post basic specialty nursing certificate/program if applicable, and five (5) years' recent, related experience in mental health and addictions, including working with the applicable population group when indicated, and two (2) year's related administrative/supervisory experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Current CPR Certification.
• Valid BC Driver's License and access to personal vehicle for local area travel may be required.

Skills and Abilities

• Commitment to developing knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents – including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA, 2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study – and how they intersect across the health care system.
• Knowledge of mental disorders, addiction and concurrent disorders and treatment, and of the principles of recovery.
• Knowledge of Psychosocial Rehabilitation methodology, chemical dependency and addictions treatment, psychopharmacology (indications and side-effects) and psychotherapeutic and counseling skills.
• Knowledge of Trauma-Informed Practice and its application to the defined population of clients
• Knowledge of mental health and substance use best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to provide effective leadership, supervision, work direction and consultation.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive mental health and addiction clinical and risk assessments, utilizing relevant tools and rating scales, and formulate a treatment plan, participate in discharge planning, and provide crisis intervention.
• Ability to apply knowledge of theory and practice to a case management process.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate (orally and in writing) and collaborate effectively with clients and their families, coworkers, physicians, other health care staff, and staff of external agencies.
• Knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary care programs and relevant, community resources.
• Knowledge of health care disciplines and their role in client/family care and service provision.
• Knowledge of evidence informed nursing practice related to designated clinical area.
• Knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures that relate to client, including the BC Mental Health Act.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver educational materials for staff/patients/clients and families based on education theories, principles, and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to promote a supportive, creative learning environment and lead continuous quality improvement.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, organize and prioritize work.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities, adjust to unexpected events, mediate and deal with conflict.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead change and support staff through transitions.
• Knowledge of basic research, e.g., research ethics, research question, hypothesis, and qualitative and quantitative data analyses methods
• Demonstrated ability to perform CPR.
• Demonstrated computer literacy to operate a computerized client care information system as well as applicable word processing, spreadsheet, and database software applications.
• Ability to operate related equipment.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.