Community Health Representative

This job opening is limited to residents living within 25 kilometres of Inuvik, NT.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) offers challenging and exciting careers in health and social services delivery and administration in Canada’s North. The Territorial Authority has service locations in communities across the territory and a staff of more than 1,600 serving over 43,000 residents of the NWT and 5,900 residents of the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. Challenging work, welcoming communities, and expanded opportunities are some of the benefits offered to employees of the NTHSSA.

SCOPE

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) administers all regional health and social services (HSS) delivered through the Inuvik Regional Hospital (IRH), a 47 in-patient bed accredited facility, 12 Community Health Centres; and 17 other sites, including social services and dental therapy office, public health clinics, elder’s facilities, and various group homes. The NTHSSA provides and supports the delivery of health care services to adults and children on an inpatient, outpatient and outreach basis in order to enhance healthy communities’ well-being through excellence, accountability and respect for regional diversity.

Located in Inuvik Public Health Centre and reporting directly to the Nurse in Charge (NIC) Public Health, the community Health Representative (CHR) works with the community members, health care providers and other agencies to promote health living and well-being. The CHR plays a critical liaison role between the community and the NTHSSA and ensures that individuals within the community have access to education and health promotion needed for healthy living, and that the NTHSSA is aware of the community concerns with respect to continued health and well-being. The Health Station is the sole medical facility in the community.

Community health Promotion Services include the delivery of public health and homecare programs designed to promote community health and wellness (ie: including but not limited to Well-Child/Woman/Man clinics, pre and post-natal clinics, school health program, chronic disease clinic, communicable disease surveillance, etc.).

Services may be provided within the Health Stations, community halls, schools or in a patient’s/resident’s home (ie: elderly population) and are intended to promote a healthy way of life, and decrease the incidence of death and disease. Services may be provided on an individual basis or as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

In the absence of a Community Health Nurse (CHN) or the NIC and the CHR may be required to deliver medications that have already been dispensed (ie: bubble pack) to individuals within the community.

This role requires the incumbent to carry supplies and equipment from health unit to homes or teaching locations, using stairs, obtaining water samples, and climbing in and out of vehicle several times a day.

From time to time the CHR may be required to assist the CHN or Lay Dispenser during the provision of nursing services to abusive patients, individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol and RCMP escorts. These incidents may occur while the incumbent is on duty as well as when off duty.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of current trend in health promotion, community development and adult education theory as well as basic understanding of common disease processes and conditions throughout the life span.
• Ability to identify health issues and formulate an action plan. This includes the ability to formulate teaching plans and use audio visual and other teaching aids as well as ability to create teaching materials that is culturally appropriate for the client’s needs.
• Knowledge of traditional healing methods as well as community and cultural norms.
• Ability to speak, read and write English (this includes and ability to follow verbal written instructions from nursing, medical and dental personnel and interpret health information accurately-following the Medical interpreter’s Guide).
• Ability to operate basic office equipment (ie: telephones, fax machines, etc.).
• Knowledge of and an ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural setting and work with community groups and resources.
• Knowledge of and ability to operate word processing applications (ie: Microsoft Word) in order to complete training materials and presentations, electronic mail to send and receive mail and the internet in order to conduct on-line research.
• Ability to educate patients and their families (where applicable) on appropriate self-care methods and techniques as directed by a health care provider (ie: NIC).
• Knowledge of and an ability to network resources within and outside the DCSB (ie: Social Services, Public health, medevac teams etc.) in order to provide comprehensive health promotion and education.
• Knowledge application relating to protection of privacy and confidentiality, with the ability to keep personal and medical information private and confidential at all times.

Typically, the above qualifications would be attained by:

Completion of a secondary diploma, (Grade 12) and experience in the health care system.

Inquiries Only:

Inuvik HR Client Service Centre
Department of Finance
Government of the Northwest Territories
1st FLOOR ALEX MOSES GREENLAND BUILDING
BOX 1869
INUVIK, NT X0E 0T0
Tel (867) 678-6600
Fax (867) 678-6620
jobsinuvik@gov.nt.ca

Note: If you do not receive electronic notification confirming receipt of your application, please follow up via telephone.