Lived Experience Assistant– Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Summary of position
We are seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual to join our dynamic team at the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health (CEYMH), located at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. Through a combination of innovation in health service delivery and research focused on new interventions, the CEYMH is a hub for transformative change for youth facing a variety of needs – health, social, educational, employment, among others. The Centre focuses not only on research to generate new knowledge, but to directly applying such knowledge in the delivery of youth mental health services and providing training to a new generation of clinicians, researchers, and individuals with expertise by lived experience.
Work environment: The Lived Experience Assistant will be based at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, a highly specialized and research-intensive teaching institution providing mental health care services to individuals of all ages. It includes the Douglas Research Centre, the second largest mental health research center in Canada. Its vibrant multidisciplinary community of researchers investigate virtually all aspects of mental health, from genes to society.
Lived Experience Initiatives: One of our key commitments is the meaningful inclusion of youth, particularly those with lived and living experience of mental health problems, and their caregivers in co‐designing research, practices, and policies. We have created advisory councils that are consulted periodically in connection with the CEYMH and collaborating research and clinical groups, and the council members’ opinions have a concrete impact on these various activities.
Employment advantages: Comprehensive health benefits package, vacation and illness entitlement, adherence to the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan, on-site daycare centre, on-site fitness centre, affordable parking, access to leadership and mentoring opportunities, to name a few.
Description of tasks
The primary responsibility of the Lived Experience Assistant is to assist the coordinator with all tasks leading to that the CEYMH engages, includes, and advocates for youth and family members with lived experience in mental illness at multiple stages of its various research activities from conception to implementation. The incumbent will collaborate with the 2 CEYMH coordinators, the directors of the CEYMH, and collaborators to make sure that the research initiatives are motivated by the needs of youth and families with lived experience in mental illness, particularly when it comes to utilization of services.
The specific tasks will be the following:
- Help organize and track activities of the CEYMH Youth and Family Advisory Councils. This includes organizing and planning future meetings, tracking presence, helping with compensation.
- Provide consultation on project development and co-design support for ongoing research projects.
- Help organize and coordinate the CEYMH Experiential Science Talks series by helping the coordinator with managing seminar logistics.
Do some administrative tasks when required. In order for the initiative to stay organized.
Required qualifications
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
- Minimum two years of experience in project coordination and/or facilitation of focus groups or similar
Required skills
- Fluency in both official languages is an asset
- Proven ability to work with the full Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint)
- Knowledge of or experience working in research design and healthcare systems is desired
- Experience working with youth, particularly those with lived experience of mental health issues is an asset
Required abilities
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated capacity to work in a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced, result-oriented environment
- Demonstrated passion, interest, and motivation to work and engage with young people, families and service users.
Location of work
Douglas Mental Health University Institute (on-site presence required but occasional remote work possible).
Work schedule
- Part-time (21 to 25 hours/week)
- One-year contract renewable upon satisfactory progress
- Will need to work some evenings for council meetings, which is included within work hours
- Start date: 2025, November 1st
Salary
Commensurate with experience.
Required to travel?
May occasionally need to travel to other CIUSSS-West Island establishments (accessible via public transit).
Instructions for submitting an application
Send your CV and cover letter to: celine.villemus.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Thank you for your interest in this opportunity. Kindly note that only qualified applicants will be contacted. And incomplete application will not be considered.
The Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons, visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
Contact person
Céline Villemus
celine.villemus.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Name of immediate supervisor
Dr. Lena Palaniyappan, Director of the CEYMH
Céline Villemus, Operations Director