Patient Navigator

Job Description

Job Title: Patient Navigator
Job Group: Category 2 – Paratechnical personnel and auxiliary services and trades personnel
Hours/Week: 1 FTE for a period of 4 years (to March 31, 2025)
Directorate: General Directorate
Department: Quality, performance, evaluation, ethics, support and administration
Immediate Superior: Assistant to the Executive Director
Salary: Wage group 717

General Duties

Reporting to the President and Director General, the patient navigator is responsible for helping Indigenous patients navigate or make their way through the traditional healthcare system. The patient navigator creates a culturally safe space and develops relationships based on trust with the goal of better understanding user needs and the obstacles they face in accessing services in the public healthcare system.

The patient navigator’s role also involves eliminating barriers between patients and health professionals. The role is also that of a cultural interpreter, performed to enable patients and medical staff to better understand the needs and reality of the other party.

Specific Functions

• Be available at the Centre de santé de Chibougamau’s front desk to assist users and help them benefit from necessary care and services in a way that emphasizes cultural safety.
• Act as a facilitator between patients and public healthcare professionals.
• Serve as a cultural interpreter to enable patients, social services workers and health professionals to better understand their respective expectations and roles or interventions.
• Provide users with cultural and emotional support.
• Ensure that users understand the information provided with regard to their health condition as well as available care and services.
• Advise users of available resources, programs and services.
• Cooperate with the care team to facilitate the admission and care of patients.
• Contribute to the roll-out of measures at the institution as part of various action plans focused on the Indigenous reality and the Access Program to services in English.
• Identify certain cultural safety issues to uphold the institution’s action plan.
• Explain certain organizational factors with a view to facilitating patient interactions with the institution.
• Gather information on user needs as part of the review of the Access Program to services in English and the Adaptation of services to the First Nations reality’s project.

Safe Provision of Care and Services

• Understand and comply with the laws and regulations governing the safe provision of care and services, professional orders, individual and group contracts, and the institution’s administrative procedures and policies.
• Strive to ensure a safe environment for patients, users, staff and visitors.
• Report any situation that constitutes a risk.

Requirements

• Member of a First Nation, Métis or Inuit community.
• Experience working with marginalized groups.
• Work experience or personal involvement with Indigenous communities.
• College/university diploma or the equivalent (diploma of vocational studies).
• Adequate knowledge of English and Cree would be a significant asset.
• Good understanding of the socioeconomic issues facing Indigenous people.
• Good understanding of health determinants.
• Knowledge of the sociosanitary issues with which Indigenous populations must contend.
• Ability to adapt and offer quality services in “uncharted waters”.
• Strong interest in the harm reduction approach.
• Knowledge of holistic approaches and traditional medicine.

Abilities and Attitudes

• Oral and written communication skills (adequate understanding of English and Cree, and ability to speak and write French).
• Ability to effectively interact with people from other cultures.
• Ability to introduce a series of conditions conducive to change.
• Ability to listen, understand messages, exchange with others and adapt.
• Creativity and a sense of innovation.
• Leadership and professional independence.

Resumes may be sent to rh.crsssbj@ssss.gouv.qc.ca