Research Assistant, Outcomes, Evaluation and Research, IYS-NS

The Opportunity

Integrated Youth Services (IYS) is a dynamic pan-Canadian and international movement that aims to build effective, youth-focused and integrated services for mental health, substance use and related issues for youth aged 12-25 years.  
  
Integrated Youth Services-Nova Scotia (IYS-NS) will offer, within 8 identified locations, young people and their caregivers, health and wellness resources, programs, services and supports through virtual, community outreach and in person services within an integrated community-led partnership model.  

  
The following are important principles that guide the IYS model: 

• Youth and family/caregiver participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation of services. 
• The co-location and integration of services, including mental health & addiction, primary care, education, community and peer supports, and social services such as justice, employment, and housing supports (involving both child/adolescent services and adult services).
• Continuity of services from age 12 to age 25, including supporting youths’ successful transition and secure attachment to adult services.
• Services that are culturally safe, barrier free, high quality, youth-appropriate, and evidence-informed.
• Clearly identified points of care that provide rapid access to mental health & addiction supports – no service refusal, and no referral required.
• Equitable access: access for vulnerable populations of youth is a top priority; sites are located in community and offer extended operating hours; telephone and virtual services are available as needed.
• Stepped care model: evidence-informed and appropriate levels of care, at the right time, by the right provider. 
• Ongoing, robust measurement of service impact and continuous quality improvement. 

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Integrated Youth Services- Nova Scotia, the Research Assistant will provide high quality research and administrative support to advance the research and evaluation projects within the 8 IYS-NS operational sites. The research and outcomes team is responsible for collecting, analyzing and interpreting survey and qualitative data, outcome and health systems data to assist with decision-making and quality improvement of the IYS-NS initiative. This is an environment where we are embedding a systems research approach within a community based integrated care setting. 

The primary responsibilities of the research assistant are as follows:

Knowledge:

• Undergraduate degree in a health research related field (e.g., Community Health, Epidemiology, Health Services Administration, etc.) required. Masters an asset.
• Project Management and Development 
• Working closely with the Evaluation and Research and Quality Improvement Team to develop, manage, monitor and audit the program’s evaluation tools and systems; analyze the data and help prepare reports. 

Writing:

• Preparing reports of data related to various evaluation projects for a variety of partners, e.g., administrative decision makers, managers, teams, clinicians, community partners and children, youth and families. This includes regular report cards of strategic key performance indicators for the program.
• Prepare draft presentations and reports as above.

Data Management/Analysis:

• Operational use of databases (including Greenspace, excel, R, etc.,) and conduct simple and complex descriptive data analyses. 
• Qualitative data analysis experience an asset 
• Data entry work to support specific projects and meet necessary timelines 

Data gathering:

• Qualitative and quantitative data capturing of site document content (such as meeting minutes)
• Assisting with community-wide data gathering through text surveys and community events
• Youth service provision file reviews and data capturing 
• Conduct qualitative interviews with youth, caregivers, staff, management, and other parties with a key interest in youth wellbeing related to specific IYS-NS sites.  

Data management:

• Record and transcribe qualitative interviews
• Ensure safe storage of all qualitative and quantitative data in IYS-NS data storage and management system
• Ensure qualitative and quantitative data entry (by RA and sites)
• Ensuring adherence by all partners to the signed agreements (Data Sharing Agreement, Master Service Agreements and amendments and Personal Health Information)

Data analysis:

• Conduct thematic analysis on qualitative data
• Conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analysis on quantitative data

Communicating findings with sites:

• Assisting with report writing
• Assisting with and sharing of data and information back to respective IYS-NS Sites
   

Hours of Work

Monday - Friday, 37.5 hours weekly/ Some evenings and/or weekend. This is a remote position and does require travel throughout Nova Scotia to provide service to the IYS sites. 

Your Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience in community-based research and/or evaluation an asset
• High degree of computer literacy including familiarity with Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, MS Teams) required 
• Experience in program evaluation, qualitative research, and outcome measures preferred 
• Working knowledge of various statistical software programs (e.g. Greenspace, R, R Studio)
• Working knowledge of various qualitative data analysis software programs (e.g. Atlas.Ti, MaxQDA) preferred 
• Ability to conduct thematic analysis preferred
• Strong background in research design and methodology
• Conceptual understanding of data and data management required
• Awareness of knowledge translation/implementation science methodologies an asset 
• Ability to perform a range of statistical analysis preferred
• Working independently with minimal supervision and also collaboratively within a team structure with prioritization and time management skills to meet deadlines with attention to detail
• Strong problem-solving skills  
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication, organizational and time management skills 
• Competencies in other languages an asset