Access Navigator, Western Zone (Yarmouth)

Provincial Preschool Autism Services

The Provincial Preschool Autism Service (PPAS) is a partnership between IWK Health (IWK), Nova Scotia Health (NSH), Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS) and Autism Nova Scotia (Autism NS). It provides person and family-centred services to preschoolers across Nova Scotia who are suspected of or have a diagnosis of autism. The goal of the service is to provide an efficient, sustainable, and integrated continuum of health services that follows a needs-based model responsive to the individual needs of children and their families.
 

Services include a range of interventions and supports available for children and families. Service streams include:
 

• Clinical intake and care coordination
• Family and health professional education
• QuickStart NS parent coaching toddler program
• Autism diagnostic assessment
• Interprofessional autism interventions (focused interventions based on care pathways and manualized comprehensive programs),
• A 12-month intensive intervention for children with the greatest social communication and behaviour needs (formerly EIBI)
• Transition to school supports
   

Services and programs are flexible and able to be scaled up and down based on the needs and progress of each child and their family. There is a comprehensive scope of services that can be matched to best meet the needs of preschool-age children. The goal of all interventions is to empower caregivers to teach and support their child’s development.

The Opportunity

The Access Navigator (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinator) is part of a team in the Clinical Intake & Care Coordination stream of service and the single point of contact for clients and families and service providers at the point of referral.  Reporting to the assigned PPAS manager and supervised by the Clinical Leader, Clinical Intake and Care Coordination, the Access Navigator (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinator) is responsible for:

• Being the first point of contact for families contacting PPAS 
• Exploring child and family needs upon entry into PPAS and in reviewing their goals/priorities as children and family needs change.
• Assisting in matching child/family needs with the services available in PPAS.  There is an on-going interaction with the clinicians and administrative staff in PPAS foundational education,       intervention, and diagnostic streams of service to support a coordinated continuum of care and with community-based organizations, partners, and clinicians involved in providing autism       services to children and families . 
• Keeping timely and accurate records of navigation and coordination activities for the purpose of team communication and care coordination
• Developing and maintaining a professional relationship with families throughout their preschool years and supporting the transition to school process.  
• Supporting access to school-age diagnostic services as appropriate 
• Participating in planning, development, and ongoing evaluation/quality improvement. 
   

This position ensures that clients/families, partners and referring and community providers experience a respectful and consistently high quality of service as children enter and navigate through and within PPAS.  The position supporting Clinical Intake is critical to create and maintain client/family, provider and public confidence in PPAS intent, processes and integrity. Principles of equity, diversity, inclusivity, anti-racism, and reconciliation will be required to be embedded within the work of Access Navigators (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinators) to ensure all families have equitable access to culturally safe and inclusive services. The incumbent must have strong communication and relationship building skills to foster productive interactions with families, clinical teams, and partners. 
The position is provincial in scope – all Access Navigators (Preschool Autism Resource Coordinators) will have responsibility to have broad understanding of clinical and community-based services and supports across the province (all health zones) to support navigation to local resources and care coordination functions.

Hours of Work

• 75 hours bi-weekly; Monday to Friday
• Capacity to work flexible hours, allowing for extra travel time and overnight stays
• Capacity to work flexible hours to accommodate service needs (evenings, weekends)

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work required (other health care professional degrees with experience in facilitating intakes may be considered).
• Registration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) or applicable College is required.
• Minimum of two (2) years related clinical experience, required.
• Three (3) to five (5) years' experience in intake and/or client navigation, preferred.
• Experience in pediatric settings, and specifically autism, preferred.
• Knowledge of IWK, Nova Scotia Health, Autism Nova Scotia, Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, and community resources and skills in navigating systems preferred.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently conduct virtual and telephone-facilitated intake for the purpose of gathering and providing information and support to patients and families and matching of services required.
• Ability to match criteria for clinical streams to identify patient and family needs required. 
• Ability to accurately enter data and use databases and patient information systems to collect patient information and to retrieve reports related to patient demographics and wait times required. 
• Able to work in a collaborative and consultative manner as part of an interprofessional team required.
• Demonstrated clinical competence and experience with the described patient population required.
• Competencies in other languages an asset; French preferred.

Where there are no qualified candidates who meet the minimum requirements for (2) two years related clinical experience; consideration may be given to Registered Professionals without the required experience.