Executive Director, Provincial Psychological Health & Safety

This pivotal role will drive a province-wide initiative to enhance psychological health and safety (PHS) across British Columbia's health care sector. As Executive Director, you will provide strategic leadership to a cross-organizational team, advancing the integration of PHS practices into existing occupational health frameworks in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

You will lead the development and implementation of innovative PHS programs, ensuring alignment with the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety. The role involves coordinating efforts with senior leaders from health authorities, SafeCare BC, SWITCH BC, unions, and other key partners to foster a consistent, high-quality approach to PHS throughout the sector.

Key responsibilities include guiding the Provincial PHS Team, supporting regional PHS services, and serving as a co-chair on the OHS Council to elevate the importance of PHS in workplace health initiatives. This is a dynamic leadership opportunity for someone who embodies compassion, collaboration, and a commitment to advancing a safer, more supportive work environment across the entire health care system.

Supporting the Vision, Values, Purpose and Commitments of Fraser Health including service delivery that is centered around patients/clients/residents and families:

The Executive Director, Provincial Psychological Health & Safety will lead province-wide cultural change within the health care sector through leadership of a cross-organization and provincial team of psychological health and safety (PHS) practitioners and support roles. The position will provide senior leadership of the Provincial Workplace Health Services portfolio, while fulfilling a new leadership mandate in Provincial Psychological Health and Safety. The role is accountable to the Ministry of Health and designated to lead the implementation of the Provincial PHS Team, driving initiatives to advance the promotion of PHS in the healthcare workforce across British Columbia. This senior level position utilizes significant persuasion and consensus-building skills across organizations to guide and lead this change at all levels of the health sector. This role will strategically lead the integration of psychological health and safety practices into existing occupational health and safety systems and raise the profile of PHS at provincial OHS tables. The role will coordinate the provincial PHS Strategy and Oversight Committee, advocating for leadership support of PHS across organizations, and supporting escalation of decision-making at the Provincial PHS Strategy and Oversight Committee.

The Executive Director, Provincial Psychological Health and Safety, is accountable to guide the provincial portfolio of centralized and local provincial psychological health and safety (PHS) services and programs leading to the implementation of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (Standard), as directed by Ministry of Health policy. While the Executive Director, Provincial PHS organizationally sits within Provincial Workplace Health Services at Fraser Health, the role is funded by and accountable to the Ministry of Health and the Vice President, Employee Experience for Fraser Health.

The Executive Director is responsible for guiding the overall strategic leadership in the development of the PHS services and programs, provides senior PHS practice and program expertise, and functions as the lead PHS representative on various corporate, health sector-wide or practice area initiatives, advisory groups or committees. The Executive Director works collaboratively with the senior leadership across health authorities, SafeCare BC, SWITCH BC, and Ministry of Health to ensure consistent strategic guidance, collaboration between centralized PHS teams and regional PHS teams, and that the overarching PHS experience is consistent across the BC health sector.

The Executive Director will work closely with PHS leaders across health authorities standing up new or expanded services dedicated to PHS, and to ensure the successful establishment of the new Provincial Psychological Health & Safety Team. Specifically, the ED will work with personnel within Provincial Workplace Health Services (PWHS), OHS Solutions, and Provincial Health Services Authority to ensure centralized supports for provincial PHS initiatives.

The Executive Director, Provincial PHS also has a key role in provincial occupational health and safety by taking on the role of dedicated co-chair for the OHS Council, and raising the profile of PHS on the OHS agenda.

The Executive Director, Provincial PHS, models Psychological Health and Safety in their leadership and approach and values of respecting people, being compassionate, daring to innovate, cultivating partnerships, and serving with purpose.

Education and Experience

A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Master’s degree in Psychology, Organization Development, Leadership, Adult Education, Occupational Health and Safety, Human Resources or a related discipline supplemented by a minimum of ten (10) years of senior leadership experience with a minimum of five (5) years at a leadership level.

Competencies

Demonstrates the leadership practices of the Fraser Health Leadership Framework of Clear, Caring and Courageous and creates the conditions for people to succeed.

Professional/Technical Capabilities

• Leadership capabilities in the areas of leading self, engaging others, driving change, achieving results, developing coalitions and system transformation are required.
• Comprehensive knowledge of PHS/OHS processes and applicable legislation, relevant collective agreements and principles of union/management relationships. Solid understanding of PHS/OHS best practices and policies.
• Strong leader who engages others, a relationship builder. A leader with entrepreneurial style who focuses on continuous improvement and transformation activities. A strategic thinker who is decisive and results driven with the ability to establish courses of action for self and others.
• Demonstrated ability to innovatively solve problems with a global perspective, make decisions and facilitate resolution of issues.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to facilitate, negotiate, and persuade others.
• Excellent organizational skills including the ability to prioritize workload to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to influence change and decision-making at senior levels of an organization.
• Able to respond to the needs of stakeholders while being aware of the impact of actions on a system.
• Proven ability to create and execute strategic plans.
• Demonstrated analytical skills and the ability to think critically, conceptualize issues, and systemically address them.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, lead and coach staff.
• Demonstrates a solid commitment to the value of continuous learning.
• Ability to deal effectively with all levels of staff. Ability to approve, develop and oversee an annual budget.
• Demonstrated ability to make formal presentations.
• Ability to operate related equipment including various word processing software and spreadsheet programs.

Fraser Health is the heart of health care for over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.

People - those we care for and those who care for them - are at the heart of everything we do. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 48,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers.

We are committed to planetary health and value diversity in the work force. We strive to maintain an environment of respect, caring and trust. Fraser Health’s hiring practices aspire to ensure all individuals are treated in an inclusive, equitable and culturally safe manner.

Together, we are the heart of health care.

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