Employment Opportunity: Education and Outreach Coordinator
(Vancouver, BC)
Application deadline: October 31, 2022
The British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI) and its affiliate the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL) are hiring an Education and Outreach Coordinator to lead consultation initiatives with community, develop and enhance our partnerships, and collaborate with other team members to create legal education resources. The successful candidate will be an experienced facilitator who explains complex concepts using clear and accessible language. The Education and Outreach Coordinator will initially dedicate most of their time to our project on Engaging people living with dementia in decision-making. The Coordinator will be involved in other BCLI and CCEL projects as needed and as opportunities arise.
The BCLI is BC’s independent law reform agency. We undertake law reform in the public interest. Our projects strengthen laws, develop just and innovative solutions, and increase access to justice. The CCEL is a division of the BCLI; it operates with a focus on elder law issues. It conducts legal research, consults with community, and develops reports and educational tools on the law and policy issues related to aging. The CCEL’s work aims to bring an intersectional and human rights perspective to seniors policy and elder law, and much of the CCEL’s current work focuses on disability and dementia rights.
The BCLI has recently launched its Reconciling Crown Legal Frameworks Program that supports aligning BC’s Crown legal framework with Indigenous governance under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Recognizing and incorporating Indigenous perspectives will increasingly inform our law reform projects and will require Indigenous engagement.
This is a 4-day a week contract position running until January 2024, with a possibility of extension. The successful candidate will start as soon as possible.
About the Position
The Education and Outreach Coordinator will initially focus on CCEL projects, and in particular the Engaging people living with dementia in decision-making project, which seeks to change how health care decision-making is approached so that the rights of people living with dementia are respected and they participate as much as possible in the decisions that matter to them. This work involves creating practical resources to teach health care stakeholders (nurses, physicians, informal family caregivers, and others) how to support people living with dementia to participate in decision-making. This work will support health care stakeholders to respect BC laws and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The resources will start from the expertise of people living with dementia and other disabilities and be developed in consultation with health care sector stakeholders from across BC. Most of the consultation work on this project is complete. At this phase in the project the Education and Outreach Coordinator will lead resource development and focus-teaching of new resources.
The Education and Outreach Coordinator will report to, and collaborate with, the CCEL National Director. They will also collaborate with other staff lawyers and team members as needed.
The location is flexible. The BCLI offices are located at the Peter A. Allard School of Law on the unceded territories of the Musqueam (xʷmәθkʷәy̓әm), Squamish (Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw), and Tsleil-Waututh (Sәlílwi әtaʔ/Selilwitulh) peoples. The candidate is expected to attend in person regularly as part of our team. Most project events and meetings will occur in the Vancouver Lower Mainland area. The position will involve occasional travel to other communities in BC.
Core responsibilities
- Build new partnerships and sustain existing relationships
- Facilitate or co-facilitate stakeholder consultation and engagement activities
- Develop resources and tools informed by consultation findings
- Share information about our work with stakeholders, including giving presentations
- Plan online and in-person stakeholder consultation and engagement activities suitable and accessible to participants with diverse communication abilities
- Oversee focus-testing and revisions of new resources
- Work with diverse contractors to develop resources, including videographers, designers, and translators
- Consult with Indigenous peoples and communities (including possible travel)
- Plan project community events, including all event logistics such as catering and language interpretation
- Coordinate and facilitate bimonthly meetings of the CCEL’s Dementia Advisory Council
- Work with project evaluators to facilitate project evaluation
- Maintain clear records of community engagement project expenses
- Write project updates, including blog posts
- Identify opportunities for social media updates on our work
- Engage with stakeholders effectively and respectfully to develop lasting relationships for the CCEL
Education and experience
- A degree in a related discipline (social sciences, gerontology, communication, social work, community development, education) or equivalent
- Adult education experience or public legal education experience
- Experience with / passion for disability rights, human rights, health care rights, access to justice, or law reform (demonstrated through paid work, education, volunteer work, or personal experiences)
- Awareness of aging policy, elder law, and seniors issues
- Experience or training in facilitating group discussions involving diverse stakeholders including with people with disabilities and involving complex content or emotionally-sensitive issues
- Experience developing educational resources, curricula, or learning tools (print, video, online)
- Experience meeting tight deadlines and project budgets
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Strong written and spoken communication abilities, including excellent listening and plain language writing skills
- Strong organizational (time management), analytical, detail-oriented, and problem-solving skills
- Experience with interpersonal emotion regulation and management as well as trauma and conflict management in group situations informed by trauma-sensitive practices
- Understanding of cultural competency and cultural humility and how to apply these concepts to everyday work
- Ability to exercise a high degree of confidentiality, discernment, tact, and diplomacy in dealing with issues that could have a significant impact on the image and credibility of the BCLI and CCEL and/or its project partners
- Ability to work effectively and appropriately with language interpreters, including American Sign Language
- Competency with teleconference platforms or comfort learning about them (eg Zoom, Livestorm, GoToMeeting, Teams)
- Ability to work fairly independently
The BCLI and CCEL value diversity, and particularly acknowledge the expertise applicants may bring related to their Indigeneity, race, place of origin, immigration status, ability, sexual orientation, gender, family status, and socio-economic status. We encourage you to self-identify any personal characteristics or experiences that would support our commitment to diversity if you feel comfortable doing so.
Compensation
The salary will be $55,000-$65,000, prorated to 4 days per week, depending on experience. We offer generous benefits and 4 weeks of vacation, in addition to our office closure from December 24 to January 1st annually.
How to apply
To apply, email your application to Krista James, National Director at [email protected] with the subject line Education and Outreach Coordinator. Please include a cv, and cover letter, including two references. Qualified applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis.