The Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (CDPE) ( www.cdpe.org ), located within MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital, is dedicated to supporting people who use drugs and their communities be healthier and safer. We do this by generating scientific evidence and sharing knowledge on the most effective policies, programs and practices to minimize the risks of drug use and maximize its benefits.
The CDPE is recruiting a research assistant II. The research assistant will hold a full-time Temporary position at St. Michael’s Hospital (37.5 hours per week). This is a hybrid position working based out of several community health centers across Toronto (in-person), the office, and some remote days.
Lived experience from communities we work closely with are strongly preferred: Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous communities/identities, including Two-Spirit), Black (including African, Caribbean, or other African diasporic backgrounds), or of mixed Indigenous and Black ancestry.
The role has two focuses:
Recruit and interview participants of the T-DOT study, a longitudinal cohort study of people who use drugs in Toronto. Potentially support the work of the PhotoVoice project and future Youth cohort study working with youth experiencing homelessness, substance use and/or mental health challenges in Toronto.
Administrative and coordination support for multiple projects at CDPE, which includes invoices, honoraria, financial tracking, consent management, meetings, documentation of internal processes.
Responsibilities:
- Act as the on-site point of contact for the studies at participating community organizations
- Recruit study participants, in collaboration with staff at participating community organizations. Obtain informed consent from study participants. Administer quantitative surveys to study participants at participating community organizations using online survey tool (data collection). Facilitate financial compensation and tracking of study participants
- Support the retention of study participants including building rapport
- Manage study documentation, including study logs, honoraria logs, consent forms, etc.
- Adhere to research requirements as per the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
- Support the preparation of forms (e.g., reimbursement forms, contract submission, invoices, and financial documents).
- Act in a warm and non-judgmental manner, and consistently demonstrate interpersonal tact, discretion, and sensitivity when interacting with study participants.
- Comply with study protocols and guidelines, with an emphasis on communication and organizational skills.
- Document and continuously improve internal processes to ensure a more efficient work environment
- General office (including virtual) duties, e.g. filing, mailings, courier services, photocopying, printing, scanning, distributing information etc.
- Attend and participate in meetings relating to the studies and at the centre, both in person and virtually
Qualifications and skills:
- Undergraduate Degree and 1 year of relevant experience, OR demonstrable equivalent combination of specialized education and experience
- A minimum of one-year experience working with people who use drugs
- Excellent administrative and organizational skills
- Experience working with youth (under 30) and/or adults who are experiencing homelessness and/or mental health challenges
- Experience conducting community-based interviews
- Firm understanding of issues experienced by people who use drugs gained through lived and/or professional experience
- Experience working with blood borne infections an asset (HIV, Hep C)
- Strong engagement with Toronto’s harm reduction community an asset
- Demonstrated ability to work independently
- Superior organizational and time management skills
- Strong oral communications skills
- Excellent data entry skills with high attention to detail
- Fully proficient in the use of MS Office software
- Position requires flexibility to:
- Travel between St. Michael’s Hospital and participating community organizations
- Work flexible hours
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that people in underrepresented communities are less likely to apply for jobs when they don’t meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still welcome you to apply.
We wish to acknowledge the sacred land on which CDPE and Unity Health Toronto operate. It has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home of many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory. We are also mindful of broken covenants and the need to strive to make right with all our relations.
Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.
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