Mental Health Commission of Canada Board Member Recruitment Notice

MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA
BOARD MEMBER RECRUITMENT NOTICE

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is making a concerted effort to build cultural competency that allows us to better support and partner with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

Strong voices at our Board of Director table are integral to guiding our process of reconciliation and leading us on a journey of reconciliation. We are currently seeking a Board Member with demonstrated success in supporting, amplifying and giving voice to Métis issues.

If mental health and wellness matters to you, you have expertise in the issues of specific concern to the Métis community, and you wish to put your talents to use to help transform Canada’s mental health landscape, we would like to hear from you.

About the Mental Health Commission of Canada

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) was created by the Government of Canada in 2007 to be a catalyst for improving the mental health system. Funded by Health Canada, we work hard to advance an important national dialogue, and change attitudes and behaviours that can lead to discrimination against people living with mental health problems and illnesses.

We bring together leaders and organizations from across the country to accelerate transformative change across Canada’s mental health landscape. The MHCC’s initiatives and projects are led by people from across the country who bring a variety of perspectives and experience to the table. At the MHCC we all share the same vision: Mental health and wellness for all.

The MHCC is governed by a Board of Directors, which is collectively responsible for directing and overseeing the work of the organization. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the MHCC Board of Directors provides leadership, sets strategy, ensures compliance, and directs and oversees the work of the President & CEO. The President & CEO has responsibility to manage the business and operations of the MHCC within board-approved strategic plans, business plans and budgets, and is accountable to the Board of Directors for the organization’s performance.

Term and Location

As a Director, you will serve for a term of up to three years, with eligibility for re-election for a second consecutive term of up to three years.

Time Commitment

Meetings of the Board of Directors and their committees are typically held on a quarterly basis and are a full day in length. In addition, as a Director, you will be expected to participate in at least one board committee, and an average of eight to 10 board and committee meetings per year. We ask all Directors to make every reasonable effort to attend each meeting for its full duration.

Skills and Experience

All candidates must have certain core skills and other attributes, including:

• Commitment to MHCC’s mandate and strategic directions
• Understanding of the MHCC board’s governance role
• Inter-personal communication
• Creative and strategic planning / vision
• Governance expertise
• Financial literacy
• Analytical and critical thinking

In addition, the nomination and selection process is designed to maintain a board that includes experience/competency in the following specific areas:

• Financial Management (a professional designation preferred)
• Law
• Lived experience of mental health problems or illnesses
• Caregiver experience supporting someone with a mental health problem or illness
• Familiarity with recovery-oriented approaches and or mental health promotion
• Issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada
• Risk management
• Human resources
• Communications/public affairs
• Mental health system – including community-based and clinical experience
• Mental health research

Consistent with best governance practices, the MHCC is seeking applications from persons with expertise in any of these areas. We are specifically searching for candidates with experience and expertise in issues facing the Métis community.

Application Process

In keeping with the MHCC’s commitment to increase diversity in positions of influence, we encourage applications which represent Canada’s English and French linguistic duality; the need for balanced gender representation and a diversity of ages; persons who have lived experience of recovery from a mental illness; as well as individuals from immigrant/refugee/ethno-cultural/racialized (IRER) communities in Canada; LGBTQI2S communities; and people with disabilities. The MHCC is committed to maintaining gender equity on the Board.

All applications received will be reviewed, with qualified candidates presented to the Governance & Nominating Committee. A final list of candidates for election will be presented at the MHCC’s next Annual General Meeting.

Interested individuals should submit their comprehensive Curriculum Vitae accompanied by a Letter of Interest, detailing their academic, professional and lived experiences and clearly stating the reasons why they would be an excellent candidate for this position.

Interested candidates must submit applications to be received by 5:00 pm ET on April 15, 2018 to:

The Mental Health Commission of Canada
Attention: Corporate Secretary
350 Albert Street, Suite 1210
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1R 1A4

Or by email to: mhccboardrecruitment@mentalhealthcommission.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those shortlisted for consideration by the Governance & Nominating Committee will be contacted.