Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health·Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Administrative Assistant provides high-quality secretarial and organizational support to clinicians, including coordinating group schedules and managing client communications. They are responsible for maintaining databases, preparing educational materials, and facilitating logistical arrangements for community mental health groups.
Click here to apply as an internal applicant.
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region.
We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia.
People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities.
We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes.
We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs.
We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us.
We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization.
There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years.
We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country.
Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country.
We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face.
We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer.
We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.The Opportunity Reporting to the Manager of Community Mental Health, the Administrative Assistant provides high quality administrative, secretarial and organizational support to clinicians referring clients to parenting and treatment groups delivered in the Community Mental Health clinics.
Duties include but are not limited to:
Maintains communication with clinicians referring clients to groups.
Books/coordinates groups (inc rooms & equipment), sending invitations to clients Creates and distributes Group Educational Packages to CMHA teams as needed.
Follow-up phone calls and confirmation of group attendees Actively anticipates and troubleshoots problems.
Answers phone calls with follow up, as appropriate Initiates correspondence to clients referred to groups, follows up with potential attendees to fill groups Arranges printing, ordering and distribution of group materials and outcome measures Maintains Group database and records to ensure efficient storage and retrieval of material.
Coordinates with IWK Primary Health and community partners to track schedule of groups delivered in community Arranges Group Process and other related meetings, producing minutes and reporting to Group Process Facilitator Presents Group process changes and updates to CMHA teams with group clinical facilitator Orders food and arranges purchase orders as needed for Groups.
Sets up Telehealth and other related audiovisual needs for Group as needed.
Other related duties as assigned.
Minimum of a High School Diploma or G.E.D. required.
Graduate from a recognized Secretarial or Office Administration Program required.
Minimum one (1) year related administrative experience required.
Experience in a health care academic or research environment preferred Advanced working knowledge of MS Office programs (Excel in particular) required.
Knowledge of research procedures and processes an asset.
Keyboarding skills minimum of 60 wpm (testing may be conducted on candidates).
Proven time management, problem-solving and analytical skills required.
Excellent organization skills, strong communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
Ability to prioritize workloads; function effectively in a stressful environment with multiple deadlines and concurrent activities.
Demonstrates initiative; self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision.
Demonstrates high regard for quality, accuracy and attention to detail.
Ability to function as a part of a team.
Flexibility to meet workload demands.
Excellent judgment and discretion in handling confidential and/or sensitive information.
Competencies in other languages an asset.
Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Admin Professionals bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.
Candidates must possess a high school diploma or G.E.D. and a graduate certificate from a recognized Secretarial or Office Administration program. At least one year of related administrative experience and advanced proficiency in MS Office are required.
Market context
Behavioral-health positions in Nova Scotia often reflect steady demand in child and adolescent services, especially where trauma-informed care and specialized assessment skills are needed. These roles are competitive because employers typically look for a Ph.D. or PsyD in Clinical Psychology, registration with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology, and direct clinical experience with younger patients. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time, then confirm your registration status and prepare examples of trauma-informed work before applying.