East Regional Clinical Lead, Mental Health and Addictions [Physician]

Position summary

Multi-disciplinary clinician leadership and engagement is foundational to the work of Ontario Health to advance the delivery of high quality, accessible care. Ontario Health is recruiting Regional Clinical Leads including physicians and other qualified healthcare professionals for each Ontario Health region, who will work together to advance mental health and addictions (MHA) priorities at the regional level.

Ontario Health is seeking expressions of interest from qualified physicians for the position of East Regional Clinical Lead, Mental Health and Addictions. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with regional stakeholders and provide clinical leadership to the evolution of the MHA system in Ontario. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Clinical Programs for the Ontario Health East Region, with indirect reporting and accountability to the Vice President, Clinical, Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, this role plays an instrumental role in shaping regional MHA delivery systems and implementing regional initiatives aligned to provincial priorities.

Questions about the role may be submitted by email no later than April 14, 2025.

A consolidated list of all questions and answers will be available to any party, by request, by April 18, 2025.

Interested parties should forward their Curriculum Vitae and a completed Response Cover Page (see Appendix A), electronically, with the subject line as “Application for East Regional MHA MD - [Your Name]” no later than 5:00 PM on April 25, 2025.

To send a question, receive a copy of the consolidated list of questions and answers, or to submit your expression of interest please contact sourcing@ontariohealth.ca.

Accountabilities

• Provide clinical leadership and advice to support high quality, standardized, regional MHA program development and implementation
• Build consensus among various clinical experts to drive program evolution and adoption in focus areas including/such as depression and anxiety-related disorders, schizophrenia and psychosis, eating disorders, and substance use disorders
• Work with regional leadership and relevant stakeholders to identify and achieve region-specific goals and objectives
• Work with regional partners to drive implementation, monitoring and improvement of regional activities in support of system-level provincial plans and initiatives
• Ensure coordination and integration of care in the region by working with local partners and service delivery organizations, including Ontario Health Teams
• Support targeted regional activities to address issues of capacity, access and flow
• Work with regional stakeholders to increase equitable access to community MHA services and outcomes for vulnerable and marginalized populations and other equity-deserving groups
• Work with regional administrative leadership to ensure there is a strong foundation in place, including a Regional Mental Health and Addictions Committee or similar body, to support program development, implementation and performance management at the regional level
• Represent the corresponding Ontario Health Region at key regional and provincial clinical leadership tables, including the Regional Mental Health and Addictions Committee, and lead regional interdisciplinary collaboration to support capacity building
• Participate actively, along with other clinical and administrative leaders, in MHA Centre of Excellence Planning and Performance Management Council and Clinical Council to define, guide, monitor and lead the development and delivery of coordinated standardized, high quality MHA services
• Work closely with partners in the region to ensure that data, reporting, and digital infrastructure support service providers with monitoring and improvement efforts
• Champion MHA Centre of Excellence Program planning and implementation within the region

Qualifications

• Practicing physician in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and either the College of Family Physicians of Canada or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• A minimum of five years of clinical experience in mental health and addictions
• Experience in a leadership role focused on quality and system improvement
• In-depth understanding of Ontario's health care system, with particular focus on the challenges and issues facing MHA access and quality of care in Ontario
• Expert knowledge of current best practices, healthcare literature, and evidence-based guidelines, as it pertains to mental health and addictions care, including depression and anxiety-related disorders schizophrenia and psychosis, eating disorders, or substance use disorders
• Knowledge of health system performance measurement and management approaches, and how this can be used as a tool to promote change
• Aptitude for system thinking and ability to analyse information for sound decision making
• Demonstrated commitment to equitable and person centred care, as well as public accountability
• Excellent communication skills with mature leadership experience in establishing strong relationships and building consensus with partners
• Demonstrated experience in implementation of large-scale change in the health sector
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders to reach consensus

How to apply

Interested parties should forward their Curriculum Vitae and a completed Response Cover Page (see Appendix A), electronically, with the subject line as “Application for East Regional MHA MD - [Your Name]” no later than 5:00 PM on April 25, 2025 to Sourcing@ontariohealth.ca.

We will evaluate all applications against the skills and experience requirements for the position. Those candidates selected for interview will be contacted directly by a representative from the Region. Ontario Health may consider applications from incumbents currently in the position. If you have not been contacted within 3 weeks after the close of the posting, you can assume you are not under consideration for this position.

More About Ontario Health

Ontario Health is an agency created by the Government of Ontario with a mandate to connect and coordinate Ontario’s health care system in ways that have not been done before, to help ensure that Ontarians receive the best possible care.

Ontario Health oversees health care delivery across the province, which includes ensuring front-line providers and other health professionals have the tools and information they need to deliver the best possible care within their communities. This also means simplifying the current system and connecting and coordinating its many complex parts in new and innovative ways. This involves keeping a close eye on how the health system is performing and providing evidence-based standards and improvements to address any gaps.

Ontario Health helps to support significant and important transformation in Ontario’s health system, working to ease the transition between points of care for Ontarians and helping to ensure they have access to the care they need. Ontario Health is adapting world-renowned practices from areas such as cancer care and renal care to other parts of the system, including mental health and addictions.

Through integration, coordination, connection, and clinical excellence, Ontario Health is working to reduce strain on the system which will enable investment of more resources on the care Ontarians need, and, most importantly, improve health outcomes and overall wellness for all.

As an operational service agency of the Government of Ontario, Ontario Health is accountable for conducting a fair and transparent process, providing equal treatment to all qualified parties, in selecting a candidate for the above-mentioned role.