Director, Acute Mental Health Services

CHEO, a global leader in pediatric health and integrated child and youth health systems, is seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Acute Mental Health Services to join our leadership team.

CHEO is one of the few stand-alone, global leaders in pediatric health and is home to more than 6,500 staff, clinicians, scientists and researchers, as well as volunteers – all of whom work together to help children and youth achieve their best lives. Within its own walls and through partnerships with community providers, CHEO has transformed from a 20th century acute care hospital into a 21st century integrated child and youth health system. Ranked in the top 1% of Canadian hospitals for the digitization of its clinical infrastructure, CHEO combines excellence in clinical care, research, and education to advance seamless care that's provided where, when, and how it is needed.

CHEO's Research Institute is dedicated to world-class clinical, translational, and basic science research covering a wide range of children's health concerns. CHEO has been named Canada's best health-care employer by Forbes in 2024 and 2025 and is ranked second among Canadian hospitals on its list of Canada's Best Employers for multiple consecutive years. For the 14th consecutive year in a row, the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers has recognized CHEO as a top employer in the National Capital Region. Every year CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

The Director of Acute Mental Health Services works in a dyad model with Psychiatry Medical Leadership to share accountability for clinical and operational excellence. Together they provide strategic, operational, and clinical leadership for CHEO's acute mental health programs. This role ensures high-quality, evidence-informed care for children and youth experiencing acute mental health challenges, while fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

This role will shape the future of acute mental health care at CHEO, driving system-level transformation and advancing innovative solutions. The successful incumbent will lead the development and execution of strategic plans for acute mental health services in alignment with CHEO's mission and provincial requirements, overseeing program goals, quality improvement initiatives, performance metrics, and continuous improvement strategies to support excellence and innovation.

The Director will be responsible for collaborating with internal partners to ensure seamless transitions and integrated care for patients. They will work in close collaboration with the Director of Community-Based Mental Health Services to ensure seamless integration of care across the continuum, fostering coordinated transitions and a unified approach to service delivery. They will be responsible for managing financial planning, resource allocation, and staffing to ensure efficient and effective service delivery, while driving service transformation initiatives that enhance equity, access, and outcomes across the mental health system.

The Director will be responsible for providing clinical and operational oversight for a broad portfolio of mental health programs, including the three Mental Health Inpatient Units - Inpatient Psychiatry, Eating Disorders and the Mental Health Transition Unit, Crisis Intervention, Regional Psychiatry Emergency Services for Children and Youth Services, Supporting Transitions Program, Consultation Liaison Services, and the remaining levels of care for the Eating Disorders Program (Partial Hospitalization, Day Treatment, and Outpatient).

As a champion of quality, safety, and innovation, the Director will lead patient safety and risk management efforts grounded in evidence-based practice and patient and family feedback, promote service innovation, and monitor clinical outcomes, service utilization, and patient experience metrics to guide improvements. Serving as the Officer In Charge under the Mental Health Act, the Director is responsible for leading and ensuring legal and ethical obligations are met. The Director will ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards while supporting research, evaluation, and knowledge translation, and leads key quality improvement initiatives and research partnerships.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with a minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in child and youth mental health within hospital and community settings with demonstrated success in leading multidisciplinary teams. A Masters degree in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology or related field combined with leadership training or certification is preferred and the successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to trauma-informed care and psychological safety.

Join CHEO and lead a team dedicated to transforming mental health care for children and youth. Apply today to make a lasting impact.