Executive Leader

Gallagher is pleased to partner with The Lead Agency Consortium (LAC) for Child and Youth Mental Health in Ontario.

The Organization

The Lead Agency Consortium (LAC) for Child and Youth Mental Health in Ontario is leading the development and implementation of the Ontario Intensive Treatment Pathway (OITP), with the Ministry of Health. The OITP is a newly established initiative that aims to address the intensive mental health needs of children and youth in Ontario while prioritizing principles and practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The OITP aims to bring together government, children and youth mental health organizations, cross-sectoral partners and Indigenous health and cultural leaders from across the province to create a comprehensive multi-year approach for child and youth intensive treatment services that includes objectives, clinical treatment, and service delivery models, including key performance indicators.

The OITP’s primary focus is on collaboration and system transformation to ensure better health outcomes, improved client experiences, and increased community confidence in the healthcare system for children and youth across Ontario who require intensive services and treatment.

The Opportunity

As the Executive Leader , you will have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact to reshape and re-envision a portion of our healthcare system by transforming the child and youth mental health services sector in Ontario. This role offers the chance to innovate the future of intensive service delivery and clinical treatment models, driving positive change and improving outcomes for those children and young people who have the most complex needs.

While standing up the OITP, you will have the autonomy to develop a multi-year plan and set objectives that align with the pathway’s vision and goals. Collaborating with key business partners, you will have the opportunity to build strong partnerships and implement an engagement plan with cross-sectoral partners involved in intensive treatment.

Additionally, you will play a crucial role in fostering community and partnership development, ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach to delivering intensive mental health services. This position offers the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the mental health system transformation for our current and future children and youth, utilizing your strategic thinking and project management skills to drive innovation, coordination and improve the overall quality of treatment in measurable ways.

In addition to these responsibilities, the Lead Agency Consortium is open to offering this position as a secondment opportunity. This would allow individuals who are interested in the role but do not want to leave their current leadership or clinical position permanently to take on this opportunity. For a secondment, we envision a 24-month minimum commitment to stand up the organization, establish relationships, partnerships, and an operational structure.

Mandate

As the Executive Leader your mandate is to provide the strategic direction and leadership to build out this new initiative. You will be responsible for developing a multi-year plan that includes objectives, service delivery models, and milestones for day-to-day operations. Additionally, you will define key performance indicators to drive the overall strategy and decision-making. Your role will involve creating a comprehensive communications and engagement plan, leading the selection process for the regional hubs (who will implement the clinical model and associated practice and quality standards), and overseeing the financial and risk management.

You will collaborate with the System Planning, Clinical Leadership and Implementation Working Groups to develop the overarching model and implementation strategy, ensuring high-quality clinical treatment and service delivery is achieved. You will ensure that there is a common understanding of the OITP model’s priorities and mission associated with the clinical and quality standards, data and information sharing and system linkages.

Furthermore, you will foster community and partnership development, support the governance of the initiative, and identify emerging healthcare trends and innovations. Your work will contribute to better health outcomes for children and young people, improved client and family experiences, increased community confidence in the healthcare system, and enhanced intensive service pathways for children, youth, and their families.

Key Accountabilities

The position will include the following responsibilities:

Major Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Innovation : Define and execute the long-term strategy, goals, and objectives of the OITP. Drive innovation and promote excellence in intensive service delivery and clinical treatment.
• Operational Management : Oversee the day-to-day operations, including staffing, performance management, and budget. Ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
• Partnership Development : Foster strong relationships with cross-sectoral partners involved in intensive treatment. Collaborate with key business partners to establish and maintain inter-agency and inter-sectoral partnerships, protocols, and transparent pathways to care across the province.
• Communication and Engagement : Oversee a comprehensive communication and engagement plan alongside the communications working group. Effectively communicate with business partners, including parents/caregivers, youth, professionals, and community members. Ensure a common understanding of OITP priorities and goals.
• Thought Leadership : Stay informed about emerging healthcare trends, evidence, and innovations. Provide thought leadership on intensive service delivery and clinical treatment models, informed by environmental scanning and literature.
• Governance Support : Support the governance of the OITP by developing with your administrative support, agendas, packages, and minutes for Steering Committee and Committee/Working Group meetings. Provide updates on the OITP progress and key lessons learned.
• Capacity Augmentation : Collaborate on the development of an Intensive Services Human Resources (HHR) strategy to augment capacity provincially. Identify opportunities to enhance the workforce and ensure the availability of skilled professionals in the field.
• Quality and Compliance : Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, policies, and standards. Uphold the consistent application of high-quality standards of care and treatment. Mitigate risks and address any issues related to quality improvement and risk management.
• Collaborative Decision-Making : Collaborate with the Systems Planning, Clinical Leadership and Implementation Working Groups to develop the overarching model and implementation strategy. Engage in collaborative decision-making processes to ensure alignment with the OITP goals.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will have the following:

Education:

• A strong educational background, preferably with a master's degree or comparable demonstrated experience and transferable skill sets in a field relevant to the delivery of mental health, healthcare, and social services.
• Knowledge and understanding of Ontario's child and youth mental health sector.

Experience:

• Extensive experience in system transformation and project management, particularly in the healthcare sector.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a similar role, with a track record of successfully leading and implementing large, complex or multi-organizational initiatives or services.
• Experience in intensive service delivery and clinical treatment models within mental health is highly desirable.
• Has developed, implemented, and evaluated best practices and quality standards within an initiative’s implementation.
• Successful change management experience through leadership and influence of partner organizations.
• Worked with a Board of Directors or Steering Committee to ensure that a project is professionally governed and present or provided information to the Board of Directors regularly on changes and improvements made or anticipated future challenges.
• Attracted, managed, invested in and motivated a high-performing team.
• An experienced key ambassador, spokesperson and/or community leader who has raised an organization’s profile, created opportunities and been a role model.
• assets include being fluent in French, with a preference for Francophone clinical expertise, having direct experience with Indigenous health entities, and culturally responsive treatment.

Competencies and Attributes:

• A strategic, innovative thinker with the ability to envision and execute long-term plans.
• Political astuteness and the ability to navigate complex relationships and environments.
• Has led others through change, creating followership and enthusiasm for reaching goals and empowering others to set and surpass their own objectives.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills and the ability to facilitate collaborative decision-making.
• A clear and persuasive communicator, able to articulate the OITP's vision and goals to a wide range of audiences.
• Business acumen and financial management skills to effectively oversee the operations and budget.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with other agencies by maintaining strong relationships, remaining transparent and open-minded, and building trust.
• Ability to develop partnerships, coalitions, and collaborative processes across organizations.
• Ability to impact and influence others at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to use tact and discretion in dealing with others.
• Superior interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to manage multiple ongoing projects and juggle many priorities.
• Demonstrated professionalism in dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.
• Understanding and commitment to principles and practices related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI).