Clinical Lead – Toronto Community Crisis Support Service (Full Time Permanent)

The Role and Opportunity

The Canadian Mental Health Association – Toronto Branch is looking for a Clinical Lead for the Toronto Community Crisis Support Services (TCCS) Program. This service provides 24/7 support to people experiencing a mental health and/or addiction crisis in northwest Toronto. This program is part of a City of Toronto police reform initiative that is evaluating the effectiveness and impact of non-police-led responses to people experiencing non-violent crises. This program aims to reduce the harms experienced by people who have mental health and addictions challenges as well as Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2+ and other marginalized individuals. The TCCS Program is governed in partnership with a Collaborative which includes the following organizations:

1.  Addiction Services of Central Ontario (ASCO)
 2.  Jane & Finch Centre
 3.  Rexdale Community Health Centre
 4.  Caribbean African Canadian
 5.  Social Service (CAFCAN)
 6.  Black Creek Community Health Centre
 7.  Black Health Alliance
 8.  Yorktown Family Services
 9.  HF Care - Asian Mental Health and Well-Being (Previously Hong Fook)
 10.  North York Community House (NYCH)/North York Family Health Team (NYFHT)
 11.  Unison Health & Community Services

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established and extensive community mental health organization in Canada. We identify and respond to Canada’s most pressing mental health and addictions priorities. At the national level, we push for nationwide system and policy change. At the community level, millions of people in Canada rely on CMHA’s extensive grassroots presence. Since 1918, CMHA has grown to provide mental health services and supports across Canada in over 330 communities. CMHA Toronto was, established in 1953. CMHA Toronto proudly provides services to over 10,000 clients per year, in 31 programs at 13 locations across the City of Toronto. Our services are delivered by a passionate and diverse team. Join us in providing high quality mental health and addictions services, advocating for a better mental health and addiction system, and providing education and mental health and addiction supports to clients across Toronto. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Senior Manager of TCCS and partnering with the TCCS Service Collaborative, the Clinical Lead will be responsible for clinical service delivery, program planning and evaluation, quality and human resource management.

The Clinical Lead will provide strong, on-site clinical leadership to an interdisciplinary team comprised of nurses, mental health case managers, counsellors, and peer identified staff to deliver effective mobile support and follow up to individuals experiencing a crisis. The team will be comprised of staff from multiple agencies from the Collaborative. The Clinical Lead will support the ongoing operations of the program to ensure high quality in the provision of service to clients and communities. 

The Clinical Lead will promote client-centered and trauma- and violence-informed care with a strong emphasis on harm reduction, anti-discrimination, anti-oppression and culturally safe care. The Clinical Lead will employ an open and collaborative approach with staff, clients, families, partners and community stakeholders.

The Clinical Lead will provide guidance and supervision to team members and administrative support where required, including, but not limited to data collection and reporting. This position will participate in hiring, training and performance management of program staff. The role expectation includes being proactive and taking initiative in identifying and implementing quality improvement opportunities. 

The Clinical Lead will support consultation to internal and external stakeholders on all aspects of services to clients. The aim of the role will be to continuously ensure that the focus of services achieve excellence both at a clinical and operational level. 

SKILLS YOU BRING

CMHA Toronto’s ideal candidate will have a minimum Undergraduate Degree in Social Work/Social or Health Sciences or equivalent. Membership, in good standing, in a regulatory college is preferred. The candidate will bring five (5) years of experience working in community mental health and addictions with strong knowledge of crisis intervention and recovery principles. The candidate will also bring two (2) years of clinical leadership experience and demonstrated effectiveness in supporting teams to achieve desired clinical outcomes. 

The candidate will bring an understanding and knowledge of working with persons with mental health and/or addictions issues as well as an understanding of the intersectionality of systemic barriers and social determinants of health. The candidate will require strong knowledge and experience of systemic and structural factors that impact Black, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQ2+ communities, that is rooted in lived experience. The candidate will have a proven track record in working with, collaborating with and providing crisis supports to equity-deserving communities and have knowledge and/or experience of community services in the northwest Toronto area.

The candidate will require a solid understanding of empathic strain, secondary traumatic stress and burnout and demonstrated skills in supporting teams to mitigate these. The candidate will have the ability to contribute to a positive learning culture and facilitate the achievement of evidence-based quality care with optimal outcomes; the ability to coach, build and work effectively with a diverse and interdisciplinary team and skills in human resource management including recruitment and the retention of staff. 

The candidate will have excellent organizational, problem-solving, and consensus building skills and ability to handle multiple responsibilities and assign priorities. The candidate will also have strong interpersonal, communication, coaching and team building skills that facilitate positive interactions among all members of the team, along with a strong commitment to safety, best practice and innovation in service delivery.

The candidate will have excellent proficiency in Microsoft Office. The candidate will also be required to have a valid Ontario Driver’s License, access to a vehicle and insurance coverage, and the ability to work evening and weekend shifts as required.

Fluency in one or more additional languages, as well as education or experience in nursing or related clinical fields, are considered strong assets.

WHY CHOOSE CMHA TORONTO? 

If you care about mental illness, mental health and/or addictions and you have the right skills, then CMHA Toronto may be the place for you. We have a positive and fair workplace culture, where staff are provided with opportunities for learning and advancement. We are also big believers in wellness and work-life balance. Our benefits include:

Salary Range: $68,975 - $75,581

Hours: The position will operate on a rotating schedule that includes days, nights, and weekends. The successful candidate will work alongside another team member in the same role, with both individuals covering opposite shifts to ensure full operational coverage. Shift rotation will be ongoing and may be adjusted based on operational needs. This position requires the Clinical lead to be on call on a rotational basis. 

CMHA Toronto is committed to promoting a workplace culture of inclusion, openness, mutual respect, and a ‘no blame and accountable’ environment. Our staff report that they value the flexibility in work schedules and the work-life balance CMHA Toronto encourages. They appreciate the training and development opportunities provided to staff and the encouragement for continuous learning. Staff often comment on the sense of family and personal support that exists throughout the organization. 

CMHA Toronto is committed to our workforce reflecting the diversity of the communities within which we work and is an equal opportunity employer. As such we encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and/or those with lived or living experience of mental health and addictions challenges. If you are contacted for an interview, please advise prior to the interview if you require any accommodation.

To be eligible for employment at CMHA Toronto, all new hires are required to adhere to our COVID-19 policy and provide proof of vaccination.

Important Disclosure:

We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess, or select applicants at any stage of the hiring process. 

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

CMHA Toronto thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.