Scientific Director, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH),

Scientific Director, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

With a dedicated staff of more than 4,000 physicians, clinicians, researchers, educators and support staff, CAMH offers outstanding clinical care to more than 38,000 patients each year. The organization conducts groundbreaking research, provides expert training to health care professionals and scientists, develops innovative health promotion and prevention strategies, and advocates on public policy issues at all levels of government. And through our Foundation, we're working to raise tens of millions of additional dollars to fund new programs and research and augment services.

The Institute for Mental Health Policy Research (IMHPR) at CAMH is home to world-leading scientific experts dedicated to informing policy and practice on mental health and addictions. With a large team of scientists and their invaluable teams, IMHPR is a key driver in building the knowledge base for policy decisions, intervention development and health system improvement. Our epidemiological experts track mental health at the population level, and identify social and economic factors affecting mental illness.

Our world-leading scientists are developing and evaluating novel preventive, population and community mental health interventions. Our team conducts innovative randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of novel interventions as well as experimental studies to understand the health and social harms associated with substance use. Our scientists also examine healthcare administrative data to measure the quality of healthcare performance and associated costs and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventions.

Working closely with diverse, underserved and marginalized communities, IMHPR scientists conduct research centered around the voices of people with lived and living experiences. Combining epidemiological and clinical expertise, our scientific evidence drives policy and health system improvements to reduce the burden of mental illness, substance use and addictions. Our research has direct and enduring impacts. It has been applied to develop community-generated programming in First Nations communities, target public health campaigns for youth substance use, inform legislation to improve road safety, improve Ontario’s mental health care system, inform policies on Canada’s opioid crisis, and influence alcohol policy and prevention in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

This is an exceptional scientific leadership opportunity to lead the IMHPR and shape and expand its vision for advancing scientific discovery in population and community mental health, and reducing the burden of mental illness, substance use and addictions. You are a leader who fosters diversity, equity and inclusion in all your work and through strong communication and interpersonal skills. You will lead and inspire a team of scientists and operational support staff, and champion excellence through local, national and international collaborations.

The ideal candidate is an internationally respected leader in interdisciplinary and collaborative research informing mental health and addiction policy and practice, including epidemiology of mental illness and / or addictions; policy and / or prevention research; community, population, and / or global mental health and / or addictions; intervention development and evaluation research; experimental research in behavioural sciences; and / or health services and health systems research or related fields. As a research leader committed to informing policy and practice in mental health and addictions, the individual will have a demonstrated ability to provide leadership in an evolving research environment, and has had great success in forming multi-centre collaborations.

An executive search is being undertaken by CAMH’s search partner, Perrett Laver. Perrett Laver will support the organization in identifying a diverse field of qualified candidates and in the assessment of candidates against the selection criteria. Applications should consist of a full curriculum vitae and cover letter that explains how the candidate meets the selection criteria listed in the appointment details, which can be found at quoting reference number 7610 . Interested candidates are asked to submit applications by 12pm Monday November 26th, 2024 Eastern Time.

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