Job Specification

Purpose :

To plan, implement and manage clinical and health services for a spectrum of students with a variety of exceptionalities, enrolled in the school sites; and to supervise ethical and responsible practices related to all aspects of clinical care, assessment, consultation and intervention services.

To contribute to the establishment of system medical, psychological, and other clinical programs policies, practices and procedures.

To supervise and manage a team of staff in the provision of medical, psychological and other clinical services, and ensure effective administration of case management procedures.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Designs, develops and implements a complete program of psychological, clinical and health services. Reviews and evaluates programs and standards to ensure goals are achieved and relevance and high-quality service delivery are maintained.
2. Manages the development, implementation and oversight of the centralized Clinical and Health Services Department responsible for the provision of assessment, crisis response, consultation, intervention and other Clinical and Health services and support to the Branch's school sites across Ontario. Develops and implements department professional standards and best practices within ethical and responsible professional practices and relevant legislation.
3. Manages the planning and delivery of a range of direct services, programs and initiatives within the overall mandate, goals and directions of the Branch. Develops and manages collaborative efforts and linkages with other programs (e.g., special education, student success) across the branch.
4. Provides management for and professional supervision of a multidisciplinary treatment team. Assesses professional development needs and job performance to ensure professional standards are adhered to.
5. The Clinical Manager provides professional expertise in the resolution of escalated cases, including support in addressing traumatic events and crises in schools.
6. Represents the Branch's Clinical and Health Services Department on internal and external provincial and community committees and meetings (e.g. community mental health meetings).
7. Continually monitors and improves upon programming by researching and maintaining awareness of best practices and testing new evidence-based approaches for effectiveness.

Managerial Responsibilities
1. Leads and manages a team(s) in the operation and delivery of a program or service and contributes to financial, business, strategic planning and evaluation processes.

2. Identifies and is responsible for financial, material and human resources needs, manages and controls the operational/program/project or activities budget, and contributes to long term financial and resource planning with a focus on equity.

3. Promotes a values-based and inclusive team through ongoing communication and employee engagement, communicating program deliverables, setting and evaluating performance standards, recommending merit increases, identifying staffing needs, and making hiring decisions, recommending and enacting discipline where required, and promptly addressing employee relations matters.

4. Develops and sustains internal and external stakeholder relationships to coordinate shared interests.

5. Responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory, legal, financial, collective agreements and ministry policy commitments and advising senior management of sensitive issues/matters.

6. Serves as the branch's Health Information Custodian (HIC).

Qualifications :

A Master's Degree (or equivalent) in a Health Profession such as Psychology, Health Care, Medical Services, Social Work.

Factors :

Knowledge :

Ministry strategic directions, policies, programs and service delivery models.

Ability to provide operational management of a program area, service or initiative, to determine and plan for program resource requirements and to ensure alignment of programs/projects with corporate, division and branch goals and objectives.

Human resources practices, policies, directives and collective agreements in relation to recruitment, training and development and labour relations to support an inclusive and engaged team; ability to address employee issues and to support talent management.

Government and ministry financial and administrative procedures.

Ability to manage and control allocated financial and material resources, including developing annual budgets, and managing assets and contract service providers.

Expertise in project management principles and methodologies to manage the delivery of program plans, initiatives and goals.

Theories, methodologies and current professional standards of clinical and health services support and clinical supervision to support the school sites across Ontario.

Knowledge and understanding of students with Learning Disabilities, and students who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind/Low Vision and Deafblind and the implications their statuses may have on their psychological, social and educational development.

Relevant legislation (e.g., consent to treatment, care and retention of records, Health Disciplines Act, Mental Health Act, privacy legislation) to ensure compliance in the provision of programs, services and interventions.

Planning and organizational skills to develop, design, maintain and evaluate treatment programs; organizing and developing research processes/programs and an ability to coordinate, clinical and health services with multidisciplinary team for case management purposes.


Ability to use standard and specialized software programs to oversee the administration and scoring of medical and clinical tests, write formal assessment reports and correspondence, conduct research and analyze data.

Program Responsibility :

Responsible for designing, implementing, coordinating and evaluating clinical and health services and assessing, evaluating and improving upon program design taking into consideration needs/behaviour of students and availability of resources.

Responsible for contributing to the establishment of clinical and medical policies, practices and procedures within the Branch's school communities.

Responsible for managing a multi-disciplinary team in the provision of medical, and clinical services, and ensuring effective case management procedures are administered.

Analytical Thinking :

Designs and evaluates centralized medical and clinical services, programs and research related to current practices and theories applicable to school aged youth.

Ensures sound professional strategies are developed and implemented in the resolution of a range of complex clinical and medical issues faced by youth and in resolving program conflicts or disagreements between staff and professional staff.

Evaluates and resolves clinical and administrative issues including case issues escalated for senior level decision making.

Evaluates procedures and policies and develops new ways to improve programs.

Planning / Coordinating :

Coordinates and plans the delivery of a program, operation, service or project considering the strategy and mandate of the branch and ministry.

Determines financial, material and human resources needs, coordinates operations with other areas of the branch and division and organizes work to meet program objectives. Participates in divisional results monitoring and analysis based on strategic planning.


Coordinates consultative and advisory meetings relating to program/service initiatives with external and internal stakeholders, partners and consultants.

Maintains and evaluates programs and services; coordinates psychological services across the branch.

Coordinates the work of a multidisciplinary professional team and medical and clinical services.

Leadership/Guidance :

Manages team(s) by communicating values, strategies, expectations, and promotes an engaged and inclusive environment.

Ensures that identified organizational standards and operational goals are met by: contributing to succession planning; establishing performance standards; conducting regular performance management reviews; recommending merit increases; determining the organization of the work unit and by building individual and team competencies.

Identifies and recommends staffing needs, conducts recruitment and selection activities, manages orientation/training, develops remedial plans; addresses employee/labour relations/employee matters.

Independence of Action :

Works under the general direction of the senior management team and within the framework of ministry, division, branch policies, directives, guidelines and objectives.

Exercises independence of action in participating and providing program/service recommendations as a member of the management team. Provides expert opinions/briefings, advice to senior management on identified and emerging issues impacting program or service goals, outcomes and/or efficiencies.

Exercises discretion and independent judgement to determine and manage work activities where past practices may not exist.

Responsibilities undertaken are limited by written guidelines contained in provincial government legislation and statutes and professional standards.

Establishes programs consistent with written guidelines, student needs, regulations, legislation and policies etc.; determines and delegates the amount of staff participation in the development and implementation of treatment programs; assesses and works through difficult client issues.

Interpersonal/Communication :

Provides functional and professional advice and guidance to clinical staff, teachers, parents, and other professionals; consults with staff and senior management, other stakeholders; participates on internal and external committees; delivers staff training and prepares assessments and reports.

Exchanges information with its leadership team and senior managers at the Branch's school sites to provide clinical and health expertise and advice, to discuss issues and programs with the Branch's educators, support staff, and clinical staff to give and seek professional co-operation and to provide clinical and health programs and services. Occasional contact with senior professionals of other ministries to discuss policies and treatment of clients and programs and to represent the branch on committees.

Expresses specialized technical terminology and complex findings and ideas in clear terms when communicating across the branch and with stakeholders.

Establishes collaborative linkages with professional committees, ministry, university departments and other partners to maintain currency with best practices, promote clinical internships, and facilitate research.

Physical Effort :

The majority of time is spent in an office with frequent opportunity to move about. Occasionally, moves/lifts light objects such as case files and briefing materials.

Sensory Effort :

Requires intense concentration, observation and focused listening when conducting consultations and clinical services.

Working Conditions :

Work is conducted within an office and may occasionally require working under stress during interventions and emergency situations.