Program Engagement Co-Facilitator – Integrated Youth Services

Job Description

Through its core values of Courage, Respect and Excellence, CAMH is implementing its Strategic Plan: Connected CAMH, to transform lives, ignite innovation and discovery, revolutionize education and drive social change. CAMH is more than a hospital, it is a cause. CAMH is on a mission to change the way society thinks about and responds to mental illness. They aim to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and shape a world where mental illness is central to our healthcare system – a world where Mental Health is Health.

To learn more about CAMH, please visit their website at: www.camh.ca.

To view our Land Acknowledgment, please click here.

Integrated Youth Services (IYS) in Canada:

Integrated Youth Services (IYS) is a dynamic movement across Canada and internationally that aims to build effective, youth-focused, and integrated services to address mental health, substance use, and related concerns among youth aged 12 to 25 years. IYS in Canada are demonstrating a global path forward in the implementation of evidence-based practices, evidence-generating practices, and the development of equity- and engagement-centered data platforms and governance models.

IYS Data Platform Project Overview:
The IYS Data Platform is a cloud-based, pan-Canadian informatics platform designed to enable Integrated Youth Services (IYS) networks to manage, integrate, and share service, research, and workforce data while preserving each network’s autonomy. Funded by CIHR and rooted in the commitment for Indigenous and Black Health Data Sovereignty (OCAP®, EGAP), and principles of CARE, the platform is central to realizing a collaborative Learning Health System (LHS) across IYS sites in Canada - an approach where services, data, and research are continuously connected to drive real-time improvements in care. The platform aims to improve service delivery, enhance health outcomes, and support continuous system learning and innovation through secure and ethically governed data practices.

IYS Collaboration Centre Overview:
The IYS Collaboration Centre unites networks across Canada to strengthen mental health and substance use services for youth aged 12–25. Supporting IYS Networks across Canada, the Centre promotes integrated care across health, education, employment, housing, and community supports. Guided by Truth and Reconciliation, equity, and youth engagement, the Centre fosters knowledge sharing, leadership development, and scalable, evidence-based tools. As a LHS, the Centre uses data and real-world practice to drive continuous service improvement through a digital learning hub, national exchanges, and implementation support.

Position Description
The IYS Data Platform, hosted by CAMH, is seeking a full-time contract (12 months) position as a Program Engagement Co-Facilitator to support the development and youth engagement efforts of this innovative national initiative. Bringing together 14 IYS networks across Canada to co-create a state-of-the-art, federated data platform, this work will empower youth, families, service providers, researchers, and policymakers to better understand mental health and substance use (MHSU) service needs, co-design solutions, and drive system transformation through equitable, data-informed decision-making. A key focus of this work is the meaningful engagement of youth with lived/living expertise to shape the platform’s priorities, governance, and real-world applications within a Learning Health System.

Reporting to the Collaboration Centre Program Manager and supported by the Youth Engagement Initiative (YEI) team situated within the McCain Centre, the successful candidate will bring their own lived/living experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges as a patient, consumer, survivor, service user, and/or family member, as well as a system-level perspective. They will play a critical role in ensuring that the platform’s goals, activities, and outcomes reflect the needs and voices of youth across Canada. We are seeking a passionate, collaborative individual who is excited about empowering young people, fostering youth leadership in health innovation, and leveraging the power of data for positive, lasting system change.

Key Responsibilities

• Co-facilitate advisory group meetings, focus groups, and consultations with youth and other lived/living expertise communities.
• Act as a liaison between the data platform teams and the youth community.
• Provide mentorship to youth advisors to ensure meaningful participation in program activities
• Support knowledge translation and education activities, including developing trainings, infographics, tip sheets, webinars, videos, and translating youth feedback into actionable insights for the data platform team.
• Support administrative tasks related to engagement activities as needed.

Successful applicants will support a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable regulatory and legislative requirements. This position is located at 80 Workman Way, although some of the work may take place in community settings. This role will require occasional evening and weekend hours.

Job Requirements

• The successful candidate will have lived experience of mental health and/or substance use
• Minimum 12 months’ experience engaging or supporting peers with lived/living experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges
• Familiarity with the mental health and substance use field is an asset
• Experience facilitating or co-facilitating focus groups or consultations with a broad range of experience is considered an asset.
• Experience belonging to groups, agencies or organizations related to peer support and/or consumer survivor initiatives is an asset.
• Experience in supporting safe and meaningful engagement and being open to diverse ways of thinking about, understanding and articulating issues related to mental health and addictions is an asset.
• Familiarity with IYS models of care, health data systems, or digital engagement practices would be beneficial (though not required).
• Demonstrated ability to support safe, inclusive engagement and comfort working with diverse perspectives and forms of knowledge (including Indigenous and culturally grounded approaches).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and comfort working both independently and as part of a collaborative team is required.
• Experience working in co-creation, patient-oriented research, or participatory frameworks where power-sharing and inclusion among a diverse group of experts are integral to the success of the project is an asset.
• The ability to work with stakeholders of diverse ethno-racial and cultural backgrounds is essential, as is an appreciation of diversity.
• Comfort with Microsoft Office, e-mail and other digital communication tools is required; proficiency in basic graphic/KT design is an asset.
• Bilingualism (French/English) or additional language proficiency is an asset.