Living our values: Meet our 2023 staff award winners

She has designed a new way of working by improving clinical workflows through several of the Centre’s programs, increasing task efficiency for administrative staff and decreasing administrative burden on clinicians so that they have more time available to provide direct clinical care. She understands the clinical needs as well as the documentation processes and has brought these together. Laura goes above and beyond understanding issues, testing out processes before launch, effectively facilitating process changes, and connecting clinical and back-office staff.

Laura brings a positive, collaborative and innovative energy to everything she does. She has great listening skills to understand the dilemma before getting to problem solving, and is so effective in facilitating process changes. All of her work is done in the spirit of improving service delivery for the children, youth and families we serve.

Antonietta and Elim embody our collaboration value as they work with so many different folks across the organization and continually use their lens to improve our services. Their experience and insight provides a unique perspective on child and youth mental health which allows them to engage with youth as peers, in a way that is different from other staff. They lead these engagement efforts that value different perspectives and often share their own perspectives about how to make our activities youth-friendly.

Both Antonietta and Elim have facilitated focus groups, allowing children youth and caregivers to speak on their experiences and recommendations for improvement. They also facilitate dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) groups for Intensive Services for Youth and in the community with the support of other clinicians. They have worked on numerous projects throughout the Centre, including through the Research Advisory Committee (Elim) and the Measurement-Based Care Working Group (Antonietta). They recently spoke at the Children’s Mental Health Ontario Conference about how to successfully embed peer roles in mental health organizations, contributing to conversations around children’s mental health at a provincial level.

Both Antonietta and Elim demonstrate warmth and openness, leaving a lasting impression on others, and making people feel seen and heard. They are bright, insightful and strong collaborators who both demonstrate a strong commitment to improving child and youth mental health.

Amirtha’s exceptional dedication, ability to build trust, and her invaluable support in finding information and resources have a transformative effect on the lives of clients, their families, program participants, and the broader community. Her impact is felt at the most critical moments, ensuring that those she serves receive the assistance and guidance they need to thrive. She is constantly learning by listening to families describe their needs, and by finding new resources to best meet them.

Her dedication to best practices is evident in her commitment to the highest ethical standards in her work, and in her ongoing professional development. She prioritizes clear and open communication, both with clients and colleagues, fostering an environment of collaboration. This enables the sharing of best practices and the collective pursuit of excellence.

Amirtha makes a profound impact in the lives of clients and their families/program participants and is an integral addition to her clients’ network of support. She exhibits a keen sensitivity and attentiveness to the well-being of clients, fostering a deep connection and a strong foundation of trust between her and those she serves.