Leadership and management in mental health services certificate program

Explore the qualities and practices that define outstanding leadership

When: January 18, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Lucas Dufour, PhD

Learning objectives:

• Define the differences between management and leadership  
• Discuss some of the challenges of transitioning to management and how to handle them  
• Identify the various stakeholders involved in a complex situation and how to manage them
• Clarify who they want to be as a leader (their personal “why” as a leader)  
• Discuss the strengths and challenges of different leadership styles
• Use a reflective practice to learn and grow as a manager   

Learn strategies to guide organizations through transitions effectively

When: January 25, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Susan Geary, PhD

Learning objectives:

• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of executives, managers, and employees in the change process
• Define a compelling rationale and vision for change
• Identify and appreciate the different impacts that a change may have on staff
• Recognize transition phases, and how to engage staff in each phase
• Develop an effective change management communication plan

Develop essential financial skills for informed decision-making

When: January 27, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Joel Clark, MBA

Learning objectives:

• Read and interpret financial documents such as budgets and business proposals 
• Become more familiar and comfortable with spreadsheets as the key tool in building financial documents 
• Use day-to-day budget management to contribute to departmental success for their team and organization 
• Describe key financial documents and their uses in day-to-day budget management 
• Assess how various drivers can affect variable costs in the budget, and how to plan effectively for them 
• Project costs into the future for diverse purposes such as forecasting, preparing a multi-year budget, and creating project proposals 

Discover techniques to motivate and maximize team productivity

When: February 1 and 3 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Susan Geary, PhD

February 1 – Learning objectives:

• Describe their role in cultivating employee performance  
• Apply criteria for setting clear expectations   
• Use appreciative listening to foster good communication  
• Assess and leverage different factors that contribute to individual performance   
• Create an agreement for giving/receiving feedback with employees   
• Use a framework to productively lead coaching conversations   

February 3 – Learning objectives:

• Assess the implications of performance issues/behaviours on different parts of the organization and identify the most compelling reasons to request performance changes   
• Define and clarify performance expectations  
• Describe stages in the performance cycle and how to address employees at each stage
• Plan how to customize feedback to engage employees in implementing changes in their performance 
• Conduct performance conversations that lead to clear agreements and accountability 

Master the complexities of HR management and employee relations

When: February 8, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Nives Malara, BA

Learning objectives:

• Identify areas of Human Resources that require legal compliance (employment standards, occupational health and safety, workplace harassment, human rights, workplace injury and illness, accessibility, and privacy)  
• List key manager responsibilities in each of these areas  
• Search and locate information sources to support decision-making and actions  
• Use key steps to create effective recruitment and onboarding processes  
• Explain the unique characteristics of managing a unionized team 

Create a workplace culture that embraces diversity and promotes equality

Part 1
When: February 10, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Breanna Phillip, MSW, RSW

Learning objectives:

• Explore the history of race and anti-Black racism in Canada and understand its implications on social systems
• Understand the concept of implicit bias and learn how to challenge them
• Understand the intrapersonal work that must be done to effectively engage racialized clients
• Recognize the ways in which Eurocentrism has shaped the current mental health field
• Analyze their organization’s current programs and services, and find opportunities to increase cultural relevance

Part 2
When: February 22, 2027 | Time: 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. ET
Facilitators: Natalie Kalb, PhD, C.Psych

Learning objectives:

• Describe the social determinants of health  
• Detect oppressive systems within White supremacy  
• Identify microaggressions as they relate to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and racialized communities (not mutually exclusive)  
• Explore, reflect on and challenge perceptions and implicit biases   
• Manage team dynamics and conflict from an inclusive multicultural lens  
• Apply a modality to help employees interact better with marginalized clients and identify barriers that create treatment gaps 

Learn to build and lead high-performing, collaborative teams

When: February 24, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Carolynne Wintrip, BASc, MBA, CTPC, PRC

Learning objectives:

• Support successful team formation and development   
• Establish team alignment by creating shared purpose, norms, and commitments with team members   
• Assess strengths and opportunities for an existing team through the lens of productivity and positivity (team culture)  
• Create a plan for supporting a team in enhancing work practices and/or team culture   
• Facilitate healthy and productive dialogue, conflict, and decision-making within inter-professional teams  
• Adapt team practices for remote and hybrid teams 

Achieving impact through intentional and active leadership

When: March 1, 2027 | Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Chris Bartha, MSW, RSW

Learning objectives:

• Understand the purpose and role of a strategic plan as a blueprint for organizational strategy and transformation
• Describe the role of middle management and people leaders in the successful implementation of strategic goals and objectives
• Identify the key skills required to support front line staff and middle management accountabilities to senior leadership
• Understand the required elements of successful implementation which include:
  • well-defined annual initiatives and deliverables
  • a plan for staff and team engagement
  • indicators, measurement and dashboards
  • intentional communication strategies
  • an integrative approach that links all activities

Apply your learning through an optional independent project

Learning is integrated across modules, with opportunities to apply concepts and strategies to a meaningful leadership issue or opportunity through an optional self-directed independent project.

To support the practical application of learning, participants will receive an independent project guide designed to help them bring together concepts, tools and strategies from across the program and apply them to a meaningful leadership issue or opportunity within their own workplace.

Participants can choose from a range of project options focused on organizational strategy, people and relationships, or the transition to management. The guide provides structured prompts to support reflection, analysis, action planning and consideration of how progress and impact can be measured.

The optional independent project is a self-directed learning exercise and is not submitted, graded or formally assessed. Its value is in helping participants translate learning into practice and deepen their leadership development by:

• Applying learning from multiple program modules to a real leadership issue or opportunity
• Strengthening critical thinking and reflective practice
• Exploring individual, team or organizational challenges from different perspectives
• Developing practical actions and next steps that can be applied in the workplace
• Considering how progress, outcomes and impact can be measured
• Building greater self-awareness and confidence in their leadership practice
• Identifying areas for continued leadership growth and development beyond the program