The Academic Council functions to articulate and communicate the research, education and academic mandate of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores). This is accomplished by coordinating academic strategic planning, developing research and education policies, prioritizing academic projects, and recommending resource support for key research and educational structures and initiatives.  

The Council also aims to facilitate building capacity in research, teaching and academic cross-appointments as well as to expand the hospital’s academic profile by fostering academic and research partnerships across all health disciplines. The Academic Council has staff representation from every health discipline as well as student representation to ensure that strategies are centralized and that its aims are founded on interprofessional principles.  

Key Priorities & Functions

Research

• Support research that aligns with organizational strategic directions
• Establish policies and procedures to facilitate research 
• Monitor, review and enhance research activities and quality
• Build research capacity through research, education, mentoring and collaboration
• Establish and implement research strategy plan
• Identify and address key structural and resource supports to further grow research activity
• Identify and support key research collaborative relationships with other academic and community partners 
• Suggest and oversee provision of rewards, promotion and incentives to support research

Education/Teaching

• Establish and nurture a culture of life-long learning
• Review academic affiliation agreements
• Facilitate strategic linkages with key organizations
• Monitor and enhance teaching and supervision quality
• Improve library resources and access
• Identify and address growth needs for teaching space and facilities
• Identify and promote our internal content experts and teachers

Key Achievements

• Established process to administer teaching and research incentive funds
• Interprofessional focus and community promotion of Grand Rounds through Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN).
• Identification of local clinical and teaching experts for community promotion 
• Education/Research website displays and promotion
• Streamlined student placement and satisfaction surveys
• Research & education seminars
• Centralized process for organizational review of research
• Research impact analysis
• Establishment of key research policies and processes

Standing Members

Vice-President, Medical Affairs	Dr. Phil Klassen (Co-Chair)
Vice-President, Professional Practice and Research, and Chief Nurse Executive	Dr. Barb Mildon (Co-Chair)
Recording Secretary	Tina Powers
Physician-In-Chief	Dr. Ian Dawe
Director, Medical Education and Research	Dr. Saulo Castel
Psychologist	Dr. David Nussbaum
Psychiatrist	Dr. Daniela Hlousek
Psychiarist	Dr. Laura Gage / Dr. Zohar Waisman
Student	Dina Buttu (psychology intern)
Student	Christa Huggins (social work student)
Advanced Practice Clinician, PPL or designate in:
Social work	Rose-Marie Fraser
Psychology	Dr. Pamela Wilansky-Traynor
Nursing	Sanaz Riahi
Clinical Informatics	Erin Anstey
Rehabilitation Therapy	Megan Cameron
Pharmacy	Jamie Kellar / Heather Parker
Child and Youth Counsellor	Bob Heeney
Occupational Therapy	Heather Boudreau
Dentist	Dr. David Clark

                       

Ex-Officio Members

Vice-President, Professional Practice and Research, and Chief Nurse Executive	Barbara Mildon
Director, Risk Management and Patient Safety	Laurel Noble
Director, Communications and Public Affairs	Susan Nakhle
Executive Director, Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health	Jennifer Clarke
Leader, Privacy, Policy and Procedure	Judi Bickle

Terms of Reference

  Terms of Reference