Program Medical Director, Mental Health and Substance Use

Job Summary

Job Title:

Program Medical Director, Mental Health and Substance Use

Work Site:

Vancouver Community

Start Date:

June 1, 2026

Come work as a Program Medical Director, Mental Health and Substance Use with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

The MHSU Medical Director for Vancouver Community (VC) will play a pivotal role in providing leadership and oversight within the Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) continuum of care. Working in close partnership with the other MHSU Medical Director, Psychiatry Department Head, and VC Operations Director colleagues, the incumbent will operate within a functional dyad structure to ensure effective coordination and leadership across all respective VC services and teams and their associated medical staff.

Key Accountabilities

The MHSU Medical Director, VC will:

Medical Leadership & Governance

• Provide medical leadership for assigned VC MHSU clinical portfolios, ensuring high-quality, safe, evidence-informed care.
• Support effective medical staff engagement, communication, and alignment with program priorities.

Service Integration & System Improvement

• Advance integration priorities aligned with VC MHSU strategy and cross-partner collaboration.
• Lead Medical Staff through system redesign initiatives and practice changes
• Contribute to designing/refreshing VC service overviews and operating models to support clarity of services and referral pathways.

Clinical Operations Partnership

• Work in dyad/triad partnership with operational leaders to identify issues, set priorities, and deliver improvements across patient flow, access, and care transitions.

Transitions, Escalation & Pathways

• Provide medical input to transition and escalation frameworks, including clarifying roles/responsibilities and strengthening escalation processes across partners.

Policy, Standards & Medical Advisory Support

• Contribute medical leadership to policy development/prep work that supports safe, consistent operations (e.g., leave-related policy readiness).

Quality, Safety, and Professional Practice

• Champion continuous quality improvement, risk mitigation, and patient safety practices within the portfolio.
• Promote culturally safe, trauma-informed, and equity-oriented care approaches consistent with VCH values.

Reporting Protocol:

This Medical Director role shall report to the Senior Medical Director, Vancouver Community.

Qualifications

Education, Licensing, & Experience:

Required

• RCPSC certified in Psychiatry (or equivalent) and eligible for licensure in BC.
• Canadian Medical Protective Association membership (CMPA)-Mandatory
• Demonstrated leadership experience in complex health systems, including quality/safety and change management.

Closing Statement

Interested in applying? Feel free to reach out to Ben Murphy, Medical Staff Talent Acquisition Advisor: medstaffcareers@vch.ca or click “Apply Now.”

Please note that a resume and cover letter are required to apply for this position.

As per Ministry of Health policy, all health care workers working in publicly funded health care facilities are required to report their past receipt of certain vaccines or history of certain infections. Collecting these records will allow for offering of any missing vaccines, and for appropriate actions to be taken in the event of any future exposure to a communicable disease or during outbreaks. For all new hires and appointments to Vancouver Coastal Health, you will be asked to provide this information as part of the onboarding process.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH?

VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, BC’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Canada's Top Employers for Young People in 2026.