Stella's Place

A purpose-driven registered charity that provides FREE mental health services.

Collaborating within a committed team of 38, striving for meaningful impact for the 16-29-year-old participants we serve.

Challenges are real. In a sector with funding limits, we’re dedicated to ensuring free mental health services reach those who need them most. Facing demands and even a waitlist for some services reinforces our belief in the necessity of our mission.

It’s not about one person; it’s about our united effort. Embracing a servant leadership approach, I navigate challenges with the team, ensuring impactful services despite system-level limitations.

Our commitment to providing free mental health support for marginalized youth, especially BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ (ages 16-29 yo), propels us forward. We provide drop-in and registered programs where you can interact with a mental health clinician and also a peer supporter. 

Employing:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- DBT principles
- strength-based therapy 
- trauma-informed lens
- alongside the recovery model
we actively strive to make every step count toward a meaningful difference.

Personal Note: Joining Stella’s Place during an economic downturn was a leap I gladly took. It reaffirms my commitment to supporting mental health services for marginalized young adults. 

Change brings challenges, but it also fuels determination and growth.

Director of Program Operations (Clinical and Access programs)

West Park Healthcare Centre

→ Leadership during Challenging Circumstances:
	- Directed a multi-generational, multidisciplinary team through the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating outbreaks and health human resource shortages effectively.

→ Accreditation and Quality Assurance:
	- Successfully led a specialized accreditation process focused on Stroke Care, ensuring compliance with Accreditation Canada standards.

→ Staff Development and Mentoring:
	- Coached and mentored diverse staff members, including Clinical Team Leaders and manager colleagues, fostering their professional growth and development.

→ Collaboration with Unions and Committee Involvement:
	- Collaborated with various unions, actively engaging in collective agreement bargaining and implementation, demonstrating adept negotiation and collaboration skills.
	- Contributed expertise as a member of the Code Blue & DEI committees, supporting the Chairs’ in updating processes and policies

→ Effective Management of Specialized Inpatient Units:
	- Managed 24-bed Neurological Rehabilitation and 5-bed secure Inpatient Acquired Brain Injury Behavioral Services (ABIBS) units, overseeing 24/7 nursing care, ensuring high-quality patient care, and specialized services for stroke and acquired brain injury patients.

Manager- Clinical Program Operations

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

→ Strategic Leadership and Oversight:
	•	Led the operations of a specialized 25-bed orthopedic and developmental rehab inpatient unit with 24/7 nursing care 
	•	Provided strategic direction, ensuring the unit's alignment with the hospital's mission and goals.

→ Collaborative Relationship Management:
	•	Established and maintained a collaborative relationship with SickKids Hospital, the primary referral source, resulting in a streamlined and efficient referral process.
	•	Fostered strong communication channels with healthcare professionals, optimizing patient care coordination between the two institutions.

→ Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency:
	•	Implemented operational improvements enhancing unit efficiency, reducing patient wait times, and improving resource utilization.
	•	Identified and resolved operational bottlenecks, boosting staff satisfaction and patient care effectiveness.

→ Staff Development and Training:
	•	Championed staff development initiatives, preparing teams to manage pediatric healthcare challenges.
	•	Collaborated on training programs to enhance team competency, leadership, and solution-oriented capabilities, elevating patient care standards and team engagement.

→ Quality Assurance and Patient Satisfaction:
 •	Established quality assurance protocols, maintaining high care standards, and enhancing patient and staff satisfaction.
	•	Actively addressed patient feedback, implementing improvements for an enhanced patient and staff experience.

Manager - Clinical Program Operations (Contract)

Baycrest Health Sciences

→ Management of Quality Improvement Projects:
	•	Successfully oversaw and managed Quality Improvement (QI) projects within the Long-Term Care Home’s QI plan for the fiscal year 2018/2019. Ensured these projects were executed promptly and aligned with the intended objectives.

→ Analysis of Client and Family Quality of Life Data:
	•	Analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data from client and family Quality of Life (QoL) surveys. Leveraged this analysis to generate recommendations for improving communication with clients and families while also meeting legislated requirements, thereby enhancing overall service quality.

Quality Improvement Specialist

→ Operational Oversight of Mental Health Services:
	•	Managed the operational aspects of an ambulatory clinic, a psychiatry day hospital, and an outreach team catering to seniors with mental illness and complex medical and psycho-social issues.

→ Relationship Building and Collaborative Leadership:
	•	Cultivated and sustained effective relationships with a diverse team of 15 unionized inter-professional staff, psychiatrists, and external partners. Leveraged these relationships to drive change, foster collaboration, and achieve performance objectives.

→ Change Facilitation and Performance Improvement:
	•	Implemented strategies to influence change within the teams, facilitating enhancements in service delivery, operational efficiency, and performance outcomes.

Clinical Manager - Outpatient Mental Health (Ambulatory and Community Outreach teams) interim

→ Facilitation of Quality Improvement Initiatives:
	•	Implemented LEAN tools and methodologies to drive quality/process improvement across various healthcare settings.
	•	Spearheaded the creation of standardized work processes in key Medical Clinics (ambulatory care), optimizing patient bookings, supplies management, and workflow efficiency for various healthcare professionals.

→ Redesign and Improvement of Admission Processes:
	•	Co-facilitated the redesign of admission processes and assessment pathways for a Long-Term Care Home (LTCH) Behavioral Support Outreach Team. Collaborated with unionized staff (PSWs and RNs) and Program Directors to enhance operational efficiency and patient care standards.

→ Comprehensive Review and Strategic Recommendations:
	•	Conducted a thorough review of LTCH admission processes, including financial analysis, resulting in the identification of 21 recommendations for future process enhancements.
	•	Developed tracking metrics and evaluation tools for each major step in the admission process, aiming to reduce revenue loss due to vacant bed days.

Quality and Patient Safety Consultant

The Hospital for Sick Children

→ Contributions within Corporate Quality Management:
	•	Engaged as a key member of the Corporate Quality Management Department, contributing insights and efforts towards quality enhancement initiatives.

→ Medication Reconciliation Coordination and Project Support:
	•	Played a pivotal role as a Medication Reconciliation Coordinator, aiding the project team of Registered Pharmacists (RPh) and Project Management Professionals (PMP) in implementing electronic medication reconciliation within the hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

→ Lean Yellow Belt Training and Quality Improvement Skills:
	•	Completed Lean Yellow Belt training, acquiring proficiency in organizing and leading Quality Improvement (QI) huddles, as well as managing an Ideas Board to facilitate continuous improvement initiatives.

Quality Analyst - Interim

Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities

→ Strategic Oversight and Accountability:
	•	Served as one of fourteen directors on the Board of a not-for-profit Community Health Center (SCHC), ensuring organizational accountability by overseeing the strategic plan, meeting performance targets, and maintaining financial stability.

→ Contribution to Community Health Improvement:
	•	Contributed to SCHC’s mission of improving community health in Scarborough, Ontario, through the employment of primary care physicians, diverse healthcare providers, and support staff, aligning efforts with the 12 determinants of health.

→ Leadership within Board Committees:
	•	Actively participated in the Board’s executive committee and served as Co-Chair of the Quality and Performance Monitoring Subcommittee, focusing on enhancing quality standards and performance evaluation. Previously involved in the Nomination and Governance Subcommittee, contributing to governance and nominating processes.

Volunteer Director, non-profit Board of Directors

Grandview Children's Centre (childrens treatment centre)

→ Clinical Occupational Therapist - Community Healthcare:
	•	Provided clinical occupational therapy services to a caseload of 100+ pediatric clients within an inter-professional team at the center and extended services to daycares and schools in the community for children with special needs.

→ Expertise in Care Models and Resource Optimization:
	•	Developed a robust understanding of direct care and case management models utilized within a community healthcare organization.
	•	Implemented Advance Access principles to optimize limited health human resources, significantly reducing long wait-lists. Directly reported project outcomes to the Medical Director and Executive Director.

→ Leadership Skills:
	•	Elected as the OT Clinical Discipline Leader by peers, mentoring and coaching individuals across all levels, particularly adult learners and student OTs, to drive effective change and achieve impactful results.

→ Stakeholder Relationship Management and Sensitivity:
	•	Cultivated strong relationships with families, healthcare providers, equipment vendors, schools and daycares, physicians, students, and other stakeholders within the circle of care, including organizations like the Children’s Aid Society. Demonstrated adeptness in handling confidential matters with discretion and diplomacy.

→ Conflict Resolution and Sensitivity in Clinical Situations:
	•	Recognized for a high level of sensitivity in managing difficult clinical situations involving vulnerable populations. Proficient in diffusing conflict and tension while navigating contentious issues.

Occupational Therapist, Clinical Lead

Regulatory College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO)

A variety of tasks such as policy analysis including updating COTO documents to reflect legislative or College changes; operational policy planning; preparation of briefing notes for councils around changes to Standards, Code of Ethics, and Essential Competencies (3rd ed.).

Administrative Resident

Credit Valley Hospital

Shadowing the Senior VP of Patient Care Services and Programs

Administration Resident

COTA

→ Self-employed: received referrals from the then Peel CCAC to provide occupational therapy assessment and treatment for  children with a variety of special needs in their school setting as well as in their home 
→ Knowledgeable of challenges and issues, methods and techniques for outsourced/contracted services and service providers
→ Developed in-depth knowledge of direct care/case management models used in  community healthcare

Occupatonal Therapist

Empowering Healthcare Leader | Mentor | Driving DEI Change | Occupational Therapist

Are you a healthcare professional currently feeling stuck, looking for a promotion, or dreaming of a new career path?

Do you crave growth, recognition, or a more fulfilling professional journey?

If your response to any of those questions is YES…

Meet me, Rachna, and let’s collaborate.

I’m here to help you find joy and advance your career in healthcare.

Having nearly a decade of formal leadership experience, I’m committed to guiding you to:

	• Navigate your professional roadblocks through tailored career guidance
	• Excel in your own leadership role through mentorship

Your aspirations matter. Let’s bridge the gap between your current situation and your career goals.

Ready for a complimentary 30-minute chat to carve out your path to professional fulfillment?

Check out my featured section and book a call with me today.  

Let’s not just discuss change – let’s strategize for your career success.

You can have it better… scratch that.
You deserve better. Shoot me a DM that says “JOY”. 

P.S. Free? Yes the first 30 minutes are free! If you book again and achieve your goal, I will ask you for a testimonial.  

P.P.S. I have over 21 years of experience in healthcare, my journey spans from being a front-line occupational therapist to a quality improvement specialist at top hospitals, evolving into managerial positions, and now a Director at an NGO.

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