Welcome our new CEO!

Valerie Grdisa, RN, BScN, MS, PhD

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Simcoe County Board of Directors is pleased to announce Valerie Grdisa as chief executive officer, effective March 23, 2020.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Valerie Grdisa has held positions as a clinician, senior manager and executive, faculty and academic administrator, consultant, and senior government official. She brings extensive addictions and mental health experience and is passionate about working collaboratively to transform the addiction and mental health (AMH) system.

In her senior government role within the province of Alberta, she worked closely with ministers of health, the deputy minister and her assistant deputy minister colleagues on a wide range of projects including the development of three key policy drivers: the health system blueprint, the integrated health human resources strategy and the addiction and mental health strategy.

In 2008, her Ministry-funded doctoral dissertation focused on measuring how the dimensions of integration relate to overall system performance amongst 93 children and youth service providers in Peel Region. She demonstrated how better integration amongst providers and sectors contribute to better outcomes for children and youth. Her integration Model and Toolkit has been used as an organizing framework for health and human system integration initiatives across Canada. She has held faculty positions at seven universities in Canada, in both Ontario and Alberta.

Valerie will be transitioning from her current role as executive vice president and chief nursing executive at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. She is committed to improving the overall health and well-being of individuals and their families living with mental health and addictions and she is thrilled to be joining CMHA, Simcoe County. She believes that as the OHT is established, “AMH leadership will be critical to ensure our clients and their families receive their required services and supports (right care) in the right place by the right provider/team.”

The board of directors are delighted to welcome Valerie to her new role and look forward to her providing effective leadership to staff, the community and our clients.