Research Coordinator - 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline-camh

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9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline is seeking four (4) full-time, contract (until March 31, 2026) Research Coordinators to support work within 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline (9-8-8) and its related projects. Reporting to the Research Manager, the Research Coordinator will work closely with the Chief Medical Officer, Scientific Associates, Research Methods Specialist and the Evaluation and Research Team to support all aspects of research planning, community outreach and engagement, data collection and analysis, and knowledge translation. The Research Coordinator will collaborate with other personnel to ensure high quality execution of the projects in accordance with the project deliverables.

On November 30, 2023, 9-8-8 was launched in Canada as a new national three-digit number for suicide prevention and emotional distress. In 2022, CAMH was announced as the lead for the coordination and administration of 9-8-8, and has acted in this capacity to lead and coordinate the implementation of 9-8-8 and manage the operations and post-launch activities. As of November 2023, this ground-breaking new service is available 24/7/365, in English and French, and accessible to everyone from coast to coast to coast. CAMH is working closely with the federal government and key partners from different groups and communities, provinces, territories and building on our work on Talk Suicide Canada, to deliver this high quality, evidence-based, equitable suicide prevention service to Canada.

Research and evaluation dimensions of 9-8-8 include establishing best-practices in intervention, improving equity of services, exploring the needs and preferences of diverse populations, and understanding the perspectives of people with lived and living experiences. We are also investigating best practices for responding to inquiries about medical assistance in dying, and exploring relevant intersections with digital health and artificial intelligence (AI). In all our work, we seek to understand and engage the perspectives of people with lived and living experiences, and to support meaningful knowledge translation applying what we learn both within and beyond 9-8-8.

The Research Coordinator will be supporting a number of research and evaluation projects related to 9-8-8 to facilitate continuous equity-driven improvement aligned with 9-8-8’s quality framework. Insights from research and evaluation projects will be used to support the development of targeted recommendations, educational supports, and quality improvement initiatives for 9-8-8 and the broader crisis and distress sector in order to advance a more inclusive and responsive support system for those in crisis. The Research Coordinator will also help liaise with 9-8-8’s Lived Experience Advisory as needed to support related projects. The Research Coordinator will support additional qualitative and quantitative research work as required.

Key Accountabilities

Tasks for this role include, but are not limited to:

The Research Coordinator will provide day-to-day oversight for the execution of research and evaluation tasks in line with appropriate protocols, policies, and procedures, and will work closely with the Scientific Associates to manage timelines and deliverables and Research Analysts to ensure project tasks are complete.

The candidate will work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team. They will support a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable and regulatory requirements. This position is located at the Queen Street Site. There may be some travel required.

The successful candidate will possess a Master’s Degree in a health-related or social science discipline combined with 2 years of relevant experience in health research. Preference will be given to candidates with a background or experience working with: clients who have mental health issues and/or research in mental health education and/or primary mental health care.