Mental Health and Addictions Staffing and Jobs Across Canada
The right people for demanding, meaningful work. We help mental health and addictions programs find skilled, steady staff, and we help professionals find roles where their training makes a difference. Based in British Columbia.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Licences verified with the regulator
- Every province and territory except Quebec
Settings across mental health and addictions care
We recruit for programs across the range of mental health and substance use care.
Inpatient and psychiatric hospitals
Acute psychiatry units, designated facilities, tertiary and forensic programs.
Community mental health
Case management, assertive community treatment teams, crisis and mobile response.
Addictions and withdrawal management
Withdrawal management, residential treatment and opioid agonist therapy clinics.
Harm reduction and supportive housing
Outreach, overdose response and supportive housing teams.
Who we place
In BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, RPN usually means Registered Psychiatric Nurse, a separate regulated profession. In Ontario, RPN means Registered Practical Nurse. We use the term your province uses.
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses
Psychiatric and mental health nursing.
See the role pageRegistered Nurses
General RNs, often with on-site orientation.
See the role pageLicensed Practical Nurses and RPNs
Practical nursing support.
See the role pageNurse Practitioners
Assessment and prescribing roles.
See the role pageHealth Care Aides and mental health support workers
Direct support on units and in programs.
See the role pageCommunity Health Workers
Outreach and community support.
See the role pageOccupational Therapists
Function and recovery.
See the role pageRegistered Dietitians
Nutrition support.
See the role pageNurse Managers
Unit and program leadership.
See the role pageDirectors of Care
Program and service leadership.
See the role pageHow it works
We look for fit as much as credentials, because this work asks a lot.
- Tell us the settingUnit type, client population, observation levels, shift pattern and any safety training required.
- We match for fitWe look at psychiatric, addictions or community experience, and temperament for the setting.
- We verifyRegulator registration and required certificates, including crisis intervention and de-escalation training.
- You confirm and orientYou approve who works with your clients and run site-specific orientation.
We make no promises on fill time. This is specialized work.
The framework mental health programs work within
A summary of the legislation, regulators and standards that shape this work, with British Columbia first.
Mental health legislation
Provincial mental health legislation governs involuntary admission, assessment and treatment. BC, Alberta and Ontario each have a Mental Health Act, and designated facilities have specific obligations under them.
British Columbia (our home province)
Mental health and substance use care is delivered through the regional health authorities and the Provincial Health Services Authority. Registered psychiatric nurses are regulated by BCCNM, the same college that regulates RNs, LPNs and midwives in BC.
Alberta
Mental health and addiction services are being consolidated under Recovery Alberta, which became fully operational on September 1, 2024. Registered psychiatric nurses are regulated by the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA).
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario
Registered psychiatric nurses are regulated by the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan (RPNAS) and the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM). In Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) regulates RNs and Registered Practical Nurses, and psychiatric nursing is a specialty of those nurses.
Accreditation
Accreditation Canada (Health Standards Organization) assesses mental health and addictions services against the national standard HSO 22004:2023, Mental Health and Addictions Services. Some addictions programs also hold CARF accreditation.
Safety, harm reduction and privacy
Programs expect training in de-escalation and non-violent crisis intervention, and many follow workplace violence prevention requirements under provincial occupational health and safety law. Overdose response, naloxone training and harm reduction policies vary by province and site. Mental health information is highly sensitive, so placed staff must follow site privacy policy and provincial health privacy law.
Confirm current rules with your regulator and ministry.
What makes these programs hard to staff
Burnout and turnover
The work is demanding. We prioritize fit and honest role previews.
Observation coverage
One-to-one and constant observation consume staff hours. We help cover those shifts.
Specialized skills
De-escalation, withdrawal assessment and mental status exams. We screen for relevant experience.
Safety and support
Staff want to know the site supports them. We share what you tell us about your safety supports.
Shift and coverage models
Relief and per diem
Cover sick calls and observation shifts.
Contract
Leave replacement, new program starts and surge periods. See contract and relief staffing.
Permanent
Full-time and part-time clinical and leadership roles through direct hire.
Inpatient psychiatry, crisis and withdrawal management run 24/7, with 8 or 12-hour shifts. Community programs are mainly daytime and extended hours.
Work where your skills matter
We use respectful, person-first language and we are honest about what each setting involves.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Roles that match your psychiatric, addictions or community experience
- Share your training and certificates once
- Clear information on setting, safety supports and shift patterns before you accept
- New to mental health? Tell us your goals and we will say honestly what is realistic
What you can expect from us
Respectful, person-first approach
Person-first language and respect for the people on both sides of the work.
Verification of registration and safety training
We check registration and the certificates your program requires.
Honest descriptions
Plain descriptions of roles and settings, with no oversell.
Related pages
Hospital staffing
Acute care and specialty units.
Read morePopulation-specialized care staffing
Care for specific populations.
Read morePalliative and hospice staffing
End-of-life care teams.
Read morePsychiatric and mental health nurse jobs
The psychiatric nursing role page.
Read moreCommunity health worker jobs
Outreach and community roles.
Read moreContract and relief staffing
Leave replacements, surges and short-notice shifts.
Read moreFrequently asked questions
Do you place registered psychiatric nurses?
Yes, where the profession is regulated: BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Tell us your province and your registration and we will look for matching roles. In Ontario, RPN means Registered Practical Nurse, so we use the term your province uses when we talk with you.
Can you staff addictions and withdrawal management programs?
We can recruit for these settings, including withdrawal management, residential treatment and community programs. Tell us your program, shift needs and training requirements, and we will say honestly what we can find. We will not promise a fill time for specialized roles.
Do you check crisis intervention training?
We ask for and review the certificates your program requires, such as de-escalation and non-violent crisis intervention. Tell us which training you require at the start so we can screen for it before we submit a profile. You still run your own site-specific orientation.
Can general RNs work in mental health?
Many do, often with on-site orientation. Tell us your experience and the program's expectations, and we will say honestly whether the match looks realistic. If you are new to mental health, share your goals and we will describe which roles may suit you.
Does it cost nurses anything to work with you?
No. Free for candidates. Always. Programs pay for our service. We never charge nurses, care aides or other professionals to submit a profile, to be matched or to take an assignment. If anyone asks you to pay, it is not us.
Is the work safe?
Safety depends on the setting. We encourage programs to share their safety supports and candidates to ask about them before accepting a role. We share what programs tell us about their safety supports, and we will not describe a site as safe unless the program has said so.
Tell us the work you want, or what your program needs
We do not currently place in Quebec.
Professionals: tell us the kind of work you want.
Share your profile once and we will be in touch about roles that fit.
Submit your profilePrograms: tell us what you need.
Tell us the setting, client population and shift pattern.
Request staff