Northern Health Programs

General Description

The incentive grant program offers taxable incentive grants of up to $5,000 per eligible year, to a maximum of $15,000, paid over a three-year period to audiologists, chiropodists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech-language pathologists who establish their practice in Northern Ontario and accept full-time positions which are fully-funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and which are approved by the Northern Health Programs (NHP).

Northern Ontario is defined as the territorial districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timiskaming

Objective

To attract audiologists, chiropodists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech-language pathologists to fill full-time vacancies in MOH fully-funded positions in Northern Ontario.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for an incentive grant, the NHP must approve the application before the applicant establishes his/her practice. The rehabilitation professional may choose to establish his/her practice in any eligible community in Northern Ontario. The applicant must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Be registered with the applicable College; temporary license does not qualify.
2. Hold Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status.
3. Have accepted a full-time offer of employment in a MOH fully-funded position in an eligible community in Northern Ontario.
4. Have not previously received an incentive grant through this program.

How to Apply for the Incentive Grant

In order to be eligible for an incentive grant, the NHP must approve the application before the applicant commences his/her practice. To apply for an incentive grant, the following documents and information are required from the applicant:

1. A completed Application for Rehabilitation Incentive Grant form.
2. A copy of the applicant's acceptance of the full-time offer of employment including confirmation of start date.
3. A copy of the applicant's Certificate of Registration from the applicable College.
4. An imprinted void cheque.

Approval Process

1. The rehabilitation professional submits a completed Application form, a signed copy of acceptance of the offer of employment, confirmation of the start date, a copy of their Certificate of Registration and an imprinted void cheque to NHP.
2. The applicant is sent a letter from NHP confirming his/her eligibility to receive an incentive grant, together with two copies of Incentive Grant Agreement forms for signature.
3. The rehabilitation professional signs both Agreement forms, has his/her supervisor sign both Agreement forms, and returns all original documents by mail, to the NHP.
4. A NHP official signs the Agreement forms and one copy is returned to the rehabilitation professional for his/her records.
5. The annual grant amount is divided into four equal payments. The first payment is deposited into the rehabilitation professional's bank account approximately two months after the signed Incentive Grant Agreement forms are received by the NHP.
6. Subsequent deposits are made at three-month intervals, at the beginning of each quarter. Towards the end of each of the three years of incentive grant participation, NHP will send a Confirmation of Employment to the rehabilitation professional, confirming s/he has fulfilled their commitment for the preceding year and to determine whether the candidate will be maintaining the ongoing eligibility criteria for the subsequent year.

General Information

It takes at least four to six weeks to process an Application, once an applicant has provided all of the required documentation. Rehabilitation professionals interested in the program are encouraged to provide as much lead time as possible to ensure the Application is complete when they establish their practice in an eligible community.

Ministry of Health
Primary Health Care Team
Northern Health Programs
402 - 159 Cedar Street
Sudbury ON P3E 6A5
705-564-7280
Toll free: 1-866-727-9959
Fax: 705-564-7493