Notice: Effective March 2020, the Ministry of Health no longer accepts mailed or couriered documents related to application-based programs. Only applications that are sent by email to a ministry-designated account or via fax (705-564-7493) will be accepted. Applications that include electronic signatures (such as. scanned original, electronic device applications, or digital) will be accepted in lieu of original, signed documents

Overview

The objective of the Rehabilitation Professional Incentive Grant Program is to fill full-time Ministry of Health fully funded positions in Northern Ontario by attracting:

  • audiologists
  • chiropodists
  • occupational therapists
  • physiotherapists
  • speech-language pathologists

The incentive grant program offers taxable financial incentive grants, to eligible applicants, of up to $5,000 per eligible year, to a maximum of $15,000, paid over a three-year period.

Northern Ontario is defined as the territorial districts of:

  • Algoma
  • Cochrane
  • Kenora
  • Manitoulin
  • Nipissing
  • Parry Sound
  • Rainy River
  • Sudbury
  • Thunder Bay
  • Timiskaming

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for an incentive grant, Northern Health Programs (NHP) must approve the application before the applicant establishes their practice. The professional may choose to establish their practice in any eligible community in Northern Ontario.

The applicant must meet all of the following requirements:

  • be registered with the applicable College – temporary license does not qualify
  • hold Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status
  • have accepted a full-time offer of employment in a MOH fully funded position in an eligible community in Northern Ontario
  • 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 their practice. To apply for an incentive grant, the following documents and information are required from the applicant:

  • a completed Application for Rehabilitation Incentive Grant form
  • a copy of the applicant's acceptance of the full-time offer of employment including confirmation of start date
  • a copy of the applicant's Certificate of Registration from the applicable college
  • an imprinted void cheque

Approval process

The following steps outline the 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 their 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 their 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 their 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. To ensure financial accountability, towards the end of each of the first two years of participation in the program, the NHP sends a Confirmation of Practice Form to each rehabilitation professional to complete and confirm whether the rehabilitation professionals is maintaining a full-time practice in the eligible community for the subsequent year.

It takes at least four to six weeks to process an application, once an applicant has provided all of the required documentation. 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.

Contact Us

For more information, you can contact the Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Branch by: