Capital Current introduces people who have had an impact on the city.
Who is Cara Vaccarino?
Cara Vaccarino is the CEO and president of The Royal Mental Health Centre. She was hired in January 2024.
Starting as a registered social worker for the University of California, Vaccarino has a clinical background dating back 25 years in the United States and Canada at a variety of research institutions.
What is her background?
Originally from a small community near Montreal, Vaccarino has an identical twin sister and two other siblings. At 10, she lost her mother to suicide. “That sort of shaped my calling for this work, and my purpose in life,” says Vaccarino.
Her journey included an undergraduate honours degree in psychology from McGill University, before moving to the United States to get a Master’s in Social Work at Tulane University and a Masters of Science and Healthcare Administration at the University of St. Francis.
Vaccarino has two daughters, one a neurology resident and one working on a degree in social work in Austin, Texas. “I have major mama bear energy,” she says. Vaccarino is getting married for the second time in June.
What is she known for in Ottawa?
Vaccarino recently made headlines with plans to reopen the emergency clinic at The Royal in April 2026, resuming urgent mental health care 25 years after its closure. The step is part of The Royal’s effort to redefine how the hospital connects with the community by breaking down stigma and fostering understanding.
Additionally, Vaccarino is working to create a new supportive housing project for people with substance use disorders. Matthew Perry House, named after the late actor, is to be located on The Royal’s campus, though it is still in the planning stage.
“We help where we can and we plug into the system when we can,” says Vaccarino. “We want patients to feel more than welcome to come here for treatment.”
What do people say about her?
Some in the community were not pleased about Matthew Perry House and showed it at an information meeting. Addiction counsellor and mental health advocate Amanda Loura posted to LinkedIN: “I watched as some attendees even yelled at the CEO of the Royal. The grace and professionalism through which she responded to these negative comments was impressive.”
Public policy adviser Brian Bohunicky responded on LinkedIN that Vaccarino, and other community members who will build and run Matthew Perry House “are going to help a lot of people.”
Vaccarino says her biggest adjustment was adapting to The Royal’s volunteer Board of Trustees who, she says, intimidated her at first, but are now supportive. “Their relevant skills and competency has only helped us do better here and move the organization forward,” she says.
What’s a lesser known fact about her?
In her spare time, Vaccarino practices yoga or cooks for her family. “I think about what I am going to make as soon as I wake up, I love feeding people.”
Vaccarino says she is very grateful for her path in mental health care, but also imagines a life as a chef. “I probably should have been a chef, I love cooking,” says Vaccarino. “I would’ve loved to own a restaurant, but I love my job, this is what I am meant to do.”
Dear Ms. Vaccarino,
My husband and I attended the family zoom seminar on Monday, and were delighted to meet you. Bravo, Ms. Vacarrino, for ‘moving the mountain’. Tough (!) job changing the decades-old way of doing things at the Royal. Thank you for your tenacity, wisdom and the strength to open the Royal to the needs of our community members with serious mental health problems.
More than half of my career focused on geriatric social work. Believe me, few of us ‘in the biz’ could figure out how to crack the invisible wall around the ROH. Clearly, you and others are determined to open up the Royal. We are grateful and wish you all the best.