Social Worker I, MSW, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and MotherBaby Care (MBC) AgencyPHSA Labor AgreementHealth Science Professionals Posting #179364-2429535 GradeP1 DepartmentDT-General Social Work NICU UnionHEABC Paramedical - H.S.A. Work Site4500 Oak Street, Vancouver StatusRegular Salary Range$42.27 - $52.81 / Hour Position StatusPart-time FTE.60 Hours of Work0800-1600 Work DaysThu, Fri, Sat Days OffMon, Tue, Wed, Sun Position Start Date24-Feb-2025 Applications Accepted Until 10AM16-Feb-2025 Job Summary

The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team (physicians, midwives, nursing, psychologists, social workers, patient and family engagement advisors, Indigenous patient navigator, and spiritual health practitioner) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and MotherBaby Care (MBC) at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. They will be responsible for the provision of social work services to all parents/families of newborns hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Mother Baby Care (MBC), as well as patients/families in the Maternal Newborn Program. The Neonatal Program of BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre offers a strong academic environment with a philosophy of evidence-based practice, support for patient-centred research and quality improvement and opportunities for innovation and excellence in clinical care.

 

Job Summary:

 

  In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic direction of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

The Social Worker (MSW) reports operationally to the Program Manager/Director or Social Worker Lead and is under the general practice supervision of the Social Work Lead/Professional Practice Leader for Social Work. Consistent with the interprofessional setting the Social Worker provides psychosocial assessments and intervention to assist patients and families presenting with health, perinatal, mental health and women’s issues.  Social work services are provided to patients and families to address social and emotional stressors resulting from the interaction of physical, social, cultural and psychological outcomes associated with perinatal issues and treatment, including loss and bereavement services. The Social Worker provides consultation to team members and relevant community agencies regarding child welfare concerns.  Intervention services provided by the Social Worker includes crisis intervention, and short-term counseling, advocacy, liaison with community services; coordination of resources, consultation with teams, collaboration with community agencies, education, program planning and research.      

Duties/Accountablilties:

 

  1. Conducts comprehensive psycho-social and family assessments by methods such as interviewing the patient and family, obtaining relevant information, gathering social data regarding the patient and family and formulation of assessment and plan of intervention, in accordance with professional practice standards and clinical policies.

2. Supports patient and their family by understanding the nature and treatment of the presenting issues by providing education, short-term counseling and crisis intervention to families and other relevant caregivers.

3. Provides comprehensive clinical counseling with women, children and their families by focusing on their social, emotional and cultural needs, including adjustment to diagnosis and treatment decisions, loss of functioning and dealing with emotional and family crises in the context of evidence based care.

4. Supports women and their families by organizing and facilitating pscho-educational, counseling and bereavement groups for partners and their families.

5. Facilitates in complex discharge planning with the team, patient, family and community agencies by coordinating regular meetings to ensure psycho-social follow-up.

6. Establishes and maintains effective collaborative and constructive liaison relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including patients and families, community providers, MCFD social workers, schools, hospitals and other agencies, in order to coordinate services across the continuum of health care.

7. Participates in program planning and development as part of an inter-professional team within BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre and the continuum of health care. Identifies, promotes and participates in program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients and their families.

8. Promotes women centered and family centered care by participating in relevant committee work within the Social Work discipline, specialized program, hospital-setting, and/or continuum of health care.

9. Collaborates with team members in many forums, both informal and formal, in case consultations by attending team meetings, rounds, and psycho-social forums relevant to women centered and family centered care.

10. Provides consultation to team members and relevant community services regarding child protection concerns by being knowledgeable of risk indicators and helping the identification of risk situations in keeping with the Child, Family, and Community Services Act and provides consultation from a psycho-social perspective.

11. Advocates for the patient and family or caregiver for resources within the hospital and the community by assessing the financial and other psycho-social needs and works in coordination with community resources to meet these needs.

12. Supervises Master level social work students on field education practicum within the program by performing duties such as demonstrating and explaining procedures and processes and providing input regarding progress. Provides students with the opportunity to observe and take an active role in the treatment of patients and their families.

13. Provides orientation to new employees and social work staff by explaining the scope of practice within the program.

14. Provides information and/or in-services to other team members regarding the social work role, scope of practice, psycho-social comprehensive assessment and interventions, needs of families and family dynamics, and relevant legislation concerning children and child welfare issues.  Provides information on formalized agreements between C&W and MCFD relevant to child protection protocols and other formal agreements with community agencies. Dissemination of information is achieved through a variety of ways, including but not limited to, team meetings, psycho-social rounds, in-services, and ad hoc telephone calls.

15. Provides information to interprofessional team members of the C&W guidelines, such as Children and Youth at Risk for Abuse and Neglect. Dissemination of information is achieved through a variety of ways, including but not limited to, team meetings, psycho-social rounds, in-services, and ad hoc telephone calls.

16. Provides clinical consultation on psycho-social issues indicators of referrals and priority setting with interprofessional team members by presenting at team days and case rounds. Presents at in-services within the hospital and community.

17. Participates in psycho-social research activities and program planning and development relevant to the needs of the patient and family by methods such as collaborating with members of the interprofessional team, conducting literature searches and planning forums for presentation of findings.

18. Maintains current knowledge on social work evidence based practice by such methods as reviewing literature, consulting with clinical and community experts in the field, evaluating clinical practice and participating in professional development activities in order to improve care through new practices.

19. Participates in strategic discipline planning and professional practice by attending regular meetings.

20. Performs administrative tasks by maintaining clinical documentation, progress notes, workload statistics and updating health records in accordance with established standards.

21. Performs other related duties as required.      

Qualifications:

 

  Education, Training and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work.
• Minimum 1 year recent related experience with patient and their family with a health condition relevant to the service/program area within BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre including clinical skills in crisis intervention, assessment, short-term counseling, individual, group and family counseling; must have experience in mental health, child protection, women’s issues, intimate partner violence, harm reduction model and grief and loss in a health care or hospital setting; or an equivalent combination of education, training or experience.
• Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

Skills and Abilities:

• Comprehensive knowledge of Social Work theory and practice.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and document a comprehensive psychosocial assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to provide individual, family and group counseling.
• Knowledge of the psychosocial needs of women and families with health and/or mental health conditions. 
• Knowledge of and experience with women centered care.
• Knowledge of child protection issues and relevant legislation concerning children, consents and FOIPPA.
• Knowledge of formalized agreements between C&W and MCFD relevant to child protection protocols and other formal agreements with community agencies.
• Knowledge of C&W guidelines such as, Children and Youth at Risk for Abuse and Neglect and Child and Family Community Services Act.
• Knowledgeable of adoption legislation and related clinical guidelines.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to work with mental health issues, including DSM, and mental health assessment of depression, suicide, and anxiety.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to work with grief and loss.
• Working knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in client care. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively in an inter-professional environment.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate both verbally and in writing, and to deal effectively with co-workers, physicians, other health care professionals, clients and their families, and external agencies. 
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize and prioritize work.
• Demonstrated ability to deal with and/or guide others in resolution of conflict issues. 
• Demonstrated ability to teach Social Work students and other team members both formally and informally. 
• Ability to present at in-services within the hospital and community.
• Demonstrated problem solving abilities.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Demonstrated ability to advocate for women and their families as they navigate the health care system.
• Working knowledge of research processes and methodology.
• Demonstrated physical ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Basic computer literacy to operate a computerized patient care information system.