Social Worker, Indigenous Care, Psychiatry Clinic

BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital & Health Centre

Vancouver, BC

Effective December 6, 2024, as negotiated in the latest collective agreement, a classification system will be implemented for the HSPBA roles in PHSA, effectively transitioning to a profile-based system. As a result, it may have impact to this job posting’s job title, job description, and wage range.

What you’ll do

• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial 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.
• Support 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, organizing and facilitating psycho-educational.
• Provide proactive, holistic support for Indigenous patients, parents, family/supporters while building and maintaining relationships.
• Facilitate in complex discharge planning with the team, patient, family and community agencies by coordinating regular meetings to ensure psycho-social follow-up; staying connected with patient and family once discharged from the BC Women’s Hospital and/or BC Children’s Hospital and ensuring care plans are coordinated with appropriate referrals and resources regardless of the health authority or municipal jurisdiction to which the patient is being discharged.
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative and constructive liaison relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including patients and families, community providers, MCFD and Indigenous delegated agency social workers, schools, hospitals police agencies, other health authority leads and front line workers, on and off reserve health agencies/centers, and other agencies, in order to coordinate services across the continuum of health care.
• Participate in program planning and development as part of an inter-professional team within Children’s & Women’s Hospital and the continuum of health care. Identify, promote and participate in program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients and their families.
• Promote Indigenous 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.
• Act in public relations and advocacy capacity to represent Indigenous Health to medical staff and other service providers, and to community agencies and their staff by maintaining up to date knowledge of Indigenous Health; provide consultation to staff for the purpose of enhancing knowledge of Indigenous cultures, contemporary social issues and health beliefs; provide information on social and health services available in the communities for Indigenous peoples; participate in committees that integrate Indigenous Health with hospital and community programs by providing input and addressing Indigenous Health.

What you bring

Qualifications

• 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 area within BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre and/or the BC Children’s hospital including clinical skills in crisis intervention, assessment, short-term counseling; must have experience in mental health, child protection, child development, 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 & Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of Social Work theory and practice.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and document a comprehensive psychosocial assessment.
• Knowledge of the psychosocial needs of women and families with health and/or mental health conditions.
• Knowledge of and experience with Indigenous centered care and unique needs of Indigenous populations and health services, in alignment with Paige’s Story (2015) and the Truth and Reconciliation Call To Action report (2015).
• Knowledge of specific resources for Indigenous patients and families, i.e. First Nations Health Authority, Métis Family Services, VACFSS and other delegated Aboriginal child and family services, Community Health Centre’s/Clinics on and off reserve, etc.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Indigenous history, cultures, communities, cultural interference, social determinants of health, and Indigenous health policy and direction.
• 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.

• Commitment to develop knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents – including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study – and how they intersect across the health care system.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.

• Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

Job Type: Temporary, Full-Time (until November 25, 2026)
Wage: $42.27 - $52.81/hour
Location: 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver BC, V6H 2N9
Hours of Work: Variable hours/days
Requisition # 175304E

What we do

BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) provides care for the most seriously ill or injured children and youth from across British Columbia.

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre (BCW) is dedicated to improving the health of women, newborns and families through a comprehensive range of services, research and education.

BCCH and BCW are part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Cultivate partnerships – Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA, BCW and BCCH is committed to equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently marginalized groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya'kula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and marginalization faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous communities. PHSA must uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents such as including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.

ATTN: PHSA Employees:

To be considered as a PHSA employee (internal applicant) for this position, you must apply online via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca

Please note the internal job posting will no longer be accessible after the expiry date of November 17, 2024. If the internal job posting has expired, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk and advise that you would like to be considered as a late internal applicant for this position. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not registered your internal profile, a password is required to log in for the first time. To obtain your password, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk at 604-875-7264 or 1-855-875-7264. Please note regular business hours are Monday – Friday (excluding stats), 8:30am to 4:30pm. For inquiries outside of regular business hours, please email the Internal Jobs Help Desk at internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca and a Help Desk Representative will contact you the next business day.