Mental Health Worker

**Competition**: OPSPARA03-2025-01-20
**Department**: Deep River and District Health
**Status**: Full Time
**Within**: OPSEU Paramedical
**Hours**: Variable Shifts
**Salary**: As per OPSEU Paramedic/Professional Staff Collective Agreement
**Posting Date**: 2025-01-20 15:00
**Closing Date**: 2025-01-26 23:59
**Position Summary**

The Mental Health Worker (MHW), as a member of the health care team, delivers a wide range of mental health services including health promotion, assessment, treatment/management, education, care navigation, and advocacy in the framework of a multidisciplinary service team.

The MHW practices as a member of the multidisciplinary team under the standards of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), Accreditation Canada, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Long Term Care, and policies of Deep River and District Health (DRDH).

**Position Relationships**

The position reports directly to the Manager of Clinical Services - Primary Care and works as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.

Frequent contact with clinical staff, management, organization personnel, medical staff, and patients. Consults regularly with clinical leadership and other leaders within the organization and outside the organization.

**Duties**
- Delivers a wide range of mental health services including health promotion, assessment, treatment/management, education, care navigation and advocacy.
- Provides psychological counseling services to individuals, groups, couples and families.
- Conducts interviews, compiles case histories and formulates psycho-social diagnosis by maintaining proper patient records and assessment notes.
- Participates in inter-disciplinary treatment programs and contributes to developing new programs by identifying, recommending and developing resources and materials and by participating in the delivery and regular evaluation of the program.
- Acts as a resource on social determinants of health for the care team, patients, residents and families.
- Adheres to all policies and procedures.
- Supports and demonstrates the mission, vision and values of Organization.
- Other duties may be assigned and may not be limited to the scope of an individual department.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor of Social Work required, Master of Social Work (MSW) preferred.
- Current registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OSCWSSW) required.
- An excellent, compassionate care experience, every time.
- Bilingualism an asset.
- Experience in assessing and managing mental health problems in a community-based primary care setting.
- Experience supporting patients, families and care teams to address mental health and social support needs during hospitalization, transitions of care and during periods of mental distress and increased support needs.
- Experience with program planning, delivery and evaluation.
- Experience facilitating individual, group, couple and family therapy sessions.
- Ability to complete risk assessments and safely manage patients, residents (and their families) in crisis.
- Thorough knowledge of, and proficiency in, current assessment and short-term psychosocial counseling techniques.
- Expertise in working with mental health diagnoses such as anxiety, mood and personality disorders, depression and concurrent disorders.
- Knowledge of community resources and current mental health and privacy legislation.
- General understanding of commonly used psychotropic medications and their side effects and interactions preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to perform well in critical and high stress situations required.
- Demonstrated and proven ability to work in a collaborative care model with all members of the health care team required.
- Demonstrated commitment to patient safety required.
- Excellent attendance record required.
- Computer literacy and experience with electronic documentation required.
- Demonstrated critical thinking and problem solving abilities required.
- Exemplary interpersonal, communication and organizational skills required.
- Must agree to adhere to DRDH standards of behaviour.