Social Worker

PHS Community Services Society is hiring a Social Worker in Victoria.

Within a housing framework, the Social Worker is part of a PHS multidisciplinary team providing case management services that are both inclusionary and flexible. This role reports to the Program Operations Manager and collaborates with the Supportive Recovery team to develop case management strategies that will support the participant’s well-being, development and community integration. This includes developing a psycho-social care plan with each participant intake, helping participants action their plans and facilitating continuity across the Island Health care continuum.

This position liaises with Island Health to manage intakes and discharges within the program as well as ensuring all documentation related to the program Care Plan records.

**Why work here?**:
PHS is recognized as North American leaders in low-barrier housing and harm reduction services. We are innovators, highly regarded across the sector, looking for people to join experienced, supportive multi-disciplinary teams.

You will be a valued member of the team, working with colleagues who respect your input.

**Duties and responsibilities**:
Job duties include (but are not limited to):

- Prepares psychosocial assessments, individual and family relationship assessments, and support service assessments regarding participants and families.
- Establishes, maintains and enhances therapeutic relationships based on empathy, respect and a non-judgmental attitude with participants. Works to provide support and follow-up planning, documentation and record keeping, promoting and supporting participants to manage self-care, encouraging informed decision-making and empowering the participant to improve their quality of life.
- Provides education to participants (both individually and in groups) about management and treatment of specific mental health and addictions concerns, recurrent issues, themes, and strategies toward greater well-being, self-management & coping skills.
- Coordinates care for participants using a supportive and thorough case management approach, collaborating with the multidisciplinary care team, developing, implementing, maintaining and adjusting comprehensive treatment plans based on participant needs and best practices.
- Provides treatment services including crisis intervention, family work, individual counselling, education, treatment and support groups according to a variety of theoretical models to participants as required.
- Initiates and participates in case conferences/meetings with participants, family, service providers and members of the internal multidisciplinary team for identification of participant mental health and/or addiction issues, integration of participant into the community, concerns regarding services and coordination, emergent issues, and discussion of on-going follow-up care to ensure a coordinated approach to treatment.
- Acts as participant advocate to protect and promote participant’s right to autonomy, respect, privacy, dignity, and access to information.
- Collaborates, consults and provides clinical support to colleagues for continuity of care, treatment concerns, specialized services and community resource coordination by providing information based upon specialized theory/practice, discussing participant care issues and developing linkages/partnerships with other facilities, agencies, and support groups.
- Ensures all clinical work (assessments, care plans, case notes) is documented to professional standards. Creation of participant files and ensuring that all files are organized, secure and kept up to date.
- Working as a part of a team, duties may also include light custodian, managing guest relations and other front desk responsibilities.
- Perform other related duties, as required.

**Qualifications**:

- Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) preferred and a minimum of two years’ experience providing service to homeless marginalized adults with mental health, substance use and behavioural needs or equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
- Registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

**Knowledge and abilities**:

- Broad knowledge of substance use, including harm reduction principles within addictions treatment.
- Must be able to demonstrate core competencies of the PHS mandate and approach to care and harm reduction.
- Broad knowledge of community resources and other health care disciplines
- Broad knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures that relate to residents.
- Experience facilitating groups in low-barrier settings.
- Demonstrated understanding and deep commitment to utilizing a trauma informed approach and evidence-based practices.
- Demonstrated ability to work in an intensive community/residential environment, maintaining a high level of empathy while implementing compassionately informed boundaries.
- Demonstrated ability to work both independently