School Based Mental Health

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.

*Company*
: IWK Health
Req ID:
212621

Department/Program:
School Mental Health , Mental Health And Addictions

Location:
Halifax

Type of Employment:
Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE) x 2 position(s)

Start Date:
January 2026

Union Status:
NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit

Compensation:
$42.2138
-
$ /hour

Closing Date
: January 07, 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

Successful external applicants may be eligible to receive a one-time Signing Bonus of upto $7,000 and a Relocation Assistance of $5000. There is a Return of Service Agreement (ROSA) attached to these incentives.
Where there are no qualified candidates who meet the minimum requirement of a minimum of two (2) years clinical experience as a Master's prepared Social Worker working in the field of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, consideration may be given to candidates without the required experience.
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other's talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values , and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq people. Working in Mi'kma'ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

*The Opportunity*
Reporting to the Clinical Manager for IWK School Mental Health Services, the school-based clinician is responsible for working as part of the SchoolsPlus team to deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultation services to children/youth, families and staff within a designated Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) family of schools.

The SchoolsPlus Clinician will practice the principles and philosophy of CAPA (Choice and Partnership Approach) in all areas of position responsibility. With a focus on providing early identification and intervention for mental health and addictions issues, the clinician will provide individual, family and group therapies, referrals to Mental Health and Addictions Services, consultation to school staff with a focus on capacity building, input into programming and participate in evaluation research.

Services will be provided throughout the year, including summer vacation and other school holidays, based on the identified needs of the client population, the school system and the IWK Mental Health and Additctions program.

*Hours of Work*
37.5 hours weekly, Monday-Friday, flexibility in working hours required depending on caseload.

Your Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Social Work required.
• Registered or eligible to be registered/licensed with NSCSW, required.
• Minimum two (2) years clinical experience as a Masters prepared Social Worker working in the field of Child and Adolescent Mental Health is required.
• Demonstrated ability to complete mental health assessments using DSM formulations, required.
• Demonstrated experience integrating various psychotherapeutic approaches such as cognitive behaviour therapy, solution-focused therapy, and/or motivational interviewing in both individual and group work, required.
• Demonstrated excellence in group facilitation and group treatments, required.
• Valid Nova Scotia Driver's license, access to a reliable vehicle, and insurance required, as travel is a requirement of the position.
• Training in group treatments, including Connect Parenting, Incredible Years, Cool Kids, COPE, preferred.
• Training in cultural competency, preferred.
• Experience working in a school setting an asset
• Demonstrated a high degree of interpersonal effectiveness, professional boundaries and judgment, empathy, commitment to teamwork, and strong understanding and application of ethical principles.
• Awareness of local community resources and agencies required.
• Ability to demonstrate effective time management and disciplined self-organization,including the ability to meet professional and IWK Health documentation standards.
• Demonstrated commitment to family-centred care required.
• Competencies in other languages an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

I
f you are an employee of IWK Health , please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.