Social Worker, In-Patient Psychiatry

Detailed Overview

The Social Worker provides clinical social work counselling services to patients and families in the clinical specialty area within Psychiatry. Conducts comprehensive social work and psychosocial assessments of patients suffering acute episodes of mental illness and substance misuse/dependence using a variety of modalities and in accordance with professional standards and clinical policies and practices. Educates and provides support and consultation to patients, families, and healthcare professionals. As a member of an integrated, interdisciplinary team, takes a key role in discharge planning and ensuring optimal continuity of care through activities such as liaison, referral, advocacy, coordination, brokerage, and pre-placement visits. Develops, coordinates, and delivers in-services, presentations, psycho-educational and support groups. Initiates, develops and carries out, research activities in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team. Responsibilities Provides comprehensive therapeutic clinical counselling services to patients suffering acute episodes of mental illness and their families, community supports, and interdisciplinary treatment teams to coordinate services, manage cases, and facilitate meetings. Conducts comprehensive social work and psychosocial assessments of patients suffering acute episodes of mental illness and substance misuse/dependence, and families by interviewing the patient and/or family, obtaining relevant information, gathering social data regarding the patient and/or family and interpreting the data using a variety of modalities, in accordance with professional standards and clinical policies and practices. Educates and provides consultation and support to patients, families, and healthcare professionals on issues related to high risk factors, recovery and current community practice in the field of mental health, child protection, adaptation to illness and disability, protection of vulnerable adults, chemical dependency, community living and support services. Participates in the Family Support Program in conjunction with BC Schizophrenia Society by providing educational and support services and by reviewing and evaluating the program and providing feedback regarding potential improvements. Maintains patient records by documenting patient assessments, charting patient information, preparing progress notes and reports in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures to meet regulatory requirements and documenting for future reference. Maintains a key role in planning for care during the hospital stay, and facilitating optimal discharge planning by interviewing the patient and/or family to assess and determine a care plan and type of service required, as a member of an integrated, interdisciplinary team. Articulates analysis and decision to members of the interdisciplinary team. Arranges meetings to develop and coordinate care plans and community services for patients requiring facility placement and/or community support and collaborates with hospital and community services from a social work perspective to determine appropriate levels of care and the effective utilizations of patient resources. Communicates/collaborates with mental health and related community service agencies and family physicians by collaborating in the assessment and management of individuals at risk, making referrals to appropriate resources when longer term treatment of follow up is required and exchanging relevant information. Provides formal liaison service to the Mental Health Centre by attendance at weekly rounds. Acts as resource to patients and their families by providing information for patients and families regarding community, resources and access to these resources, suggesting contacts to facilitate optimal planning, arranging referrals, and facilitating the development of community resources to strengthen families. Participates as a member of the mental health program and local committees and planning bodies by engaging in program/practice evaluation, identifying opportunities for change, assessing available resources, initiating solutions, analyzing outcomes and identifying areas for improved efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery to enhance patient care services and reduce service gaps in the community. Maintains a variety of records such as workload statistics by recording information into approved formats, collating data, analyzing trends, accounting for variances, and preparing reports as required. Develops, coordinates, and delivers in-services, presentations, psycho-educational and support groups and/or training related to mental health by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team, determining relevant content and required audiovisual/handouts aids, conducting literature searches, and planning and coordinating seminars. Initiates, develops and carries out research activities and program planning and development relevant to the needs of the patient, families, hospital and community in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team by identifying current trends/gaps in literature and writing research proposals. Follows through with research methodology, disseminates research findings, and ensures clinical practices and protocols are consistent with research findings. Maintains current knowledge in Social Work practice in the mental health fields by reviewing literature in the assigned clinical specialty area, consulting with clinical and community experts within the field, evaluating practice, and participating in professional development activities in order to improve care through new practices. Performs other related duties as assigned. Qualifications Education and Experience Master's degree in Social Work from an approved school of Social Work, plus two years' recent, related clinical experience in a mental health treatment setting. Current full registration with the BC College of Social Workers. Skills and Abilities Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of emotional issues related to mental illness and addictions and patient and family cultural dynamics. Comprehensive counselling skills including crisis counselling, brief therapeutic interventions and group work applicable to patients and families. Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize workload in a complex environment. Ability to educate and provide consultation to patients, families and healthcare professionals. Ability to provide leadership to the interdisciplinary team in care planning for the effective utilization of patient resources. Ability to make effective referrals, reflecting in-depth knowledge of community resources and strong collaborative skills in working with community health and social agency personnel. Ability to work effectively with others, including working effectively in a multicultural environment, independently, and as part of an integrated interdisciplinary team. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with patients, families and staff and community agency personnel. Ability to develop, coordinate and deliver in-services, presentations, psychoeducational and support groups. Ability to initiate, develop and carry out research activities.

---