Social Work Clinician, Mental Health Eating Disorders, Metabolic

Social Work Clinician, Mental Health Eating Disorders, Metabolic

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

Vancouver, BC 

Consistent with the interprofessional setting and the mission, values and strategic directions of BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital, the Social Work Clinician, Eating Disorders is a clinical practitioner who provides leadership within the interdisciplinary team and advanced level clinical services for children and youth and their families who are being assessed or receiving treatment for an eating disorder within a tertiary facility offering outpatient, residential, inpatient and day treatment services to children, adolescents and their families throughout the province of British Columbia.

The Social Work Clinician is the lead family therapist in the family based model taking leadership in coordinating care and treatment, provides complex family assessments, family therapy, individual therapy and group therapy, and provides teaching within the team and throughout the province using telehealth. Teaches family therapy with eating disorders to trainees across disciplines within the team and from across the province as well as psychiatric residents and fellows on a case-by-case basis and other interdisciplinary students including social work students; presents locally, provincially, nationally and internationally at conferences; and consults to professionals and teams throughout the province regarding eating disorders, child protection concerns and other legislative issues including FOI, consents, treatment refusal, separation and divorce, and custody/access issues. Provides leadership in program planning and clinical practice guidelines, evaluates and develops clinical treatment practices, initiates and participates in psychosocial research, and maintains knowledge on research and best practices.

The Social Work Clinician plays a central role as a liaison and education with community agencies and resources such as MCFD, schools, other hospitals, eating disorders teams, community mental health, interpreter services and charitable organizations around the province.

What you’ll do

Function as the clinical lead for the client and their family that includes acting as the lead family therapist in a family based model and providing advanced level clinical services based on advanced knowledge and expertise by coordinating the treatment, guiding the interdisciplinary team in the clinical care, and providing clinical leadership within the interdisciplinary team, and determining when to bring in other community resources; providing intense family therapy to patients and families in the Intense Treatment Service (ITS), inpatient, day treatment and outpatient program; fostering a positive treatment milieu, policies, and routines that are attuned to cultural, religious and ethnic differences; and providing advanced level family assessments relevant to children and youth with eating disorders and family dynamics and recommendations on treatment planning to team and family. Provide clinical consultation and participates in complex discharge planning by methods such as consulting on complex cases and therapeutic challenges by phone or telehealth to eating disorders therapists around the province; providing guidance to the team and relevant community agencies regarding child protection concerns, custody and access, release of information, treatment refusal and consents to treatment; assisting with coordinating therapy follow-up with other team members and community partners; and utilizing skills in teleconferencing to include health care professionals in care planning with patients and families around the province. Provide individual and group therapy within the context of the ITS, day treatment and outpatient program which includes co-facilitating therapy groups such as Art Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy Groups, meal support therapy, and multi-family groups. Provides counselling and psycho-education to families and other relevant caregivers through parent support groups to understand the nature, treatment and prognosis of the eating disorder and to assist families with coping. Take leadership in program planning and clinical practice guidelines as part of multi-disciplinary team by methods such as evaluating and developing clinical treatment practices, guidelines and protocols within the team to promote excellence in social work practice and eating disorders treatment protocols, and identifying, promoting and leading program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients. Maintain up-to-date knowledge on research and best practices in treatment methods globally in the eating disorders field and specific to social work practice and family therapy; relevant legislation including the Child and Family Services Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information Act and the Mental Health Act; and community resources locally, nationally and internationally in the field of eating disorders. Initiate and participates in psychosocial research by methods such as collaborating with members of the interprofessional team, conducting literature searches and planning forums, and implementing appropriate evidence based research outcomes into strategic planning and professional practice. Establish and maintains effective collaborative and constructive liaison relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including patients and families, community mental health providers, MCFD social workers, schools, hospitals and other agencies, in order to coordinate services across the continuum of child and youth eating disorders services.

What you bring

Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Social Work from a recognized program. Minimum of three (3) years experience specifically providing family therapy in a related mental health setting with children and youth including two (2) years experience with eating disorders or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Post-masters certificate from a recognized family therapy training program. Completion of post-master’s professional development workshops in areas of clinical intervention that may include at least two of the following: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Group Therapy. Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

Skills and Abilities

Comprehensive knowledge of social work theory, family therapy theory and practice. Comprehensive knowledge of issues related to eating disorders in children and youth and the psychosocial impact for patients and families. Knowledge of DSM IV diagnostic criteria for children and youth with eating disorders and related mental health co-morbid diagnoses. Knowledge of best practices in eating disorders treatment and evidence based clinical intervention including family therapy, family based treatment and cognitive behavioural therapy methods and their appropriate applications. Knowledge of eating disorders resources including St. Paul’s Adult Eating Disorders Program and programs and teams around the province and other regions of Canada. Knowledge of relevant legislation affecting children and families in mental health including: Mental Health Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information, and Child and Community Services Act. Knowledge of child protection risk factors and legal issues relevant to child protection reporting. Up-to-date knowledge of relevant local community agencies including MCFD, eating disorders teams throughout BC, and charitable organizations. Awareness of and commitment to learning and understanding the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight Report (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), and other related reports. 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 impacting indigenous communities and familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism and accompanying reports (BC DRIPA, TRC, 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.

Location:  4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 2N9

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Hours of Work:  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8:30-16:30

Requisition #  160341E

As per the current Public Health Order, full vaccination against COVID-19 is a condition of employment with PHSA as of October 26, 2021.

Have questions and/or for more details about this role, relocation assistance eligibility, etc please contact Kelly Hull, Talent Acquisition Advisor for more details: 

What we do

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

(BCW) is dedicated to improving the health of women, newborns and families through a comprehensive range of services, research and education.

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

The Provincial Health Services Authority () 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: 

PHSA, BCCH and BCW are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

Reconciliation is an ongoing process and a shared responsibility for all of us. The BC Governments’ unanimous passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was a significant step forward in this journey—one that all health authorities are expected to support as we work in cooperation with Indigenous Peoples to establish a clear and sustainable path to lasting reconciliation. True reconciliation will take time and ongoing commitment to work with Indigenous Peoples as they move toward self-determination. Guiding these efforts Crown agencies must remain focused on creating opportunities that implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Mandate.

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