Social Worker, Pediatric Medicine Care Team

Company: IWK Health 

Req ID: 192534 
Department/Program: Social Work, Children's Medical Care 
Location: Halifax   
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly PT long-assignment (40% FTE) for 12 months x 1 position(s)
 Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $37.3118 - $50.7666 /hour
Closing Date: 1 December 2024 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

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 that 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 proportion 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 Manager, Inpatient, and Ambulatory Medical Care, Children’s Health Program, the Social Worker practices as a member of an interprofessional team to provide services to children, youth, and their families being seen by the Pediatric Medicine Services. This position will provide services to the inpatient pediatric medical unit and applicable ambulatory care areas. The Social Worker will have a major role in counseling patients and families who may be coping with stressors associated with acute and chronic illness as well as disability and medical complexity. The Social Worker will provide assessment, brief therapeutic interventions, advocacy, and consultations. The Social Worker will be responsible to make appropriate referrals to community-based resources and to liaise with a range of health and government services with an emphasis on building collaborative partnerships, facilitating resource acquisition, and supporting families in navigating and accessing services within the health center and the community. The Social Worker participates in collaborative center-based and community-based committees and initiatives. The Social Worker will have responsibilities in supervising clinical MSW student placements, teaching, program development, program evaluation, and research as needed. The Social Worker also provides intake services for the Children’s Health Program on a rotational schedule. The Pediatric Medicine Social Worker also provides occasional coverage for other Children’s Health Program Social Workers when required.

Hours of Work

Two days per week (Tuesday and Friday preferably). 
Based on operational requirements, departmental coverage may vary; flexibility is required. 

Your Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work required.
• Licensed, or eligible for licensure, with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers required.
• Minimum two (2) years of clinical experience as a Master's prepared Social Worker is preferred. 
• Clinical experience working with children and their families experiencing acute and chronic illness as well as disability and medical complexity preferred
• Experience in conducting brief individual and family therapy, case management, advocacy, and community partnership is essential.
• Knowledge and skills in psychosocial assessment, palliative care, and crisis interventions.
• Experience in Trauma Informed Care
• Demonstrated understanding of the social determinants of health and how these factors impact children and families.
• Demonstrated ability to use an anti-oppressive framework in practice. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in assessment and intervention with children, youth, and families. 
• Working knowledge of the DSM-5 is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of child and youth development, life transitions, and family dynamics required
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act required.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to Family Centered Care required.
• Knowledge of the healthcare system, health policy, and community resources required.  
• Able to develop and maintain internal and external partnerships required.
• Demonstrated excellent time management, critical thinking organization, conflict resolution, decision-making, and problem-solving skills are required.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication (verbal and written) skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative, interprofessional team.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and ethical practice upholding Social Work values and professional boundaries required.
• Experience in Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused Therapy is an asset.
• Experience in Meditech, MS Outlook, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) preferred.
• Competencies in other languages are 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.

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