Clinical Psychologist, Pediatric Cardiology Service

Company : IWK Health 

Req ID: 221615 
Department/Program: Cardiology, Children's Medical Care 
Location: Halifax   
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly PT long-assignment (50% FTE) x 1 position(s) - 1 Year
 Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: Unifor Service, Support Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $54.0472 - $73.4637 /hour
Closing Date: June 2, 2026 (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 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

The Pediatric Cardiology Psychologist will provide support to patients and families with cardiac conditions. The PhD Psychologist in Cardiology will work individually and on teams to provide highly specialized psychological assessment, diagnosis, and treatment interventions to individuals, families, and groups with cardiac conditions. The PhD Psychologist provides consultations to other healthcare providers, as well as to educators and social services providers. All patients who have undergone cardiac surgery and/or critical care (PICU) admission will be approached for assessment, in addition to referrals from members of the cardiology team and consideration for patient self-referral. As many patients live outside of Halifax, virtual consultations will be required.

Our vibrant Discipline of Psychology includes over 50 members serving a broad array of health and mental health populations. Our Child Health Program includes psychologists and psychometrists who provide assessment and intervention services to a number of health-related populations, including children with autism spectrum disorders, learning disorders, feeding issues, challenges with compliance to medical procedures, and neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders. The Discipline of Psychology at IWK hosts a CPA/APA-accredited predoctoral residency in psychology and has strong academic relationships with teaching and research facilities in the Halifax region, including those associated with Dalhousie University.

Hours of Work

Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours biweekly.

Your Qualifications

• Doctoral degree from a Canadian Psychological Association or American Psychological Association-accredited program; completion of an accredited year-long pre-doctoral residency (e.g., Clinical Child Psychology).
• Registration or eligibility for registration with the NS Regulator of Psychology that includes a minimum of one year of post-doctoral supervision.
• One-year post-doctoral supervision involves monthly meetings with a Ph.D. Psychologist to evaluate core competencies (i.e., assessment and evaluation, intervention, research, application of ethical standards, interpersonal relationships, report preparation and record management, and knowledge of key legislative acts relevant to the practice of psychology) and work towards criterion-based goals.
• Formal supervised, clinical training and experience in assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and consultation for preschool, school-aged children, and adolescents.
• Formal training and clinical experience conducting psychological & functional behavioral assessments and clinical diagnoses are required.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate and implement individualized treatment programs to promote positive adaptive behaviors, independence, and skill development in preschool, school-aged children, and adolescents required.
• Strong background in child development, learning theory, and clinical application of cognitive-behavioral and behavioral interventions with children with disabilities required.
• Ability to participate in the clinical training activities of the Psychology Discipline, including the clinical supervision of practicum students and residents.
• Demonstrated leadership in developing and evaluating evidence-based health services required.
• Demonstrated ability to provide team-based interdisciplinary health care required.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to Family Centred Care required.
• Demonstrated excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills required.
• Demonstrated excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills required.
• Experience in the provision of psychological services to children in a cardiology context is an asset.
• Competencies in other languages are an asset.
• Knowledge of program-based care is 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 Support  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.