Social Worker (MSW), Addictions Medicine Consult Team

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Reporting to the Manager, Clinical Operations or designate for operational and administrative issues and to the Professional Practice Chief, Social Work for professional practice issues, the Social Worker provides and coordinates the delivery of clinical services outcomes of substance use services as a member of the Addiction Medicine Consult Team, 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, counsels and develops care plans for patient discharge ensuring optimal continuity of care. Develops, coordinates and delivers in-services and presentations, and initiates, develops and carries out research activities in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team. The Social Worker is expected to engage the patient & their support system as people with full competence and as full collaborators in service planning, delivery and evaluation.

1. Conducts comprehensive social work and psycho-social assessments of patients within the hospital who have substance use disorders or substance use concerns, by methods such as 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.


2. Consults and collaborates with interdisciplinary team members and other health care professionals/providers in the identification and resolution of a variety of patient/family issues by participating in icare, safety huddles, rounds and staff meetings and contributing information.  Plays an active role as a team member of the Addiction Medicine Consult Team. 


3. Provides therapeutic clinical counselling services to hospital-based patients with substance use disorders or substance use concerns.


4. Identifies the needs and interventions required, from a social work perspective, for the coordination of services to be delivered.


5. In collaboration with community mental health and substance use services and/or agencies or organizations, assures and directs coordination of the services.


6. Provides direct services to patients, families and staff regarding community resources and access to these resources in order to facilitate optimal discharge planning; assists with referrals.


7. Participates in quality improvement and risk management activities such as identifying and reporting high risk situations, evaluating effect of changes in social work practice, generating recommendations for alternative approaches to social work practice, conducting safety audits and identifying needs for corrective action and changes to selected practices, procedures or protocols.


8. Maintains clinical records through methods such as collecting and documenting observations and information including health care information regarding patients and their families, telephone communications, progress notes, interventions, themes worked on during interventions, teaching, care evaluations, patient outcomes and discharge summaries to ensure that patient/family records are current and complete.


9. Maintains a safe environment for clients, visitors and employees by adhering to established safety and emergency practices and procedures and reporting any risks and anomalies to the Manager.


10. Participates in program development and in the delivery of substance use services through methods such as actively participating in internal conferences and by providing input into the development, implementation and evaluation of new or existing patient program activities and treatment approaches.


11. Maintains current knowledge regarding substance use by attending professional workshops and conferences. Identifies own learning needs/goals, reviews these with the Manager and engages in a variety of activities to meet those needs/goals.


12. Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies/procedures and interpreting same to clients, other agencies and the public and referring unusual inquiries to the Manager.


13. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Masters Degree of Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work, plus one year recent, related experience in a substance use treatment setting. Current full registration with the BC College of Social Workers (BCSW).

Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of psychosocial elements of substance use disorders and the related psychosocial impacts.


• 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


• Comprehensive clinical counselling skills including crisis counselling, motivational interviewing, solution focused brief therapeutic interventions applicable to patients and families.


• Awareness of evidence-based psychosocial approaches to management of substance use disorders.


• 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 work effectively with others, including working effectively in a multicultural environment, independently, and as part of an integrated interdisciplinary team.


• Applied knowledge of mediation and negotiation principles


• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with patients, families, staff and community agency personnel.


• Ability to develop, coordinate and deliver in-services and presentations


• Ability to initiate, develop and carry out research activities.


• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.