Description:
The Social Worker provides psychosocial assessments and intervention to patients and families to help address social and emotional stressors resulting from the interaction of physical, social, cultural, and psychological outcomes associated with health issues and treatment. The Social Worker will provide counseling related to diagnosis and adjustment to illness, crisis intervention, liaison within CHEO and with community-based agencies/services. The Social Worker will advocate on behalf of patients and families with regards to community services/resources and financial assistance.
The Social Worker will be a member of the CHEO Discipline of Social Work.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
- Conducts comprehensive psycho-social and family assessments by methods such as interviewing the patient and family, obtaining relevant information, gathering social data regarding the patient and family and formulation of assessment and plan of intervention, in accordance with professional practice standards and clinical policies.
- The social worker will provide counseling and support to patients and their families by offering ongoing individual, family and group counseling, crisis intervention and conflict resolution related to treatment decisions, child welfare, mental health, trauma, illness, treatment refusal, end of life decisions and loss.
- Advocates on behalf of families with respect to services and supports.
- Work closely with the interdisciplinary team to provide continuity of care for patients between visits. Coordinates social work care between CHEO and the adult programs.
- Participation in clinical research activities related to Palliative Care.
- Facilitates support groups for children/youth and families
- Maintains current knowledge on social work evidence based practice by such methods as reviewing literature, consulting with clinical and community experts in the field, evaluating clinical practice and participating in professional development activities in order to improve care through new practices.
- Performs administrative tasks by maintaining clinical documentation, progress notes, workload statistics and updating health records in accordance with established standards.
- Carries other responsibilities as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
- Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) (Essential)
- M.S.W. graduate from an accredited university program in social work (Essential)
- Member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and broad knowledge of Social Work theory, practice and regulations established by the College (Essential)
- Demonstrated expertise and knowledge about the impact of illness on children, youth and families (Essential)
- Demonstrated expertise and knowledge in the area of progressive life-limiting illness and the acute terminal phase of palliative care. (Essential)
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience within a pediatric hospital setting (Preferred)
- Demonstrated ability to work independently (Essential)
- Demonstrated ability to conduct and document a comprehensive psychosocial assessment (Essential)
- Bilingualism (English and French) (Preferred)
- Demonstrated ability to plan, organize and prioritize work (Essential)
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively in an inter professional environment with co-workers, physicians, clients and their families and external agencies (Essential)