The Hospital for Sick Children is a leading tertiary pediatric center providing medical and mental health care to the most complex children and youth and their families. A dynamic clinical, education and research environment, SickKids is committed to excellence in integrated inter-professional care. It is a center of excellence in the delivery of innovative health care to the paediatric population.
Reporting to the Clinical Director, Social Work, this position will provide social work services to both patients and families within the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Hospital for Sick Children. The PICU is a complex acute care environment in which the Social Worker is an integral part of the Health Care Team providing psychosocial assessment and treatment to families of critically ill children. This includes identification of child and family strengths; problem-solving abilities; barriers to service; issues of adaptation-to-change; cultural needs and resource support. The ability to remain calm, when those around you might not be, is crucial as is knowledge and experience with supportive crisis intervention and grief counseling.
Here's What You'll Get to Do:
- Develop and implement a plan of psychosocial intervention which addresses loss, grief, coping, adaptation, treatment adherence and quality of life. This is achieved through a variety of modalities including clinical counseling, patient/family education, consultation, case management, crisis intervention, community outreach and advocacy
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Help families navigate crisis, and begin their adjustment to both life-changing / life-limiting acute and chronic illness
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Work with patients/families in sudden end of life situations
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Collaborate with a large and diverse interdisciplinary health care team
- Integrate research into practice
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Provide education to other members of the team regarding Social Work interventions that benefit patients and families
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Support families through their children's hospital experience together with the interdisciplinary team to help improve coping and adjustment
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Support families coping with illness and secure resources that address issues related to the social determinants of health
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Work with outside agencies- OW, CAS and be able to coordinate care with team
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Work collaboratively with a dynamic team in a very fast paced ever-changing environment Work in conjunction with Trauma Social Worker to provide some cross coverage with Trauma program/PICU
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Support training and education through the supervision of MSW students at SickKids
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Assume responsibility for all aspects of practice including issues of productivity and utilization
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Provide crisis support to the other critical care areas in the hospital as needed.
Here's What You'll Need:
- Master's degree in Social Work, preferably with Paediatric hospital experience
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Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
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Clinical experience with children and their families in acute care settings
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Experience with child protection, acute grief and bereavement, trauma assessment and treatment
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Well-developed crisis intervention skills
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Well-developed family support / treatment skills
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Ability to effectively deal with conflict in a calm non-judgmental manner
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Knowledge of the network of community services and resources
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Understanding of health care delivery systems and the practice of social work in a secondary setting
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Comfort with intense, high-paced situations areas (ie. ICU/ED environments)
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Comfort with death and dying in traumatic situations with potentially multiple family members
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Ability to collaborate effectively as a member of the inter-professional health care team and to take initiative and leadership when appropriate
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Proficiency in the use of electronic platforms such as Microsoft Office, hospital documentation systems and other relevant technology
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Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication, organizational, time management skills and attention to detail
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Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills
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Commitment to continuous quality improvement and evidence-based practice
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Demonstrated commitment and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion objectives
Employment Type:
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0.8 FTE (Evening shift - Tuesday-Friday 2pm to 10pm), 1 year contract. modified benefits
