Social Worker - Bay Centre for Birth Control

An exciting opportunity as a Temporary Part-Time, Social Worker exists in the Bay Centre for Birth Control, reporting to the Clinical Manager. Bay Centre for Birth Control provides comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care (Replacement).

Summary of Duties, but not limited to:

Patient Assessment

• Comprehensive psycho-social assessment within the context of an ambulatory sexual and reproductive health clinic
• Identify factors affecting pregnancy decision making and facilitate options and counseling  with individuals, couples and family members (as appropriate)
• Integration of trauma-informed care principles including understanding impacts of interpersonal violence (sexual assault and partner abuse). Establishing a caring and therapeutic relationship with patients, demonstrates trust, respect, and a collaborative non-judgemental approach. Provides counselling including crisis intervention as required.
• Develop formulation of assessment findings and create plan of care .
• Seek consultation with Resource Nurse and other team members and participate in team discussion regarding assessments and treatment when required.

Care Planning

• Develop an intervention plan in collaboration with the client and the interdisciplinary team, based upon identified needs. Documents intervention plan according to specific hospital and professional standards.
• Help patients identify and use health resources, including referral to those available in the hospital, community and from agencies
• Consult and coordinate care planning with other services/programs as needed (e.g. SA/DVCC) 
• Liaise with community agencies and assist with making connections to community resources/supports as required.
• Assist patients and families in overcoming barriers within the health care system

Interventions

• Provide crisis and short term interventions using the principles of person and women’s centred healthcare and drawing upon recognized counseling modalities which may include: single session therapy, cognitive behavioral, EMDR, mindfulness, somatic therapies, narrative and collaborative therapy, brief solution focused therapy, grief counseling and crisis intervention.
• Provide pregnancy options counseling and facilitate complex decision making for individuals and couples
• Provide supportive therapy for post abortion emotional recovery and pregnancy loss
• Identify resources and self management strategies to promote coping
• Assess and respond to concerns re: sexual health, sexuality and relationships
• Identify strategies to address barriers to accessing clinic services and facilitate
• Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their partners/families.

Team and Program Development and Teaching

• Participate in program development.
• Participate in personal professional development.
• Present on various aspects of social work role to other members of the team and assist them in their practice including training related to complex decision-making and post abortion emotional recovery.
• Coach/mentor peers, students (for e.g. nursing, midwifery and medical residents) and other members of the health care team to develop social work skills.
• Provide clinical placements/supervision for MSW students
• In collaboration with Professional Practice, Research and Education departments initiates and participates in clinical research and teaching and integrates research into practice to ensure best practice standards are maintained.

As a role model and champion you will work to identify and integrate safe, best practices into daily activities to foster the delivery of safe and exemplary care. The responsibilities described above are representative and are not to be construed as all-inclusive.

Qualifications/Skills:

• Master’s degree in Social Work
• Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience providing counselling to women – reproductive/sexual health setting.

• Preference for additional therapeutic skills which would support provision of crisis counseling, brief therapy and decision making support
• Ability to work with diverse client population in respectful and non-judgmental manner
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to adjust language and terminology to suit the individual patient or patient group (including cultural sensitivity).

• Evidence or enhanced assessment, therapeutic and counselling skills and demonstrated clinical knowledge in area of women’s health.
• Must be a member in good standing of a mental health professional organization. 

• Able to work with an interdisciplinary team in an open productive manner and contribute actively to collaborative care planning. 
• Autonomous and able to function with minimal supervision.
• Experience and comfort in participating in peer supervision. 
• Knowledge of community resources and able to facilitate referrals as needed.
• Proficient with Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Microsoft Word, Power Point 
• Professional behavior and communication that meets the standards of the professional regulatory college or association, as applicable, and the standards of Women’s College Hospital

• This position plays a critical role in acting as an advocate for safety and will demonstrate principles, practices and processes that will optimize a safe environment for all
• Proven attendance and punctuality.