JOB SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position. Consistent with the interprofessional setting and the mission, values and strategic directions of BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital, the Social Work Clinician, Eating Disorders is a clinical practitioner who provides leadership within the interdisciplinary team and advanced level clinical services for children and youth and their families who are being assessed or receiving treatment for an eating disorder within a tertiary facility offering outpatient, residential, inpatient and day treatment services to children, adolescents and their families throughout the province of British Columbia. The Social Work Clinician is the lead family therapist in the family based model taking leadership in coordinating care and treatment, provides complex family assessments, family therapy, individual therapy and group therapy, and provides teaching within the team and throughout the province using telehealth. Teaches family therapy with eating disorders to trainees across disciplines within the team and from across the province as well as psychiatric residents and fellows on a case-by-case basis and other interdisciplinary students including social work students; presents locally, provincially, nationally and internationally at conferences; and consults to professionals and teams throughout the province regarding eating disorders, child protection concerns and other legislative issues including FOI, consents, treatment refusal, separation and divorce, and custody/access issues. Provides leadership in program planning and clinical practice guidelines, evaluates and develops clinical treatment practices, initiates and participates in psychosocial research, and maintains knowledge on research and best practices. The Social Work Clinician plays a central role as a liaison and education with community agencies and resources such as MCFD, schools, other hospitals, eating disorders teams, community mental health, interpreter services and charitable organizations around the province.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education, Training and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from a recognized program.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience specifically providing family therapy in a related mental health setting with children and youth including two (2) years experience with eating disorders or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Post-masters certificate from a recognized family therapy training program.
• Completion of post-master’s professional development workshops in areas of clinical intervention that may include at least two of the following: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Group Therapy.
• Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of social work theory, family therapy theory and practice.
• Comprehensive knowledge of issues related to eating disorders in children and youth and the psychosocial impact for patients and families.
• Knowledge of DSM IV diagnostic criteria for children and youth with eating disorders and related mental health co-morbid diagnoses.
• Knowledge of best practices in eating disorders treatment and evidence based clinical intervention including family therapy, family based treatment and cognitive behavioural therapy methods and their appropriate applications.
• Knowledge of eating disorders resources including St. Paul’s Adult Eating Disorders Program and programs and teams around the province and other regions of Canada.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation affecting children and families in mental health including: Mental Health Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information, and Child and Community Services Act.
• Knowledge of child protection risk factors and legal issues relevant to child protection reporting.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant local community agencies including MCFD, eating disorders teams throughout BC, and charitable organizations.
• Demonstrated advanced clinical skills in family assessment and individual, family and group therapy.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skill in telehealth technology at an advanced level to utilize it as a medium in treatment to provide family therapy and groups via this technology as well as education.
• Demonstrated program development skills and the ability to identify gaps/needs and plan programs/develop services for eating disorder patients and their families.
• Demonstrated initiative and self-direction in pursing professional development at an advanced level.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, problem solve, and deal with and/or guide others in resolution of conflict issues.
• Demonstrated teaching skills to provide high quality presentations at an international level.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively in an interprofessional environment.
• Basic computer literacy to operate a computerized patient care information system and skilled in power point for presentations.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

1. Functions as the clinical lead for the client and their family that includes acting as the lead family therapist in a family based model and providing advanced level clinical services based on advanced knowledge and expertise by coordinating the treatment, guiding the interdisciplinary team in the clinical care, and providing clinical leadership within the interdisciplinary team, and determining when to bring in other community resources; providing intense family therapy to patients and families in the Intense Treatment Service (ITS), inpatient, day treatment and outpatient program; fostering a positive treatment milieu, policies, and routines that are attuned to cultural, religious and ethnic differences; and providing advanced level family assessments relevant to children and youth with eating disorders and family dynamics and recommendations on treatment planning to team and family.
2. Provides clinical consultation and participates in complex discharge planning by methods such as consulting on complex cases and therapeutic challenges by phone or telehealth to eating disorders therapists around the province; providing guidance to the team and relevant community agencies regarding child protection concerns, custody and access, release of information, treatment refusal and consents to treatment; assisting with coordinating therapy follow-up with other team members and community partners; and utilizing skills in teleconferencing to include health care professionals in care planning with patients and families around the province.
3. Provides individual and group therapy within the context of the ITS, day treatment and outpatient program which includes co-facilitating therapy groups such as Art Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy Groups, meal support therapy, and multi-family groups. Provides counselling and psycho-education to families and other relevant caregivers through parent support groups to understand the nature, treatment and prognosis of the eating disorder and to assist families with coping.
4. Takes leadership in program planning and clinical practice guidelines as part of multi-disciplinary team by methods such as evaluating and developing clinical treatment practices, guidelines and protocols within the team to promote excellence in social work practice and eating disorders treatment protocols, and identifying, promoting and leading program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients.
5. Maintains up-to-date knowledge on research and best practices in treatment methods globally in the eating disorders field and specific to social work practice and family therapy; relevant legislation including the Child and Family Services Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information Act and the Mental Health Act; and community resources locally, nationally and internationally in the field of eating disorders.
6. Initiates and participates in psychosocial research by methods such as collaborating with members of the interprofessional team, conducting literature searches and planning forums, and implementing appropriate evidence based research outcomes into strategic planning and professional practice.
7. Establishes and maintains effective collaborative and constructive liaison relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including patients and families, community mental health providers, MCFD social workers, schools, hospitals and other agencies, in order to coordinate services across the continuum of child and youth eating disorders services.
8. Presents locally, provincially, nationally and internationally at conferences, as well as providing teaching at C & W for interdisciplinary audiences.
9. Supervises Master level social work students on practicum programs within the program by performing duties such as demonstrating and explaining procedures and processes and providing input regarding progress. Provides students with the opportunity to observe and take an active role in the treatment of patients and their families.
10. Provides consultation and teaching on a case-by-case basis in family therapy for psychiatric residents and fellows as well as community professionals who come to the program for training.
11. Advocates for the patient and their family or caregiver for resources within the hospital and the community by assessing the financial and other psycho-social needs and works in coordination with community resources to meet these needs.
12. Promotes patient and family centered care by participating in relevant committee work within the Social Work discipline, specialized program, hospital-setting, and/or continuum of health care.
13. Performs administrative tasks by maintaining clinical documentation, progress notes, workload statistics and updating health records in accordance with established standards.
14. Performs other related duties as assigned.