Social Worker (MSW), Pediatric Critical Care/Inpatient Surgical Care

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region.

We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia.

People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities.

We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes.

We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs.

We are proud to support our patients, families, and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportion of transgender and non-binary people of any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases, and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.The Opportunity Dual reporting to the Managers, Pediatric Critical Care, and Inpatient Surgical Care, Children’s Health Program, the social worker practices as a member of an interdisciplinary team to provide social work services and family-centered care to children, youth, and their families being seen by Critical Care and Inpatient Surgical Care Services. The social worker will have a major role in counseling patients and families who may be coping with stressors associated with acute and chronic illness, often requiring lifestyle changes. The social worker will provide assessment, brief therapeutic interventions, and consultations. The social worker will have knowledge and skills in the areas of psychosocial assessment, brief solution-focused and crisis interventions, and inter-professional collaboration. The successful applicant will have experience in trauma-informed care and grief/loss work. The social worker will be responsible for making appropriate referrals and liaising with a range of health and government services with an emphasis on building collaborative partnerships, facilitating resource acquisition, and advocating for appropriate resources to meet the client’s needs. The social worker will be a member of the Critical Care and Inpatient Services and participate in select committees and working groups as required. The social worker will have responsibilities in supervising clinical MSW student placements, teaching, program development, program evaluation, and research as needed. The social worker is also responsible for doing Intake duties for social work services in the Children’s Health Program, coordinating coverage with Critical Care and the inpatient surgical unit and other services for planned leaves, and working collaboratively with other social workers within the program.Hours of Work Monday to Friday (8:30 am – 4:30 pm), on-call rotation; some variations in working times will be required as needed.Your Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Social Work required.

Current license or eligible for licensure with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers required.

Minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience as a Masters prepared Social Worker required.

Experience working with children experiencing chronic illness preferred.

Experience working in critical care preferred.

Experience in conducting brief individual and family therapy, case management, advocacy, and community liaison is essential.

Demonstrated understanding of the social determinants of health and cultural competence required.

Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in assessment and intervention with children, youth, and families.

Demonstrated knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act is required.

Knowledge of the healthcare system and health policy is an asset.

Demonstrated excellent time management, organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills required.

Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication (verbal and written) skills required.

Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative, inter-professional team in a variety of settings required.

Experience in OPOR, MS Outlook, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) preferred.

Competencies in other languages are an asset.Thank you for your interest in IWK Health. Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing), you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process. This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units, or employment status are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position. An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.