Social Worker I

Position Summary
Financial Support for Moving Expenses is available for this position

Are you someone who has a real passion for helping others? Are you a registered Social Worker looking to highlight your knowledge, skills, and abilities in a new and dynamic environment? We currently have an exciting opportunity for you to bring your excellent work ethic to our Social Work Department.

Reporting to the Chief Social Worker, the Social Worker provides services as a member of the Interdisciplinary team to import the psychosocial elements of a health condition for the client and family to their health care planning needs. They promote effective coping and adaption to the challenges brought on by illness/hospitalization to work towards the clients’ optimal functioning and health. The Social Worker assesses and plans for safe return to community within the patients’ home and/or other levels of care. The Social Workers duties are performed according to established standards and procedures of the Social Work Department and policies of the Northern Health Authority.

Shift Rotation/Hours of work: Days, Evenings, 07:00 to 15:00, 14:45 to 22:45 (Rotating)

University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) is the largest Acute Care facility within the Northern Health region, and a hub for specialized health services. It’s also a teaching hospital:
• Provides undergraduate physician training through the Northern Medical Program, run by the University of British Columbia and University of Northern British Columbia.
• Hosts residents in UBC’s Family Practice Residency Program
• Is a key clinical education site for nursing and many health sciences students at UNBC, the College of New Caledonia, BCIT and other institutions.
UHNBC has benefited from nearly $100 million in expansions, renovations and new equipment since 2001:
• Patient care addition with an expanded emergency room and updated ICU
• State-of-the-art maternal-child care centre (including a single room neonatal ICU)
• Facilities to accommodate undergraduate physician training
• MRI unit
UHNBC is also home to a cancer centre for Northern BC, featuring a wide range of cancer treatments including radiation therapy.

Prince George Prince George is the centre of business, education, health and culture for northern British Columbia and services a rural population of about 300,000. The region’s economic growth and diversification strategies are creating outstanding opportunities for investors, employers and employees. Affordable housing, land prices and transportation costs, due to short and quick commutes; result in one of the lowest costs of living for a city of its size in the province. Additionally, wage rates fall above provincial averages, providing residents of Prince George with a high standard of living in one of BC’s most beautiful regions. The city itself is the 4th largest in British Columbia and has a population of approximately 82,300 local residents and a service centre for nearly 320,000. It is built on the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers. Prince George is the home of the University of Northern British Columbia – Canada’s Green university. The warm, friendly, and diverse population attests to a strong and dynamic community spirit.

Check out Prince George for more information on what this community has to offer.

What Northern Health has to offer you!
• Comprehensive benefit packages including extended health/dental and a municipal pension plan for part-time and full-time employees. Casuals have the option of paying for benefits.
• Four weeks vacation with one year of continuous service
• Financial Support for Moving Expenses is available for eligible positions
• Employee referral program
• Employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Spectacular outdoor activities and the shortest commutes in BC
• “Loan Forgiveness Programs” are offered through the Federal and BC Government for eligible professions.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
As part of your application process, you will need to upload the following documentation:
• Registration number (if you are part of a regulated profession)
• Any supporting documents regarding education/qualifications for this position. Examples may include:
• Program certificates or diplomas
• High school/college/university transcripts etc.
• It is also recommended to provide a cover letter and resume

Are you an International Applicant? Before applying for a job with Northern Health, please follow these steps on our Northern Health careers page

Qualfications
• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work and/or University.
• Registered with the BC College of Social Workers.
• One year of clinical experience as a Social Worker in a hospital or health care setting working with an interdisciplinary team.

Skills and Abilities:
• Demonstrated ability to adjust priorities according to situational needs in a changing fast paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct social and psychosocial assessments.
• Demonstrated ability to make appropriate assessments in situations where patients/families are under stress; ability to provide therapeutic crisis intervention as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to deal effectively with conflict situations.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport; develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with patients, families, professional colleagues, and representatives of community agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with clients, families, team members, other groups, and community agency personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to respond to crisis situations and provide brief therapeutic interventions to patients and their families.
• Knowledge and understanding of emotional and mental health issues related to illness, injury and hospitalization.
• Broad knowledge of cultural needs and special practice considerations for patients from rural/remote northern communities.
• Broad knowledge of other health disciplines and their role in healthcare; and of community resources and referral process to access.
• Broad knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures that relate to the client including: Health Care Consent Adult, Adult Guardian legislation, Patient Property Act,
• Basic Computer literacy.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

Who we are
Northern Health covers an area of nearly 600,000 square kilometers and offers health services in over two dozen communities and 55 First Nation’s communities. We deliver hospital and community-based health care for a population of 300,000.
Employing more than 7,000 staff throughout the region, Northern Health provides exceptional health services for Northerners, through the efforts of dedicated staff and physicians, in partnership with communities and organizations in Northern BC.
There is a wide variety of career opportunities available in our two dozen hospitals, 25 long-term care facilities, public health units and many other offices providing specialized services.