PHC's Road to Recovery's (R2R)'s Aftercare team is now accepting applications for a temporary, full-time Social Worker. This position is until August 24th 2026, or the return of the incumbent.

The R2R initiative strives to better address treatment of substance use issues by providing the right support to each client at the right time. People who use substances deserve the same access to evidence-based care as anyone else, free from stigma. As with all of our services at Providence Health Care, R2R delivers care in a way that strives to be person-centred, trauma-informed and culturally safe. Launched in 2023, the R2R supports clients at every phase of their wellness and recovery journey by coordinating seamless care, even if there are setbacks or relapses along the way. 

The R2R continuum of services in operation today includes 25 detox beds located at St. Paul's Hospital, 20 transitional care beds for clients awaiting space in a treatment program or long-term housing, and the Aftercare Team, which launched in Fall 2024, providing outreach aftercare in the community. The initiative is rolling out in steps, with additional treatment services to come soon.

Your duties will include:

• Provide trauma-informed counselling and support in the community: Deliver individual, family, and group interventions that help clients navigate recovery, build coping strategies, and maintain stability following detox and transitional care.
• Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and care planning: Assess client needs, risks, and goals, and develop individualized, recovery-oriented care plans in collaboration with clients and the interdisciplinary team.
• Lead discharge planning and continuity of care: Coordinate transitions from hospital to community by connecting clients with housing, treatment programs, and social supports, ensuring seamless, ongoing care.
• Collaborate, consult, and advocate across systems: Work closely with healthcare teams, community providers, and support networks to advocate for clients, facilitate case conferences, and improve access to resources and services.

Education

• Masters in Social Work from an accredited university. One year of recent related experience in a designated program area, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.
• Bachelor of Social Work degree from an accredited School of Social Work, with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered. Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to communicate with and deal effectively with, patients/residents, families, staff, physicians, and other health care providers.
• Knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures related to healthcare.
• Demonstrated ability to gather relevant data and make a biopsychosocial assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct patient/resident assessments.
• Knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in patient/resident care.
• Demonstrated ability to draw out information that will contribute to understanding the patient/resident's situation in order to explore issues beyond the initial concerns.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to deal with and/or guide others in conflict resolution issues.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize issues and workload.
• Ability to operate related equipment.
• Ability to participate in research.
• Demonstrated ability to provide supervision and teaching to students.
• Ability to facilitate and influence group and inter-group meetings, processes and decision making.

• Competitive salary: $42.27 - $52.81 CAD per hour, depending on experience 
• Growth opportunities: We welcome individuals at all stages of their career, offering opportunities for professional development and growth. 
• State-of-the-art facilities: The new St. Paul’s Hospital and health campus will be the most innovative approach to the delivery of integrated care in B.C. and Canada, designed to appropriately address the future health needs of patients, families, and our communities. From hospital care to primary and community health solutions, the new St. Paul’s Hospital and health campus will continue to lead innovations in care, research, and teaching. The new St. Paul’s Hospital is expected to open in 2027. 
• Inclusive culture: We respect the diversity, dignity and interdependence of all persons. We value the cultural richness that our diverse workforce brings to the care of our equally diverse population of patients and residents. 
• Meaningful impact: You will have the opportunity to work for an organization that is deeply committed to safeguarding of our surrounding environment by contributing to high quality care while promoting sustainable practices in your everyday work.
• A comprehensive health benefits package including dental, vision, and life insurance as well as pension. 

Who we are: 

Providence Health Care is one of the largest faith-based health care organizations in Canada. For the people at Providence, living our Mission, Vision and Values means providing British Columbians with compassionate, socially just, exceptional and innovative care every day.

From our humble roots 129 years ago, Providence Health Care has grown into a globally recognized leader in research, teaching, and care. As individuals within a mission-driven organization, we choose to be part of PHC because we value its long-standing dedication to social justice and compassionate care, its active efforts to advance environmental sustainability and planetary health, and its meaningful engagement in the process of Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. 

Curious about working at PHC and the culture of our teams? Check out the video below to learn more and meet some of the members of the team you'd be joining:

Your Day to Day:

• Provides therapeutic clinical counselling services to patients/residents, families and groups in designated program area by methods such as exploring the client's present situation in order to identify problems, personal concerns and treatment objectives, facilitating change in coping styles, behaviors, attitudes and feelings, participating with patients/residents, families, community supports and interdisciplinary treatment teams to coordinate services, facilitating meetings and making referrals to appropriate resources.
• Conducts comprehensive social work and psycho-social assessments in designated program area by methods such as interviewing the patient/resident and/or family, obtaining relevant information, gathering social data regarding the patient/resident's family, environment, culture, living situation and financial status and interpreting the data to therapeutically impact the patient/resident's and family's coping abilities.
• Maintains patient/resident records by methods such as documenting patient/resident assessments, charting patient/resident information, preparing progress notes and reports in accordance with established standards, and policies and procedures to meet regulatory requirements and documenting for future reference.
• Contributes to the discharge planning process as a member of the interdisciplinary care team by methods such as interviewing the patient/resident and/or family and assessing and determining care needs, eligibility and type of service required. Liaises with community partners to assist in developing and coordinating discharge plans for patient/resident with complex needs. Collaborates with hospital and community services to determine discharge needs and alternate level of care for patients/residents to ensure effective utilization of patient/resident resources within the region.
• Provides consultative and direct services to patient/resident, families, staff and community health professionals regarding community resources and access to these resources by methods such as identifying applicable resources including financial assistance, sharing available resource opportunities and suggesting contacts in order to facilitate optimal planning.
• Contributes to clinical care team conferences as a member of the interdisciplinary care team for patient/resident reviews, admissions and discharges.
• Supports patients/Families/Teams in the understanding legislative process and criteria particularly related to: Identifying Substitute Decision Makers under Health Care Consent and Care Facility Act (HCCCFAA), Requesting Medical Assistance in Dying, Providing Rights Advice under Mental Health Act, Acting as an Incapability Assessor under HCCCFAA , and acting as a Designated Responder under Adult Guardianship Act.
• Provides on-going program evaluation through methods such as providing input from a social work perspective on a variety of care issues related to the patient/resident and program effectiveness to ensure appropriate and effective treatment of the patient/resident.
• Develops, coordinates and delivers in services, presentations and/or training related to designated program for the staff in collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team by performing duties such as determining relevant content and required audiovisual/handout aids, conducting literature searches and planning and coordinating seminars.
• Participates as a member of local committees by methods such as engaging in program/practice evaluation, identifying opportunities for change, assessing available resources, analyzing outcomes and identifying areas for improved efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery to enhance patient/resident service within hospital programs and reduce gaps in services in the community.
• Facilitates/participates in group meetings by performing duties such as facilitating group, providing clinical counseling services and providing therapeutic and/or psycho-social education as required.
• Maintains broad knowledge of developments in the Social Work profession by methods such as reviewing literature in specialty area, consulting with clinical and community experts within the field, and participating in professional development activities in order to evaluate clinical practice and to improve care through new practices.
• Maintains a variety of records such as workload statistics by methods such as recording information into approved formats, collating data, analyzing trends, accounting for variances and recommending an action plan to the Professional Practice Leader, Social Work.
• Develops research protocols and conducts approved social work interdisciplinary research and special projects in collaboration with appropriate personnel through methods such as identifying current trends/gaps in literature, writing research proposals/grant applications, following through with research methodology and disseminating research findings. Ensures clinical practices and protocols are consistent with current research findings.
• Provides teaching and supervision to social work students as assigned by methods such as providing guidance and the opportunity to observe and take an active role in the treatment of social work patients/residents.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

We acknowledge that Providence Health Care & the new St. Paul’s Hospital site is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations