This position will assist in the development of the Bereavement program for PainCare 360.

Job Summary:

In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values, Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic direction of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

The Social Worker III, PainCare 360 and Palliative Care is designated as the clinical expert in the specialized area of psychological pain and palliative care for children, youth and family who experience significant pain, suffering, anxiety and uncertainty. The Social Worker is responsible for program development, care coordination for psychosocial services supporting subspecialties across Children’s and Women’s Hospital (C&W).  This role has the delegated responsibility and accountability for the provision of clinical specialist services to Social Workers, interprofessional staff across sub-specialty teams at C&W by utilizing advanced knowledge and experience to provide consultation and clinical advice on complex cases and challenges for the pediatric and palliative care population, inclusive of cases related to end of life care and bereavement care.
The Social Worker III partners with organizational program partners Pain BC and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice on psychosocial issues and needs of children, youth and families coping and managing pain and palliative care related issues in BC to facilitate community outreach, extending care throughout the province.

Duties/Accountabilities:

Duties
1. Provides formal consultation and clinical advice to Social Workers, as well as interdisciplinary team members, residents, and other learners and to communities to ensure integration and support of the care for pain and palliative care services. Participates in complex pain and bereavement care service planning by methods such as consulting on complex cases and collaborating with sub-specialty teams across C&W and external partners across the province for the pediatric pain and palliative care population.
2. In collaboration with the Clinical Director, participates in program planning and provides guidance in the development of guidelines, protocols and policies for the PainCare 360 and Palliative Care program.  Identifies, promotes and participates in program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients and their families.

3. Provides leadership and clinical guidance through consultation for pediatric pain and palliative care to Social Workers and interprofessional staff for capacity building through identifying knowledge gaps, mentoring, developing and implementing education, resources, clinical guidelines and training using evidence-based approaches.
4. Develops curriculum and group facilitation support for pediatric complex/chronic pain population needs and provides education based on clinical expertise across the interdisciplinary team, Social Work learners and internal and external partners. Evaluates the quality of the clinical training/curriculum provided by co-facilitators to children and youth living with pain, in collaboration with Pain BC to identify gaps and needs of programs and services. Provides pediatric consultation to Pain BC and provides training, feedback, debriefing to peer volunteers and facilitators supporting the group interventions to ensure support and safety with facilitation.
5. Promotes person and family centered care by participating in committee work as a member of the PainCare 360 and Palliative Care leadership team within the Social Work discipline for related projects, initiatives, and programs.  Initiates and participates in psychosocial research by methods such as collaborating with members of the inter-professional team, conducting literature searches, planning for knowledge translation, and implementing appropriate evidence-based research outcomes into strategic planning and professional practice.
6. Participates in the planning, review, evaluation, revision and development of clinical support documents to guide practice and for access on PHSA Shared Health Organizations Portal (SHOP), for the care of pediatric pain and palliative care populations consistent with evidence-based practice.
7. Serves as a clinical resource to external partners through activities such as consultation and support relevant to pediatric pain and palliative care populations.  Collaborates in the care for pediatric pain and palliative care population through co-development with Pain BC to expand the scope of service programming for children and youth, and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice to further integrate and bridge the clinical care within the hospital and workflow systems to coordinate palliative and bereavement care psychosocial interventions.
8. Establishes and maintains effective collaborative and constructive liaison relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including patients and families, community providers and organizations, child welfare agencies, hospitals and others, in order to coordinate services across the continuum of pediatric pain and palliative care.
9. Provides presentations and workshops to all levels of the organization, healthcare professionals and patients and families related to furthering the knowledge and practice of pediatric pain and palliative/bereavement care.
10. Provides clinical social work services to patients, their families and the community through interventions such as psychosocial assessments, brief and crisis counselling and/or group counselling, facilitating appropriate referrals and supporting with system navigation and resource brokerage. Escalates complex and unresolved situations to Clinical Director and/or Professional Practice Leader appropriately.
11. Performs administrative tasks by maintaining clinical documentation, workload statistics and updating health records in accordance with established standards.
12. Participates in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives for the pediatric pain and palliative care populations.
13. Maintains current knowledge and awareness of trends and activities in clinical practice relevant to pediatric pain and palliative care and Social Work discipline.
14. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education, Training and Experience
• Master’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work.
• Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.
• Minimum five (5) years of recent relevant experience in pediatric pain, palliative, bereavement care, and mental health or an equivalent combination of education, training or experience.
• Additional training in Indigenous Cultural Safety, Trauma & Violence Informed Care and Motivational Interviewing.
• Completion of a recognized leadership program or two (2) years’ recent experience working in a formalized leadership role.
• Additional certification/demonstrated successful completion of advanced training or education specific to pediatric pain, palliative, trauma and/or bereavement care.
Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills of social work theories and family therapies.
• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in assessment of the complex/chronic pain, and mental health
• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in crisis intervention.
• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills individual, group and family counseling specific to pediatric pain and palliative care, grief, loss and bereavement.
• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in system navigation and resource brokerage.
• Advanced knowledge & clinical skills of best practices and evidence based clinical interventions in pediatric pain and palliative care.