Social Worker, Psychiatric Liaison Worker, MHSU

Salary range: The salary range for this position is CAD $42.27 - $52.81 / hour Detailed Overview: The Social Worker Psychiatric Liaison Worker collaborates with hospital Emergency Department and Inpatient staff, performs intake assessment, offers crisis intervention, and provides input into the care of psychiatric and concurrent disordered patients. Provides input into the care of psychiatric patients awaiting transfer for further assessment or inpatient admission. Within the context of a patient service culture, screens and assesses patients and assists in the development of care plans with final dispositions authorized by the Emergency Room Physician or consulting Psychiatrist where appropriate. Intervention facilitates decreased hospital stay with return to the community and services focused on stabilization, bridging and transferring to appropriate follow up services. The Social Worker Psychiatric Liaison Worker works in close association with a multidisciplinary community mental health team, agencies and other community service providers and counsels and plans for patient discharge by exploring and determining required community resources. Works and teams with local RCMP by accompanying police on mental health related calls, developing related care plans, performing on going education and consultation to police, and formalizing relationships between police and external agencies. Responsibilities:

• Screens psychiatric referrals from a variety of internal and external sources, gathers background information and determine service priorities. Works with Emergency Department staff in the identification of potential psychiatric referrals and profiles the role and goals of the program to care providers dealing with psychiatric patients in crisis.
• Provides assessment, short-term treatment, and crisis intervention for adults with mental health issues, including adults treated in Emergency, the inpatient unit, and the community, for acute mental illness, such as psychosis, suicide threats/attempts, and substance abuse.
• Develops care plans with final dispositions authorized by the Emergency Room Physician or consulting psychiatrist and provides general and crisis counselling to patients and their families including short-term crisis follow-up in accordance with approved treatment plans.
• Provides referrals and access for mental health clients not requiring hospitalization, to appropriate community treatment alternatives, services and resources. Acts as patient advocate by assisting patients and their family members to access appropriate community resources.
• Liaises with appropriate departments and professionals and facilitates transition to aftercare by sharing emergency treatment outcomes and care plans with After-Hours Emergency Mental Health, Urgent/Emergent, and Mental Health Centre staff when serious mental illness and barriers to follow-up exist.
• Assists and facilitates with acute client transfers from Emergency to designated facilities by performing duties such as completing assessments, and coordinating admissions by ensuring completion of required forms and procedures . and communicating with BC Bedline or directly with designated facility.
• Accompanies local police on mental health related distress calls and follows-up on calls made to police. Develops care plans for people with mental health concerns in conjunction with police; plans for their connection with community services including those that provide appropriate counselling and medication management.
• Conducts on-going education and consultation to local police regarding mental health conditions, available treatments and services that are available. Develops formal and effective relationships between local police and external agencies.
• Maintains patient records by methods such as documenting patient assessments, charting patient information, preparing progress notes and reports in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures to meet regulatory requirements and documenting for future reference.
• Participates in patient care conferences of admitted psychiatric patient to ensure appropriate discharge planning.
• Provides guidance to hospital staff involved in caring for psychiatric patients and provides input for team members actively involved in violence de-escalation, suicide prevention and restraint practices.
• Participates in quality improvement and risk management activities such as identifying and reporting high-risk situations and recommendations for alternative approaches, conducting safety audits and identifying needs for corrective action and changes to selected practices, procedures or protocols. Maintains a safe environment for patient/family and staff by following established emergency and safe work procedures.
• Provides input to the Managers and Team Leader regarding policies, procedures, and operation requirements by observing service needs and providing spoken or written suggestions that address client and family needs and promote effective use of resources.
• Identifies own learning needs/goals, reviews these with the manager or delegate, and engages in a variety of activities to meet these needs/goals.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications: Education and Experience
Master of Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work and two (2) years' post Master of Social Work experience in a health care setting. Current full registration with the BC College of Social Workers.
Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated competency in clinical practice, research and education
• Demonstrated ability in individual, family, and group counseling
• Demonstrated knowledge of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR), its concepts, principals and practices.
• Ability to complete client mental health assessments.
• Knowledge of community resources and methods of accessing them.
• Knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis and working knowledge of DSM IV.
• Comprehensive knowledge of emergency triage procedures.
• Working knowledge of psychopharmacology, crisis theory, and de-escalation techniques
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with, and work effectively and collaboratively with co-workers, physicians, other health care staff, patients / family and staff of outside agencies, including establishing rapport with psychotic and crisis-prone individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively deal with conflict situations and proactively and effectively resolve issues affecting quality and continuity of care.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, implement, prioritize, and organize and problem solve.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a high dynamic environment that is subject to continuous change and adjust to unexpected events.
• Proficiency in the use of personal computers.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Physical ability to perform duties of the position.