Job Summary:

In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and 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 Clinical Specialist, Perinatal Substance Use (“Clinical Specialist”) is the designated clinical expert in the specialized area of perinatal substance use and child protection services for patients and families, supporting patients from pregnancy through to postpartum or after birth care. The role utilizes specialized education, training and experience to provide formal clinical and/or technical consultation and advisory services to Social Workers and other interprofessional staff across C&W, PHSA and Health Authorities. The role plans and assesses treatment procedures and practice for perinatal substance use best practice. The Clinical Specialist partners with multiple community agencies and delegated Ministry offices on psychosocial issues and focuses on the needs of the birther and their families who are coping and managing mental health and substance use. The role fosters a team learning environment and coaches and mentors’ staff to advance perinatal substance use best practice.

Duties/Accountabilities:

1.    Provides perinatal substance use consultation and clinical advice to Social Workers, interdisciplinary team members, residents, learners and communities. Consults on child protection assessments and legislation. Participates in complex care planning with interdisciplinary team and external partners across the province.

2.    Provides guidance and expertise to support the development of guidelines, protocols and policies for perinatal substance use and child protection services. Identifies, promotes, and participates in program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients and their families.

3.    Provides consultation and clinical expertise in the planning, review, evaluation, revision and development of clinical support documents to guide best practice for the care of perinatal substance use patients and families and child protection assessment and legislation.  

4.    Uses clinical expertise and advanced practice to foster a learning environment, promote practice improvement, role model, and coach and mentor staff, to ensure best practice and effective outcomes.

5.    Serves as a clinical resource to peers, facilitators and external partners through activities such as consultation, group intervention support and debrief facilitation, to ensure support and safety with facilitation.
6.    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. Collaborates in the care for perinatal substance use population through co-development with other initiatives within the MHSU portfolio. Escalates complex and unresolved situations to Manager and/or Professional Practice Leader appropriately.

7.    Promotes person and family centered care by participating in committee work as a subject matter expert for related employer projects, initiatives, and programs to ensure best practice and effective outcomes for perinatal substance use patients.

8.    Provides recommendations to leadership on how to build capacity through identifying knowledge gaps, mentoring and coaching. Participates as a clinical resource for the development of education, resources, clinical guidelines and training using specialized education, training and experience.  Participates in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives.

9.    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.

10.    Participates in conferences, workshops, orientations or presentations as a perinatal substance use practice expert to influence and advance practice across the province.

11.    Performs administrative tasks by maintaining clinical documentation, workload statistics and updating health records in accordance with established standards.

12.    Maintains current knowledge and awareness of trends and activities in clinical practice relevant to perinatal substance use, child protection and Social Work discipline. 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.

13.    Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education, Training and Experience

•    Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.  
•    Additional certification/demonstrated successful completion of advanced training or education specific to perinatal substance use.
•    Minimum five (5) years of recent relevant experience in perinatal substance use or an equivalent combination of education, training or experience.
Additional training in Indigenous Cultural Safety, Trauma & Violence Informed Care and Motivational Interviewing.

Skills and Abilities

•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills of social work theories and family therapies.
•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in assessment of perinatal substance use, mental health and child protection.
•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in crisis intervention.
•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills individual, group and family counseling specific to perinatal substance use, mental health and child protection.
•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills in system navigation and resource brokerage.
•    Advanced knowledge & clinical skills of best practices and evidence based clinical interventions in perinatal substance use and mental health.  
•    Advanced knowledge of relevant legislation to Social Work practice and national standards of Perinatal Substance Use, Child & Family and Community Service Act, Mental Health Act, Infants Act, Health Care Consent & Care Facilities Admission Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information, Department of Indigenous Services Act, Adoption Act, and Adult Guardianship Act.
•    Advanced knowledge of BC College of Social Work Code of Ethics and Practice Standards.
•    Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor staff.
•    Ability to influence, role model and promote best practice.
•    Demonstrated ability to identify scope and nature of consultation services required for the perinatal substance use, mental health and child protection.  
•    Demonstrated interpersonal verbal and written communication skills necessary to establish effective liaison with members of the interdisciplinary team, the hospital, community agencies and the public.
•    Ability to provide effective consultation.
•    Demonstrated experience delivering workshops, lectures and presentations to a wide variety of health care professionals and partners.
•    Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively as part of an interdisciplinary team and to promote teamwork.
•    Demonstrated ability to deal effectively with conflict, facilitate conflict resolution and manage stressful situations.
•    Demonstrated ability to work independently, organize work, establish and meet priorities and be self-directed.
•    Demonstrated initiative and self-direction in pursing professional development at an advanced level.
•    Demonstrated ability to carry our research activities.
•    Demonstrated computer literacy including but not limited to electronic health record and Microsoft Office Suite. Demonstrated knowledge of virtual technology at an advanced level to utilize it as a medium in consultation and education.
•    Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.