Job Description

Social Work Clinician, Mental Health Eating Disorders

BC Children's Hospital

Vancouver BC

As per the current Public Health Order, full vaccination against COVID-19 is a condition of employment with PHSA as of October 26, 2021.

The Social Work Clinician, Eating Disorders is a clinical practitioner who provides leadership within the interdisciplinary team and advanced level clinical services for children and youth and their families who are being assessed or receiving treatment for an eating disorder within a tertiary facility offering outpatient, residential, inpatient and day treatment services to children, adolescents and their families throughout the province of British Columbia.

What you'll do

• Function as the clinical lead for the client and their family that includes acting as the lead family therapist in a family based model and providing advanced level clinical services based on advanced knowledge and expertise by coordinating the treatment, guiding the interdisciplinary team in the clinical care, and providing clinical leadership within the interdisciplinary team, and determining when to bring in other community resources; providing intense family therapy to patients and families in the Intense Treatment Service (ITS), inpatient, day treatment and outpatient program; fostering a positive treatment milieu, policies, and routines that are attuned to cultural, religious and ethnic differences; and providing advanced level family assessments relevant to children and youth with eating disorders and family dynamics and recommendations on treatment planning to team and family.
• Provide clinical consultation and participates in complex discharge planning by methods such as consulting on complex cases and therapeutic challenges by phone or telehealth to eating disorders therapists around the province; providing guidance to the team and relevant community agencies regarding child protection concerns, custody and access, release of information, treatment refusal and consents to treatment; assisting with coordinating therapy follow-up with other team members and community partners; and utilizing skills in teleconferencing to include health care professionals in care planning with patients and families around the province.
• Provide individual and group therapy within the context of the ITS, day treatment and outpatient program which includes co-facilitating therapy groups such as Art Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy Groups, meal support therapy, and multi-family groups.
• Provide counselling and psycho-education to families and other relevant caregivers through parent support groups to understand the nature, treatment and prognosis of the eating disorder and to assist families with coping.
• Take leadership in program planning and clinical practice guidelines as part of multi-disciplinary team by methods such as evaluating and developing clinical treatment practices, guidelines and protocols within the team to promote excellence in social work practice and eating disorders treatment protocols, and identifying, promoting and leading program planning strategies to enhance system processes and resources for patients.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge on research and best practices in treatment methods globally in the eating disorders field and specific to social work practice and family therapy; relevant legislation including the Child and Family Services Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information Act and the Mental Health Act; and community resources locally, nationally and internationally in the field of eating disorders.

What you bring

• Master's Degree in Social Work from a recognized program.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience specifically providing family therapy in a related mental health setting with children and youth including two (2) years experience with eating disorders or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Post-masters certificate from a recognized family therapy training program.
• Completion of post-master's professional development workshops in areas of clinical intervention that may include at least two of the following: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialetical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Group Therapy.
• Current full registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

You also have knowledge of:

• Social work theory, family therapy theory and practice.
• Issues related to eating disorders in children and youth and the psychosocial impact for patients and families.
• DSM IV diagnostic criteria for children and youth with eating disorders and related mental health co-morbid diagnoses.
• Best practices in eating disorders treatment and evidence based clinical intervention including family therapy, family based treatment and cognitive behavioural therapy methods and their appropriate applications.
• Eating disorders resources including St. Paul's Adult Eating Disorders Program and programs and teams around the province and other regions of Canada.
• Relevant legislation affecting children and families in mental health including: Mental Health Act, Infants Consent Act, Freedom of Privacy and Information, and Child and Community Services Act.
• Child protection risk factors and legal issues relevant to child protection reporting.
• Relevant local community agencies including MCFD, eating disorders teams throughout BC, and charitable organizations.
• Clinical skills in family assessment and individual, family and group therapy.
• Telehealth technology at an advanced level to utilize it as a medium in treatment to provide family therapy and groups via this technology as well as education.
• Program development skills and the ability to identify gaps/needs and plan programs/develop services for eating disorder patients and their families.

You are able to:

• Have initiative and self-direction in pursing professional development at an advanced level.
• Communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Provide leadership, problem solve, and deal with and/or guide others in resolution of conflict issues.
• Teach and provide high quality presentations at an international level.
• Work collaboratively and effectively in an interprofessional environment.
• Operate a computerized patient care information system and skilled in power point for presentatio

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That's why we're focused on your care too - offering health, wellness, development programs to support you - at work and at home.

• Join one of BC's largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations - offering vast opportunities for growth and development.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Perks include access to fitness classes and discounts to 350 BC-wide recreational programs, travel, technology, car and bike sharing, and more.

Job Type: Regular, Part-Time (0.60 FTE)
Wage: $36.99 to $46.27 per hour
Location: 4116 Angus Drive, Vancouver BC V6J 4H9
Hours of Work: Wednesday to Friday; 0830-1630
Requisition # 134386E

What we do

(BCCH) provides care for the most seriously ill or injured children and youth from across British Columbia. BCCH is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority ( ) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people - Be compassionate - Dare to innovate - Cultivate partnerships - Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs:

PHSA and BCCH are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

ATTN: PHSA Employees:

To be considered as a PHSA employee (internal applicant) for this position, you must apply online via your internal profile at

Please note the internal job posting will no longer be accessible after the expiry date of October 24, 2022. If the internal job posting has expired, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk and advise that you would like to be considered as a late internal applicant for this position. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not registered your internal profile, a password is required to log in for the first time. To obtain your password, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk at 604-875-7264 or 1-855-875-7264. Please note regular business hours are Monday - Friday (excluding stats), 8:30am to 4:30pm. For inquiries outside of regular business hours, please email the Internal Jobs Help Desk at and a Help Desk Representative will contact you the next business day.

Labor Agreement Health Science Professionals
Requisition # 134386E-2387313
Work Site 4116 Angus Drive, Vancouver BC V6J 4H9
Job Type Regular, Part-Time
Salary/Rate $36.99 - $46.27 / Hour
FTE .60
Hours of Work 08:30-16:30
Work Days Wed, Thu, Fri
Expiry Date 12-Nov-2022