Clinical Therapist, Garron Center

IWK Health; Halifax; On-site; CAD 58,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

IWK Health in Halifax is seeking a clinical therapist to join the Garron Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The role is a permanent full-time position (100% FTE) at 37.5 hours per week, mainly Monday to Friday with some evenings as needed.

The successful candidate will have a Master’s degree in a clinical health-related discipline, current professional registration, and at least two years of relevant experience in child and youth mental health.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in a clinical health-related discipline (SW/ psychology/ counseling/ nursing/ occupational therapy).
• Current registration with the appropriate professional body in good standing or eligible.
• Experience in assessment, treatment planning, intervention and discharge planning.
• Minimum two years in child and youth mental health.
• Knowledge of DSM-5 criteria and safety risk assessment is required.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based individual and group therapies for children and youth with mental health and substance use challenges.
• Conduct clinical assessments, develop treatment plans and participate in discharge planning.
• Collaborate with an interprofessional team including nurses, social workers and psychiatrists.
• Engage families and caregivers in care planning and information sharing.
• Utilize CAPA framework and data collection within practice.

Skills

CAPA (Choice and Partnership approach)

Crisis intervention

Measurement Based Care

Interprofessional collaboration

DSM-5 knowledge

Cultural competence

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in clinical health-related discipline

Job description

Company : IWK Health

Department/Program: Garron Social Work , Mental Health And Addictions

Location: Halifax

Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT ( 100% FTE) x 1 position(s)

Start Date: October 2026

Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit

Compensation: $42.2138 - $60.344 /hour

Closing Date: September 22, 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values , and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

Reporting to a Manager of the Garron Centre, the clinical therapist will work as member of an interprofessional team including nursing, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, social work, teaching, youth care worker and psychiatry. The Garron Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health is a 14 bed inpatient unit that serves as the regional acute care unit for the admission of children and youth with serious medical psychiatric disorders who require specialized inpatient psychiatric interventions. The Garron Centre provides diagnostic clarification, withdrawal management, acute treatment interventions, allied health interventions and medication adjustments. The interprofessional team also supports children and youth who pose an imminent risk to their own safety or to the safety of others due to compromised mental health functioning. Admissions are typically intensive and short-term to address or resolve a mental health or addictions crisis. Garron Aftercare is provided post admission and involves an ambulatory transition service that supports patients as they leave the Garron Centre and return to their home community.

Hours of Work

Monday to Friday; 8:30am - 4:30pm (37.5 hours per week). Some evening work and flexibility may be required.

Your Qualifications

Master’s Degree in a clinical health-related discipline (Master’s in Social Work, Psychology, Masters in Counseling, Masters in Nursing, or Masters in Occupational Therapy).

• Current professional registration (in good standing) or eligible for registration with the appropriate association or regulatory body required.
• Clinical training and skills in providing evidence based individual and group-based therapies in the treatment of child and youth with mental health and substance use challenges and or disorders, required.
• Minimum two (2) years experience in providing clinical assessment, treatment planning, intervention, and discharge planning required.
• Minimum two (2) years' clinical experience in child and youth mental health required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of standard criteria used (DSM V) for the classification and diagnosis of mental health disorders.
• Demonstrated competence in application of the Choice and Partnership approach (CAPA), required.
• Knowledge and experience working with Measurement Based Care platforms and engaging clients in data collection within their practice.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and a strong understanding of how the social determinants of health impact on mental/physical health, required.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills, ability to take initiative, work independently with limited supervision and participate as a member of an interprofessional team.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in crisis intervention, suicide and violence risk assessment/ intervention
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in collaborating and engaging with families in relation to sharing information and implementing family-sensitive services that involve families/caregivers in the care.
• Excellent problem-solving, organizational and prioritization skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks.
• High level of written/ oral/ interpersonal communication skills; experience with conflict resolution.
• Ability to work effectively in multiple software applications.
• Non-violent crisis intervention and Suicide Risk Assessment preferred.
• Competencies in other languages an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.