Discharge Planner

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Milton; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Halton Healthcare is seeking a Social Work and Discharge Planning professional to support in-patient units across all sites. You will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to coordinate discharge planning and address barriers to safe transitions back to the community.

The role emphasizes critical thinking, patient-family engagement, and effective communication with stakeholders while navigating hospital capacity and resources. A focus on gerontology and community services is essential.

Qualifications

• BScN, BSW or MSW is required.
• Current registration in good standing with the respective regulatory college.
• 2-5 years of clinical experience in an acute care hospital setting.
• Minimum of three years including community work and/or gerontology, discharge planning.
• Knowledge of community resources and ability to proactively identify new resources.
• Experience with legislation governing public hospitals and health care acts.
• Strong knowledge of public and private sector resources and clinical language.
• Understanding of social determinants of health on discharge planning and hospital capacity.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as within an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate, develop, document and implement discharge care plans for hospital discharge and safe transitions back to community or institutions.
• Identify short- and long-term goals to ensure continuity of care for patient and family.
• Communicate discharge plans to all stakeholders and ensure referrals are processed.
• Ensure patient/SDM understands the discharge plan and has contact information for community partners.
• Promote efficient use of hospital and community resources.
• Identify complex discharge planning needs early via screening and team referrals.
• Plan, review and communicate timelines with the multidisciplinary team, client/SDM, family and community facilities.
• Facilitate safe discharge through case coordination and development of discharge plans.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Independent work

Time management

Teamwork

Advocacy

Education

BScN

BSW/MSW

Job description

• Shift Schedule (Hours are subject to change based on operational needs): Mon - Sun - All Shifts, weekends and holidays
• Employment Status: Temporary Full-time
• Length of temporary contract: Approx. 6 months
• Site Location: Multi-Site (Oakville, Milton, Georgetown)

Company Description

Halton Healthcare’s vision of Exemplary patient experiences, always, goes beyond just the patient experience; it has shaped our entire culture and remains at the core of every interaction in our organization, from our patients & families to our staff, physicians and volunteers. We believe in exemplary PEOPLE experiences always!

At Halton Healthcare you will thrive in a healthcare culture and environment that embraces inclusion, diversity and belonging with ‘exemplary patient care, always’ at the heart of everything we do.

We empower our people to be the very best they can be so they can make a difference for our patients and the communities we serve.

Halton Healthcaretakes great pride in providing quality, compassionate healthcare services to our rapidly growing communities. As a progressive and vibrant healthcare organization, we arecommitted to being an innovative center of excellence in community hospital care.

Job Description

The Social Work and Discharge Planning team consists of staff that provide scope of practice social work and discharge planning for all sites ofHaltonHealthcare.

The successful candidate will work within a fast-paced environment as a collaborative team member of an interdisciplinary team, supporting in-patient units to address high priority discharge barriers. Using critical thinking and working with the interdisciplinary team, the Discharge Planner collaboratively formulates, facilitates and coordinates discharge plans focused on the needs and goals of the patient and their family system.The Discharge planner understands the Flow and Capacity challenges of a hospital system and works to achieve that the patients are in the right place, at the right time, receiving the right care.

• Coordination, formulation/development, documentation, and implementation of care plan for hospital discharge and safe transition back to community or institutional setting.
• Identification of both short and long term goals to ensure/enhance continuity of care for patient/family.
• Ensure plan is communicated to all stakeholders and that appropriate referrals have been processed and received
• Ensure that patient and/or SDM understands the discharge plan and has the relevant contact information for community partners.
• Ensure efficient use of hospital and community resources
• Early identification of patients requiring complex discharge planning case management through high risk screening criteria, consultation with team members and referrals.
• Planning, review and communication of plans and time lines in partnership with the multidisciplinary team, client/SDM, family, and community agencies/facilities.
• Facilitation of safe patient discharge through: case coordination and development of appropriate discharge plan.Included but not limited to: patient/family education; referral and completion of application to community services; coordination of legal/financial capacity or SDM issues including potential PGT involvement.
• Advocate to identify gaps in services, need for individualized program consideration and system level changes required to meet changing needs of patient population.

Qualifications

Halton Healthcare endeavors to hire individuals who are competent in their chosen profession and who exemplify our mission, vision and values of accountability, respect and compassion which guide our individual behaviours and attitudes.

• BScN or BSW or MSW required
• Current registration and membership in good standing with respective regulated College (OCSWSSW, ONA)
• 2-5 year clinical experience in an acute care hospital setting
• Minimum of three years, including community work and/or gerontology, discharge planning
• Current knowledge of community resources and initiative to proactively search for new resources
• Experience with legislation that governs Public Hospitals (Public Hospitals Act, Substitute Decisions Act, Consent to Treatment Act, etc.)
• Demonstrated extensive knowledge base of resources in the public and private sector, and medical and clinical language and procedures.
• Extensive knowledge of how to effectively serve an increasingly aging and diverse population with complex medical, functional, cognitive and psychosocial needs
• Comprehensive knowledge of the impact of social determinants of health on discharge planning, hospital LOS, Patient Flow and hospital system capacity
• Expert communication, collaboration, organizational and problem solving skills
• Ability to work independently as well as with an interdisciplinary team
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities
• Skilled working with a broad range of client groups and their significant supports
• Satisfactory employment and attendance record

Additional Information

Hours:Monday to Friday; various rotating 7.5 hour (Hours are subject to change based on operational needs)

Salary:$47.039 to $60.979 per hour

Date Posted: October 6, 2026

Internal Applicants Due By: October 13, 2026

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Halton Healthcare is an equal opportunity employer who is committed to integrating diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our operations, policies and culture. If you are passionate about what you do, motivated by a job well done, and as committed to excellence, quality and patient satisfaction as we are, we'd like to hear from you.

Please note that while this job is posted on Halton Healthcare's career page, it may also appear on third-party job boards. These external platforms may use automated tools, including artificial intelligence, for candidate screening and matching. We do not control or influence these processes.

We thank all those who apply but only those individuals selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Halton Healthcare is committed to providingaccommodations for applicants with disabilities. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code, Halton Healthcare will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment and selection process. If you require an accommodation, we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs to ensure your equal participation.

The Ontario Public Hospitals Actmandates that hospitals establish health surveillance programs for all individuals working within the hospital.This regulation requires proof of immunity for certain diseases and as a result, Halton Healthcare requires all new hires to receive pre-employment medical clearance by our Health, Safety & Wellness team, prior to their start date, as a condition of employment. This includes demonstrating compliance with Halton Healthcare’s Immunization Policies.

All new hires must be fully compliant with our Vaccination Policy as a condition of employment with Halton Healthcare. Successful applicants will be required to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a documented medical exemption as part of the hiring process.

All personal information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

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