Health Psychologist, SickKids Liver Transplant Program

Modern Healthcare, Inc.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pediatric healthcare institution in Toronto is seeking a Psychologist for the Pediatric Liver Transplant program. This role involves assessing and treating behavioral issues in transplant survivors, focusing on their psychological and socio-emotional needs. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and experience in pediatric health psychology. Join a collaborative interdisciplinary team dedicated to excellence in healthcare and innovation.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years related experience in paediatric clinical-health psychology setting.
• Registered or eligible for registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
• Experience with CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and trauma care.

Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough consultations, screenings, and assessments of children’s psychological functioning.
• Provide ongoing feedback to families and clinic teams regarding treatment goals.
• Participate in clinical research and quality improvement projects.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Problem-solving skills

Organizational skills

Time management skills

Strong oral communication skills

Strong written communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in Clinical or Health Psychology

Job description

The Hospital for Sick Children is a leading tertiary pediatric centre providing medical and mental health care to a diverse population of the most complex children and youth and their families. A dynamic clinical, education and research environment, SickKids is committed to excellence in integrated inter-professional care. It is a centre of excellence in the delivery of cutting-edge health care to the pediatric population.

Empowering children and families lives through excellence, innovation, understanding, and hope, the SickKids Department of Psychology is a respected leader in Precision Child Health. Integrating clinical care, research and education, through an equity-focused and inclusive lens, SickKids Psychology supports the generation of new knowledge and evidence, educates the next generation of specialized Psychologists, and effectively helps address the complex developmental, medical, and psychosocial needs of children and youth being treated for primary medical and psychiatric conditions at SickKids.

The Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Center (TRMC) provides specialist care for children under 18 years of age who have undergone solid organ transplantation and who have intestinal failure (Group of Intestinal Failure and Treatment). We are the largest pediatric liver transplant program in Canada performing 25-40 liver transplants per year in children who come from across the country for this life-saving intervention. Our program has a successful and enduring partnership with the Live Liver Donor program at the University Health Network, which is reflected by over 50% of our transplants now done with an organ from a living donor. With long-term survival after liver transplantation in children now the rule rather than the exception, a broader holistic lens to the multi-dimensional health for the transplant survivor is now the focus of all teams providing care for these patients. The median age of the child requiring liver transplantation is under 2 years, and post-transplant care continues until age 18 years. Embedded in the Liver Transplant program is a vibrant multi-dimensionary psychosocial program which includes nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists, child life specialists, music and art therapy and consultation liaison psychiatry. Members of the psychosocial program provide exceptional clinical care and are highly engaged in scholarship, quality improvement, research and education. Our program is well-published and involved in almost every National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded consortia studies in the past decade and a half. The program has strong philanthropic support providing exceptional opportunities for innovations and program development.

The psychologist within the SickKids Pediatric Liver Transplant program will assess, diagnose, monitor, and treat behavioral and socio-emotional problems in all pediatric transplant survivors within the Liver Transplant program (inpatients and outpatients). The role includes a focus on psychoeducational interventions and psychotherapeutic treatments to support children and families, adjustment to new diagnoses and post-transplant protocols, surveillance of at-risk comorbidities in a child now on life-long immunosuppression, promoting healthy behavior and compliance, enhancing coping, reducing distress, as well as caregiver mental health and coping. This could take place within a traditional individual therapeutic setting, through caregiver support or a therapeutic group setting. The psychologist will work in collaboration with the medical and psychosocial team members to meet the psychosocial needs of the child and family.

Here's What You'll Get To Do

• Conduct thorough consultations, screenings, and comprehensive assessments to evaluate a child's current psychological and social-emotional functioning.
• Provide ongoing correspondence updating intervention progress and providing relevant recommendations.
• Deliver clear and informative intervention and feedback to families and clinic teams regarding treatment goals and recommendations.
• Provide consultation services to school teams and other health, community and educational professionals, promoting collaboration and comprehensive support for the child.
• Enhance the team's ability to address the psychosocial needs of both the child and their family by complementing and expanding existing services.
• Work independently and collaboratively as a valued member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Participate in clinical research, identify questions and gaps in knowledge for this patient population, contribute to program development initiatives, and engage in quality improvement projects.
• Provide supervision and mentorships to trainees.

Here's What You'll Need

• Completion of a CPA/APA recognized Ph.D. degree program in Clinical or Health Psychology is required with a pediatric/developmental focus.
• Minimum two (2) years related experience in paediatric clinical-health psychology setting.
• Registered or eligible for registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario for autonomous practice. Candidates in Supervised Practice with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario will be considered.
• Experience with CBT, Motivational Interviewing, trauma care, crisis intervention and other modalities.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, organizational and time management skills.
• Comfort working in a dynamic environment focused on patient and family centered care and services, innovation, quality improvement.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience working in a health science hospital environment is a strong asset, as is experience in pediatric haematology/oncology.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision for PhD-level psychology trainees is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated commitment and actions in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion objectives

Employment Type

0.8 FTE, 2 year contract with Modified Benefits (possibility of 1.00 FTE in 2nd year)

• On-Site Work Model