Mental Health Clinician, Geriatric Psychiatry

Sinai Health; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sinai Health's Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic in Toronto seeks a Mental Health Clinician to deliver care for older adults with psychiatric illness, using CBT, DBT, CPT, MI and mindfulness-based approaches. You will join an interprofessional team in an academic hospital setting, focusing on assessment, treatment planning and compassionate, evidence-based care.

Responsibilities include triage, intake, individual and group therapy, and linkage to community services.

Qualifications

• Must hold a Bachelor of Nursing or a Master’s degree in a health-related discipline.
• Current in good standing with a relevant Ontario regulatory college (Nurses, SW/SSW, OT, Psych, or RTOP).
• Minimum 3 years of relevant mental health work experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and provide clinical care for older adults with mental health challenges.
• Perform mental health assessments and develop treatment plans.
• Provide individual and group therapies.
• Develop community linkages and coordinate with inter-professional team.
• Adapt care to changing conditions and population needs.
• Promote trauma-informed, equity-centered client care.
• Educate and support learners across disciplines.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Geriatric psychiatry

Interprofessional collaboration

Communication skills

Treatment planning

Education

Bachelor of Nursing

Master’s in health-related discipline (SW/OT/psych)

Job description

Are you passionate about empowering individuals to overcome challenges and achieve their potential? As a Mental Health Clinician, Geriatric Psychiatry you'll have the unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in people's lives, forging connections as you guide them on their journey to mental wellness. This is a great opportunity for those seeking to expand their expertise within an interprofessional, collaborative academic hospital setting. Sinai Health’sPsychiatry Department offers an opportunity to provide direct patient care across a variety of clinical programs, utilizing therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and mindfulness-based interventions.

Is this you?

You are a highly empathetic and compassionate individual with a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding mental health. Your calm and engaging demeanor allows you to connect with patients from diverse backgrounds, building trust and fostering a safe space.

Do you find satisfaction in interacting with and providing mental health care to older adults? This role allows you to draw upon your knowledge of age-related challenges, using your individual and group therapy skills to empower our geriatric patients on their road to recovery.

You are a lifelong learner, committed to staying at the forefront of evidence-based practices and expanding your therapeutic toolkit. This role enables you to utilize a wide range of clinical skills, including intake/triage, individual and group therapies, and resource connection. In the field of mental health, innovations and new discoveries are ever-present, ensuring your work remains stimulating, purpose-driven, and constantly evolving to meet the needs of those you serve.

You value interprofessional collaboration and thrive in an environment where effective communication between members of the team (both internal and external) is key. You are organized, self-sufficient, and possess excellent time management skills, allowing you to navigate the demands of a dynamic health care setting.

About this team:

The Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic provides assessment and treatment services for older adults who are in need of mental health support. We provide care to seniors experiencing psychiatric illness, including dementia, anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder, using a range of diagnostic and treatment interventions. We see adults who are 65+ years old. We also support family members and other care partners providing care for these patients.

In this role you will:

• Coordinate and provide clinical care for clients that facilitates and supports recovery for patients facing a broad range of mental health challenges
• Triage, complete mental health assessments, formulate and develop treatment plans, provide resource navigation and psychosocial interventions with ongoing collaboration and communication with the inter-professional team and with the client’s social network and community circle of care
• Utilize and demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of senior’s mental health and addiction, along with social and home-based interventions to facilitate linkages and referrals to local programs across a broad range of sectors
• Provide both individual and group treatments in various modalities in a supportive and culturally sensitive manner
• Develop linkages within Sinai Health and with non-hospital community services and organizations to enhance continuity of care for patients
• Adapt your approach to meet the demands and needs of constantly changing conditions, situations and people
• Promote and support a trauma-focused, equity-centred client care approach
• Contribute to program development, provide education and support to learners of all disciplines
• Perform other duties consistent with the job classification as required

Job Requirements:

Mandatory

• Successful completion of either a Bachelor of Nursing or a Master’s Degree in a health-related discipline (including Social Work, Occupational Therapy or Psychology)
• Current member in good standing with a relevant regulatory college: College of Nurses of Ontario, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (authorized for autonomous practice), or College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (authorized for independent practice)
• 3 years relevant work experience in a mental health setting

Preferred

• Training in geriatric psychiatry and/or medicine
• Recent clinical experience with the geriatric population

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders, crisis intervention skills, support for addiction issues, interventions for severe and persistent mental illness
• Excellent organizational, communication, time management and interpersonal skills, along with ability to work effectively as a team member in a dynamic, inter-professional environment
• Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements
• Proactively able to identify opportunities for and make continuous process improvement to prevent harm and improve client outcomes
• Demonstrated decision making, problem recognition, problem solving skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Familiarity with therapeutic techniques targeting mood, anxiety, trauma, substance use and motivation for change through both individual and group modalities