Social Worker - RSW - R1

SJH St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 93,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Registered Social Worker will join the Acute Psychiatry Unit at St. Joseph’s Health System, providing psychosocial assessment, counselling, case management, and discharge planning to support recovery and safe reintegration into the community.

Required is a Bachelor of Social Work; Master’s preferred, with registration in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s of Social Work from an accredited University required.
• Master’s of Social Work from an accredited University preferred.
• Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers required.
• Membership in the Ontario Association of Social Workers preferred.
• One year recent related clinical experience with mental health/concurrent disorders patient population preferred.
• One year recent related experience in an addiction-specific setting preferred.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act, Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; teamwork oriented.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychosocial assessment, counselling, psychotherapy, case management and education.
• Discharge planning, service coordination and consultation to support recovery.
• Lead in program development, community linkages and quality improvement.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Critical thinking

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's of Social Work

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Details

Position Details Job Number: JR01979 Department: Acute Mental Health Social Work This position may be scheduled at any of the following sites: West 5th Campus (Hamilton Mountain) Job Type: Temporary (Fixed Term), Full time Contract Duration: (If applicable) 15 months Number of Positions: 1 Union: OPSEU Local 206 Hourly Rate (Min / Max): $44.49 - $55.08 Schedule Work Days: Monday to Friday Time of Day: Days Shift: Hours - 7.5 Shift Start: (If applicable) Reason for Posting: Posting is for a role with an existing vacancy Application Dates Opening Date: 2026-09-10 Closing Date: 2026-09-17

Job Description

Unit Profile: The Acute Psychiatry Unit provides mental health care to patients suffering from acute symptoms of mental disorders. The interdisciplinary team provide care for the varied needs of our patients with the goal to assess and stabilize patients and reintegrate back into the community at optimal levels of functioning.

Position Summary: The Registered Social Worker provides quality social work services congruent with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). The Registered Social Worker provides psychosocial assessment counselling/psychotherapy case management patient/family education supportive counselling discharge planning service coordination and consultation according to best practice standards in order to assist patients to achieve optimum recovery and quality of life. This includes maximizing the benefit patients and families receive from their medical treatments and transitioning to risk-reduced timely discharges. The Registered Social Worker provides leadership in high risk social situations program development advocacy and developing and maintaining strong community linkages. Registered Social Workers will also participate in mentoring community development teaching continuous quality improvement and research activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s of Social Work from an accredited University required; Master’s of Social Work from an accredited University preferred.
• Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers required.
• Membership in the Ontario Association of Social Workers preferred.
• One year recent related clinical experience with mental health/concurrent disorders patient population and clinical setting preferred.
• One year recent related experience working directly in an addiction specific setting preferred.
• Maintains current working knowledge of relevant legislation including: Mental Health Act Health Care Consent Act Substitute Decisions Act Public Hospitals Act Long Term Care Act Child and Family Services Act PHIPA and Excellent Care for All Act.
• Ability to work effectively in both a team environment and as an independent professional.
• Maintains expertise in social work and evidence-based best practices which includes: family/individual and group treatment modalities case management crisis intervention and discharge planning.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with mental health client populations served.
• Demonstrated knowledge in application of screening tools (ie. Admission and Discharge Assessment Tool (ADAT)).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective member of an inter-professional team with exceptional interpersonal advocacy negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Exceptional critical thinking and creative problem solving skills.
• Willingness and ability to continue to improve professional competence and knowledge.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure prioritize workload and meet deadlines.
• Proficient computer skills for report writing assessments word processing workload measurement and access to information.

Additional Information

St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS) and its member organizations are equal opportunity employers and strives for equity, inclusiveness, and diversity in all programs, practices, facilities, and people. We foster a culture of patient and staff safety where all positions comply and work in conjunction with the Mission, Vision, and Core Values.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

SJHS and its member organizations are committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process - please inform us should accommodation be required at any point in the recruitment process ([e-mail]).

At St. Joe’s Hamilton, we believe in nurturing new talent, providing an inclusive and supportive work environment with meaningful growth opportunities, and exciting benefits and rewards. Whether you're passionate about providing compassionate care or eager to gain new skills, there’s a place here for you to grow, learn, and succeed!

Dignity. Respect. Service. Justice. Responsibility. Enquiry.