Social Work

Supportive counseling and crisis intervention are some of the many services social workers can provide.

Social workers can also prepare patients for discharge from hospital by assessing their need for community-based services or facilitating the transition between hospital and another care setting, such as a residential care facility. Most inpatient areas of Providence Health Care have a social worker available to patients, their families and friends.
 

Social Work at Providence Health Care

Social workers at Providence Health Care (PHC) are dedicated, experienced professionals who liaise with patients and their families and community services. Their wealth of skills and knowledge allow them to be advocates, counselors, administrators, facilitators, mediators, organizers and researchers who assist patients in understanding and utilizing a combination of personal, family and community resources to ensure a smooth hospital stay, discharge and recovery.

Social Workers provide support, referral and resource information on:

  • Preparing for discharge
  • Facility Care
  • Domestic/Family Violence
  • Adult Guardianship
  • Child, Adult, and Elder Welfare/Abuse/Neglect
  • Legal Services
  • Financial Services
  • Mental Health Services
  • Individual/Couple/Family Counseling
  • Ethics
  • Hospice Care
  • Grief/Bereavement Groups
  • Disease Specific Support
  • Housing and Assisted Living
  • Community Resources
  • Transportation

Interprofessional Teams

Social Workers contribute to the continuum of care at Providence Health Care by working closely with physicians, nurses, and allied professionals in every hospital unit and residential facility, providing inpatient and outpatient services in all of the following program areas:

  • HIV/AIDS
  • Renal
  • Heart Centre
  • Medicine
  • Acute Services: Palliative care, ICU, Emergency and Maternity
  • Surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Elder care and Residential
  • Mental Health

PHC Student Internship

Social Work at Providence Health Care has initiated a new program in cooperation with the University of British Columbia School of Social Work to provide an integrated and comprehensive education program for graduate level Social Work students who wish to pursue a career in health care. The goal of this hospital-based internship program is to provide comprehensive training and education in order to ensure that students are achieving the highest level of competency and job preparedness upon graduation. Click here for more information about the student internship.
 

Careers in Social Work

Social workers at Providence have Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees. All social workers at Providence must be registered with the Board of Registration for Social Workers in British Columbia. Our social workers are part of many exciting opportunities, and work full-time, part-time and in casual positions in all program areas. The Social Work Department has an excellent reputation for low staff turnover and high morale among its dedicated employees. Visit our Careers section for information about working at Providence.
 

Additional Resources

If you are looking for information on accommodation or travel assistance plans, please visit the Travel + Accommodation page under the appropriate Providence site:

• St. Paul’s Hospital
• Mount Saint Joseph Hospital
• Holy Family Hospital

Contact

Phone: 604-806-8221
Hours: Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm.
*Please note that this office reaches social work services across all Providence sites.