Come work as a Mental Health and Addictions Outreach Nurse with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for a Mental Health and Addictions Outreach Nurse (RN/RPN) to join the Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACT) in Vancouver, BC. Apply today to join our team!

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

ACT teams bring health care and life-skills support to clients; all of whom would have difficulty arranging and keeping appointments with traditional office-based health care practitioners. ACT uses a trauma informed approach to promote recovery through community-based treatment and rehabilitation. The ACT team strives to reduce the number of contacts between police and their clients with severe and persistent mental health conditions and substance use concerns.

As a Mental Health and Addictions Outreach Nurse with VCH, you will:

• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide triage and outreach services that are inclusionary and flexible for individuals with mental illness, addictions and/or chronic medical conditions.
• Conduct mental and physical status assessments and assess clients’ physiological, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual needs to determine priority of care requirements based on client needs, availability of resources and best practices.
• Provide counseling and assist client with reducing repeated contact with and use of acute and community healthcare services/programs/resources.
• Assess high risk situations and provide crisis intervention.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team to develop, implement and adjust client’s care plan and meet the client’s need for integrated services and continuity of care across the continuum.
• Facilitate the movement of clients between acute care, community agency support site and designated health centre.
• Participate in case conferences/meetings with members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Assist clients with attendance to needed services such as medical appointments.

Education and Experience

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). Diploma in Nursing or Psychiatric Nursing.
• Two (2) years’ recent related experience working with individuals with mental health and addictions illness or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Valid BC Drivers License. Local area travel may require the use of a personal vehicle.

Knowledge and Abilities

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of a client and family centered recovery model in mental illness.
• Broad knowledge of crisis intervention and counseling skills.
• Broad knowledge of mental health illness and treatment.
• Broad knowledge of psychopharmacology (indication and side effects).
• Broad knowledge of substance abuse and addictions treatment.
• Broad knowledge of other facilities and community resources.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct psychiatric assessments.
• Demonstrated ability to provide treatment planning, counseling, crisis intervention, and case coordination.
• Demonstrated skill in CPR techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with clients and their families, colleagues, physicians, and other health care staff, both one-on-one and in groups.
• Demonstrated listening and information seeking skills that promotes communication and lead to a cooperative approach to problem solving within a multidisciplinary setting.
• Demonstrated ability to establish workload priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to adjust schedule to deal with unexpected situations.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to provide consultation and leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve.
• Demonstrated ability to deal effectively with conflict situations.
• Ability to operate related equipment.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Basic computer literacy to operate a computerized client care information system and word processing, Internet and email software.

The hours of work including days off and work area may be subject to change consistent with operational requirements and the provision of the Collective Agreement and applicable statutes.

As per Ministry of Health policy, all health care workers working in publicly-funded health care facilities are required to report their past receipt of certain vaccines or history of certain infections. Collecting these records will allow for offering of any missing vaccines, and for appropriate actions to be taken in the event of any future exposure to a communicable disease or during outbreaks. For all new hires and appointments to Vancouver Coastal Health, you will be asked to provide this information as part of the onboarding process.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH?

VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers

At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.

Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2024.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for this posting.


***Employees of VCH must apply online via the Internal Career Portal on CareerHub, you are currently viewing the External Career Portal. Refer to the https://my.vch.ca/working-here/job-postings site for instructions on how to view internal job postings and how to apply as an employee. Current VCH employees who apply to this posting using this external site will be considered as an external candidate. Seniority will not apply.***

Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.