RSW/RPT Mental Health Coordinator - Return to Work Project

RSW or RPT / Mental Health Coordinator – Return to Work Project

(Full-time, Three-year contract)

Reports To: The CEO and/or Designate Professional Designation: Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist

Job Purpose and Overview:

There is an immense need for research, innovation, and practical tools to improve return-to-work outcomes for persons with concussion/ABI.

Working under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer and/or designate, the Mental Health Coordinator (working with other project team members) will meet this need by researching, developing, and implementing a two-stream guided training program for employers and employees.

The Mental Health Coordinator will be a Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist with knowledge of working with individuals with brain injury. Other members of the project team will include an Occupational Therapist and Program/Research Coordinator.

This program will better prepare employees and employers for a successful return to work, enabling employees to maintain their employment.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Work with the Project Lead to develop and evaluate a training program for both employers and employees to improve return-to-work outcomes following concussion/ABI

• Identify mental health challenges for employees returning to work through focus groups and literature review.

• Facilitate focus groups with employers to gain insight into their experiences with employees who may experience mental health issues when returning to work after a concussion/brain injury.

• With the Project Lead, develop a training program for employees, which includes a training guide and an online resource.

• Facilitate focus groups with persons with lived experience to gain insight into returning to work after concussion/brain injury exploring gender-or sex-related barriers and intersectional considerations that interfere with participants’ ability to return to work.

• Develop a Mental Health Strategy – outline the program that will be used to support employee participants throughout the program. Examples include:

 Developing an optimal approach to address mental health concerns by identifying risk factors that would signal barriers to return-to-work

 Focusing on context-specific intervention strategies as a means to restoring function, building resiliency and sustaining gains when individuals return to the stresses of work.

• Coordinate new participant intake and assessment of participants.

• Follow up personally with each interested participant by email or phone (phone is preferable)

• Facilitate small virtual groups to support employees’ return to work.

 Develop evidence-based educational components for support groups.

 Revise educational components based on the needs of specific groups.

 Convey knowledge about concussion, its symptoms and strategies to cope.

 Build a strong sense of group sharing, by listening to the concerns of others in the group, assisting participants in articulating feelings, and encouraging all members of the group to do the same.

• Provide weekly mental health support throughout the return-to-work process.

• Assess when a group member requires further support or advocacy and refer OBIA Support Services

• Work with the Project Lead to facilitate focus groups with employers to gain insight into their experiences with employees returning to work after concussion/brain injury.

Qualifications:

• Registered Social Worker (MSW) Or Registered Psychotherapist

• Experience in a management role

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of concussion/brain injury, and its effects on individuals, families and professional systems or knowledge and experience working with trauma

• Demonstrated ability to deal with complex mental health and behavioural issues

• Experience with group facilitation

• Great interpersonal skills, enthusiasm, warmth and ability to empathize

• Self-awareness • Strong mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills

• Knowledge of other community resources, funding agencies, treatment centres, social service networks, and organizations

• Good understanding of the roles of other healthcare professionals

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to relate to diverse groups

• The ability to work both independently and in a team setting

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. The team member may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

OBIA is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the AODA (Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005), OBIA will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities. If you require disability-related accommodations, please inform us. All personal information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

This position is pending approval of Service Canada Funding Interested applicants are invited to submit their résumé and cover letter to: Ruth Wilcock, CEO at: employment@obia.on.ca

Résumés must be received no later than Friday, May 19 th, 2023 by 4:00 PM

We thank all applicants for their interest in our organization; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted