Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital’s Substance Use Services provide specialized substance use assessment, treatment, and connection to internal and external community resources for patients experiencing difficulties with substance use in St. Michael’s Emergency Department, inpatient and outpatient units.

The Community

Caseworker – Substance Use Services is responsible for providing system navigation, counseling, and follow-up support for patients in the Emergency Department and/or inpatient units, ensuring continuity of care and supporting recovery-oriented outcomes within the Substance Use Disorder–Integrated Care Pathway (SUD-ICP) programs.

Duties & Responsibilities Meets recent patients in the Emergency Department and/or inpatient units and acquaints them with available internal and external resources.

Provides support to patients in identifying personal goals, recovery plans, and lifestyle changes

Provides counseling and support while clients are awaiting placement in treatment programs, ensuring continuity of care across ED and community settings

Facilitates transitions between hospital and community services

Completes provincial and standardized assessment tools as required

Acts as a liaison with hospital teams, primary care providers, and community agencies to ensure appropriate referrals and coordinated care

Networks with community agencies and advocates for patients to reduce barriers to accessing services

Demonstrates strong ability to build collaborative relationships across hospital teams and community partners

Supports patients experiencing withdrawal and coordinates access to withdrawal management and treatment services

Applies evidence-informed approaches such as Motivational Interviewing and Community Reinforcement Approach

Participates in interprofessional team meetings, care planning,



and documentation consistent with hospital standards

Contributes to program development, quality improvement initiatives, and integration of recovery-oriented practices within the ED Qualifications Two-year college diploma in Human Services Counseling, Social Service Worker, or related field; university degree preferred with related coursework in addictions or concurrent disorders

Minimum 2 years of experience working in the addictions field

Experience working as a community addictions caseworker preferred

Experience supporting clients experiencing withdrawal and/or concurrent disorders

Experience with Motivational Interviewing, Community Reinforcement Approach, and/or Dialectical Behavioural Therapy preferred

Extensive knowledge of withdrawal management services, addictions treatment, and community resources

Experience working in a cross-disciplinary or healthcare environment, preferably Emergency Department settings

Crisis intervention training is required

CPR/First Aid certification is required

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Demonstrated ability to work with diverse and complex populations

Strong organizational, problem-solving, and system navigation skills

Competency in Microsoft Office applications Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process.

When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.

📌 Community Caseworker Addictions Services - St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto)
🏢 St. Michael's Hospital
📍 Toronto