Dedicated exclusively to children and their families, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is one of the largest and most respected paediatric healthcare centres in the world. As innovators in child health, we lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of healthcare, leading-edge research and education. Our reputation would not have been built - nor could it be maintained - without the skills, knowledge and experience of the extraordinary people who come to work here every day.

SickKids is committed to ongoing learning and development, and features a caring and supportive work environment that combines exceptionally high standards of practice.

When you join SickKids, you become part of our community. We share a commitment and determination to fulfill our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to work alongside the world's best in paediatric healthcare.

Brain and Mental Health Program - The SLAIGHT Mental Health Transition Navigator

As part of its commitment to improving quality of care, SickKids has embarked on an exciting integration of its services that focus on brain and mental health conditions. The Brain and Mental Health Program is inclusive of programs and services focused on neuroscience, mental health conditions, inter-professional practice and a commitment to system capacity building through innovative partnerships with hospital and community organizations.

This mental health transition navigator position is initially dedicated to the transition of children, youth and their families from the SickKids Emergency Department into community based mental health services and supports coordinated by Strides Toronto and the Gary Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health (GH-CCMH) at SickKids. The position will work collaboratively with partners at GH-CCMH and at Strides Toronto to support the clinical transition pathway. The position may evolve to include other transitional pathways from acute to community care.

This position will provide service planning, navigation and brief supportive counselling to children and youth experiencing mental health concerns, and their families, to ensure children, youth, and their families, move in through and out of publicly funded mental health services in a timely and seamless manner.

Through psychosocial assessments you will identify child/youth and family strengths, problem-solving abilities, interactions, attitudes, feelings and cultural issues in relation to the child's health and mental health, as well as supports/resources available to the family. You will assist patients and their families navigate and connect to community and/or resources within their communities that will support their recovery or ongoing treatment.





Collaboration/communication with the health care and community mental health teams are essential. You will work to liaise with SickKids, SickKids Centre for Community and Mental Health and Strides Toronto colleagues and their networks to provide comprehensive transition care. This work will be done in collaboration with the other Mental Health Transition navigators at the partner sites.

Some flexible hours will also be a requirement of the role.

Here's What You'll Get To Do

- Conduct psycho/social and motivational assessments with patients and families experiencing acute or chronic complex mental health conditions.
- Provide developmentally informed transitional support from the SickKids Emergency Department to community agencies for seamless and effective discharge planning.
- Provide family education, counselling and support through brief interventions.
- Facilitate multiple care aspects (e.g. case coordination, information sharing, implementation of practical clinical strategies, system navigation).
- Coordinate and provide care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, patient and family centered and meaningful .
- Promote quality and cost-effective interventions and outcomes.
- Develop effective working relationships with SickKids, GH-CCMH and Strides Toronto colleagues and cooperate with relevant community service providers and agencies throughout the entire case management process.
- Collaborate/communicate with the inter-professional health care team.
- Assume responsibility for all aspects of practice including performance metrics reflecting productivity and utilization.
- Practice in a manner that is consistent with the philosophy of continuous quality improvement and evidence-based practice.
- Support our academic mandate and supervise Master level students.

Here's What You'll Need

- A Master's degree in Social Work
- Registration and good standing with the relevant college.
- An understanding and demonstrated competencies in the bio-psycho-social model of assessment, developmentally informed care models, and key mental health diagnoses and issues that precipitate a presentation to an acute care pediatric hospital.
- Well-developed assessment and intervention skills, as well as skills in crisis management, loss and bereavement and mental health intervention.




- Well-developed strengths in advocacy and collaboration both within a crisis focused team and with external resources.
- Excellent knowledge of the network of child, youth and family community mental health services and resources.
- Ability to collaborate effectively as a member of the health care team and to take initiative and leadership when appropriate.
- Commitment to remain abreast of current literature and relevant developments in clinical practice.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (written and verbal) and organizational skills.
- Demonstrated ability to utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Skills in using electronic health record systems, Microsoft Office, and other relevant technology
- Demonstrated attention to detail and efficient time management; capacity to work in a dynamic fast paced clinical environment.
- Demonstrated ability to function as a member of the inter-professional health care team
- Demonstrated belief in lifelong learning and evidence-based practice.
- Demonstrated commitment and actions in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion objectives.

Employment Type

- 6-month contract, with opportunity to extend; 1.00 FTE, full-time (no benefits)

SickKids is committed to championing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do, fostering an intentionally inclusive and culturally secure environment that reflects the diversity of the patients, families and communities we serve. Learn more about workplace inclusion. If you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to our aSKHR team. SickKids can provide access and inclusion supports to eligible candidates to support their full engagement during the interview and selection process as well as to ensure candidates are able to perform their duties once successfully hired. If you are invited for an interview and require accommodation, please let us know at the time of your invitation to interview.

Information received related to access, inclusion or accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

Technical difficulties? Email [email protected] with a short description of the issues you are experiencing. We will not accept resumes sent to this inbox but we are happy to respond to requests for technical assistance.

Tip: Combine your cover letter and resume into ONE document of 20 pages or less as you cannot upload multiple documents as part of your application.

Every application is reviewed by a human recruiter and all hiring decisions are made by people. In some cases, AI-assisted tools are used to help review applications based on job-related qualifications.

All positions posted on the SickKids Hospital's Careers Site represent current vacancies, unless otherwise posted in the .

📌 Social Worker MSW, Emergency Department Mental Health Transition Navigator (Toronto)
🏢 The Hospital for Sick Children
📍 Toronto