The Role

Applies social work knowledge, skills, values, and principles to a range of personal, inter-personal, and social challenges to assist residents, clients, and families at Sunnyside Home towards enhanced psychosocial wellbeing; and provides related admissions services to clients, residents, and their families.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Applies social work knowledge, skills, values, and principles to assist residents, clients, and their families toward enhanced psychosocial wellbeing. Provides psychosocial assessment and counselling, and develops, implements, and evaluates goals/plans with residents, families, and staff as required.


• Provides pre-and-post admission support (e.g., tours, education) to prospective residents and their families. Supports a smooth transition into Sunnyside Home in collaboration with staff teams.  Refers to specialized supports as necessary (e.g., BSO program, specialized mental health).


• Reviews and assesses admissions applications for long term care, respite, and convalescent care and approves/withholds applications in consultation with nursing team. Communicates and responds to applicants/LHIN regarding status of applications.


• Provides professional social work consultation to multidisciplinary teams. Intervenes in crisis situations (e.g., resident violence, family breakdown, suicidal ideation, psychiatric emergencies).


• Provides information about consent and privacy practices to residents, clients, and their families. Ensures proper documentation for clinical consents and substitute decision makers. Facilitates application to Public Guardian and Trustee, as required.


• Provides leadership on conflict prevention/resolution between families, residents, and staff.


• Participates in resident-focused multi-disciplinary care conferences, rounds, discharge planning, family meetings, and ethics consultations. Addresses questions, complaints, and concerns from residents, clients, and their families.


• Maintains and manages the internal room transfer list. Facilitates resident room transfers with staff teams, residents, and their families.


• Participates in/chairs internal committees, community task forces, and inter-agency committees, as required.  Works on special projects as needed.  Represents the Region when liaising with community agencies.
  Organizes and presents educational sessions for staff (e.g., consent, privacy, advanced care planning).


• Supervises unpaid social worker placements as required.


• Ensures proper documentation, storage, and collection of health information, per legislation and policy.


• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of psycho-geriatrics and cognitive impairment, chronic illness, psychosocial assessment, counselling, social work, therapy, the health care system, admissions, and community resources, acquired through a Master’s of Social Work degree, plus related experience in long term care.


• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, related legislation (e.g. privacy, health care consent, health and safety, public guardian) and the requirements of the Ministry and Association of Professional Social Workers.


• Human relations, communication, and presentation skills to communicate effectively with staff, the public, and agencies; negotiate and mediate in sensitive situations; counsel and advise residents and their families; present to community agencies and staff; chair committee meetings; and participate as an effective team member.


• Ability to write sensitive, confidential correspondence to families and agencies; resident progress notes and social histories; minutes; work plans; policies; and resident financial documentation. Ability to read and interpret journals, books, newsletters, letters, resident charts, memos, research papers, and correspondence. 


• Computer skills with ability to use software such as Microsoft Office. 


• Must provide an acceptable Police Vulnerable Sector Check (Level 3). 


• A tuberculosis (TB) test and annual influenza immunization are required.


• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.