Forensic Psychologist, Forensic Psychiatric Hospital – Coquitlam, BC

Forensic Psychologist, Maximum and Multi-Level Security Units
BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services
Coquitlam, BC

As of April 1, 2024 this position may qualify for a one-time recruitment incentive up to $15,000, $20,000 or $30,000 (subject to funding availability). To learn more about this incentive and if you qualify, please ask your Talent Acquisition Advisor at kelsey.fogliato@phsa.ca!

Up to $5,000 relocation allowance offered for those moving 150km or more!

General Information

Psychologists with BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS), a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority, report dually to the BCMHSUS Medical Director and to the senior leadership team for their area of service(s). Medical professionals work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams supporting the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. Teams in forensic psychiatry support adults with complex mental health and substance use issues who are involved in the criminal justice system.

Working within Forensic Psychiatric Services, focus will rely on experience in this area of care, along with the assessment and management of substance dependence and mental health issues. A high level of collaboration is used for management of patients through recovery, rehabilitation, as possible, reintegration into the community. As part of the Forensic Psychiatric Services, medical professional team members provides specialized forensic psychological assessment and treatment services to the courts, the BC Review Board, and to the custody and community branches of BC Corrections.

Location-specific Information

The Forensic Psychiatric Hospital (FPH) is a 190-bed secure facility located in Coquitlam, B.C., on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded core territory of the kwikwəƛ̓əm First Nation (Kwikwetlem). We treat people who have been found not criminally responsible for a crime or unfit to stand trial due to a mental health disorder. We deliver services to patients using the “Clinical Program Model,” which aims to deliver high-quality care to meet the specific needs of patients and is currently the best practice in health care.

Learn about working as a member of the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital team. 

Watch this video to learn about working with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services!

Specific Accountabilities

Medical Expertise

• Complete comprehensive assessments including assessing risk to re-offend, upon referral by reviewing the legal orders to ascertain the stage of proceedings and the nature of the assessment requested; interpret assessment results and develop treatment recommendations within formal reports for submission to the courts of law.
• Participate in treatment planning conferences, considering a holistic model of care for individual clients and interdisciplinary approach to care.

Knowledge Exchange

• Support the ongoing education of the inter-disciplinary team through sharing your extensive hands-on experience and background in treating complex clinical problems.
• Cross-appointments as faculty at the University of British Columbia are encouraged, with aim to further the knowledge of mental health treatment in the forensic population across the province.

Program Leadership

• Lead planning and implementation of care and treatment through innovative services and delivery models, developed by collaborative, cross-service professional teams, e.g. the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment team (FACT).
• Join BCHMSUS in its provincial leadership of system-wide improvement through various initiatives including research, academic teaching, and health promotion.

Qualifications

Psychologist candidates must have a doctoral degree (PhD. or PsyD) in Clinical Forensic Psychology or Clinical Psychology with one year of direct experience in a forensic and/or tertiary-level mental health context. Current registration with the College of Psychologists of British Columbia, or secured within 18 months of hire.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.

As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.

Job Type: Regular, Full-Time
Wage: $52.81 - $65.96 per hour

2% of the straight-time hourly rate of pay for employees working in Minimum and Medium security units and community settings; 4% of the straight-time hourly rate of pay for employees working in Maximum and Multi-level security units.

Location: 70 Colony Farm Road, Coquitlam BC, V3C 5X9
Hours of Work: Monday – Friday: 0830-1630
Requisition # 176886E

Contact

Applications, accompanied by a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, and the name, title, rank and contact information of four references, should be directed to:

Kelsey Fogliato

Talent Acquisition Advisor

Email: kelsey.fogliato@phsa.ca

About Provincial Health Services Authority 

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Create equity – Be courageous.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA is committed to anti-racism and equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently excluded groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.