Job Title Psychiatrist

Work Site 700 Westminster Hwy

Status Permanent Full-Time

Start Date September 7, 2025

Compensation Type Combination

Come work as a Psychiatrist with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)! Richmond Hospital is a fully accredited, 228 acute care bed facility serving a local population of 240,000 with an additional catchment area of almost 120,000. We are currently seeking a full time Geriatric Psychiatrist to work between three programs - Geriatric Psychiatry outpatients service (includes Rapid Access consults), Geriatric Psychiatry hospital consult service and Geriatric Psychiatry mental health team.

The city of Richmond is a unique island city located on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia, in close proximity to downtown Vancouver, Vancouver International Airport and the U.S. border. Nestled in the estuary at the mouth of the historic Fraser River, the city of Richmond offers a unique blend of urban sophistication and rural tranquility, proximity to all kinds of transportation options, sunny weather and endless riverside walking paths that make Richmond a marvelous place to live work and play.

The city of Richmond is an ethnically diverse centre with a growing population and one of the fastest growing senior’s populations in the province. The life expectancy of seniors living in Richmond is 85.7 years, which is 3.6% longer than the average life expectancy of 82.6 years for BC and more than four years longer than the national average of 81.1 years.

In accordance with the standards of practice and the established vision and values of Vancouver Coastal Health, the psychiatrist who accepts this position will provide an innovative and comprehensive array of psychiatric assessment, treatment and rehabilitation services to support the recovery of individuals living with complex, co-morbid mental health, addiction and physical health issues.

The clinical program model is strength-based and aimed to support individuals in their unique process of recovery by offering a range of evidence-based clinical services including psychiatric assessment and treatment, attention to physical health & wellness, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychosocial rehabilitation, and transitional discharge planning

Richmond Older Adult Mental Health Services

Based at the Richmond Mental Health team, this program provides consultation and follow-up care on an outreach basis. The Older Adult patient group have a severe and persistent mental illness (primarily dementia), accompanied by complex medical and social needs. Each patient is followed by a physician and case manager. Referrals are accepted from all sources but must be supported by the Family Physician. The Older Adult Mental Health team is multidisciplinary and comprised of professionals from nursing, social work, occupational therapy, general medicine and geriatric psychiatry. The Geriatric Psychiatrist would work 2 days per week in the Older Adult mental Health Team.

Richmond Older Adults Outpatients program and Rapid Access Geriatric Psychiatry Consults

The Psychiatrist will provide specialized psychiatric care for adults aged 65 and older through outpatient clinics, hospital consultations, and liaison services. Responsibilities include conducting comprehensive assessments and consultations for older adults experiencing Major Neurocognitive disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, dementia-related conditions with complex behavioural or psychiatric symptoms, and comorbid medical-psychiatric illnesses. The role supports integrated care by addressing psychiatric needs that impact overall health and treatment outcomes. A key component of the position is rapid access to ensure timely assessment of urgent or high-priority referrals, supporting integrated care and optimizing overall health outcomes.

Richmond Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Consult Service

Richmond Hospital Psychiatry Consult Liaison Program (0.2 FTE position) is based at Richmond Hospital and provides consultation and short-term management of general mental health conditions as well as spectrum of cognitive disorders in Geriatric population admitted to medical and surgical units. The Consult Liaison Program Psychiatrist provides psychiatric assessment and treatment to patients admitted in medical and surgical wards, with a focus on treatment and recovery. As the consulting psychiatrist, you would liaise and collaborate with the treating team to facilitate timely interventions and discharge planning. Supervision for medical students and psychiatry residents may also be required.

All physicians working in the Richmond Department of Psychiatry are required to participate in the on-call roster.

The psychiatrists may also be involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of new programs and will participate in the training and education of medical students, residents and other allied health professionals. Opportunities may exist for research projects and group work.

Reporting Relationship The psychiatrist will report to the Head and Medical Director, Department of Psychiatry, Richmond Health Services.

Compensation The psychiatrist(s) will provide 10 half-days of work per week in a blended billing model between Older adult outpatient ambulatory care program + Rapid access Geriatric Psychiatry consults (0.4FTE), Geriatric Consult-liaison service (0.2 FTE) and Richmond Older Adult Mental Health Team (0.4FTE) (Sessional and Fee-for-service). The psychiatrists are responsible for their own billings.

Education, Licensing, & Experience

• Current College of Physicians of BC (CPSBC) - Full

• Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) - Mandatory

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) - Desired

• A Medical Degree and eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

• Must hold / be eligible for specialist qualifications in psychiatry from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

• Must hold / be eligible for Subspecialty certification in Geriatric Psychiatry / possess an accredited fellowship in geriatric Psychiatry in Canada/US/UK/Australia/New Zealand

• Eligibility for a clinical faculty appointment with the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine is ideal.

• Candidates must meet credentialing requirements of Vancouver Coastal Health.

• Additionally, the candidate should have

• A demonstrated ability working as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

• Familiarity with the principles of Recovery and Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Mental Health.

• A commitment to participate in new methods in health improvement and care delivery.

Interested in applying? Feel free to reach out to Khuushali Raja, Executive and Medical Staff Talent Acquisition Advisor medstaffcareers@vch.ca or click “Apply Now.”

Please note that a resume and cover letter are required to apply for this position.

As per Ministry of Health policy, all health care workers working in publicly-funded health care facilities are required to report their past receipt of certain vaccines or history of certain infections. Collecting these records will allow for offering of any missing vaccines, and for appropriate actions to be taken in the event of any future exposure to a communicable disease or during outbreaks. For all new hires and appointments to Vancouver Coastal Health, you will be asked to provide this information as part of the onboarding process.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH? VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.

Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2024.