Job Summary
Compensation Type Detail
The compensation type for this role is Mixed Sessional Contract and Fee-for-Service
Come work as a Community Treatment (Sp-ACT) Psychiatrist with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!
The Specialized Assertive Community Treatment (SpACT) Team provides intensive, interdisciplinary, community-based psychiatric care and psychosocial rehabilitation for individuals living with serious and persistent mental illness, often complicated by concurrent substance use disorders, complex medical needs, and significant involvement with the criminal justice system. Through a collaborative, person-centred, and outreach-based model, SpACT works in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), forensic psychiatric services, corrections, and other community partners to improve continuity of care, promote recovery and community stability.
As a Specialized Assertive Community Treatment (SpACT) Psychiatrist with Vancouver Coastal Health, you will:
- Provide outreach-based, longitudinal psychiatric care for a small caseload of highly complex clients living in the community who experience serious and persistent mental illness, concurrent substance use disorders, complex medical and psychosocial needs, and significant involvement with the criminal justice system often due to considerable violence risk.
- Work closely with an engaged interdisciplinary team, including nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, peer support workers and other allied health professionals.
- Collaborate closely with the Vancouver Police Department, forensic psychiatric services, correctional services, and other justice system partners to support coordinated treatment planning, risk assessment, and continuity of psychiatric care across health and justice systems.
- Work collaboratively with inpatient and tertiary psychiatric services, housing providers, community clinics, pharmacies, and other community partners to support clients with complex care needs and transitions between services.
- Provide comprehensive psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing risk assessment, incorporating principles of community psychiatry, recovery-oriented care, and trauma-informed practice.
- Work alongside VPD officers in community outreach settings, including police-accompanied clinical assessments and interventions when indicated to support safe and effective care.
Qualifications
Education, Licensing, & Experience:
- Provisional OR unrestricted license to practice medicine from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC).
- Eligibility or active fellowship in psychiatry from the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC).
- Eligibility or current appointment as clinical faculty with University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine.
- Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) – Mandatory.
Knowledge & Abilities:
- Demonstrated experience working with individuals living with serious and persistent mental illness, often complicated by concurrent substance use disorders, complex medical needs, significant psychosocial challenges, and involvement with the criminal justice system. Understanding of community psychiatry, assertive outreach, mandated community psychiatric care, and recovery-oriented approaches to treatment.
- Ability to provide flexible, patient-centred psychiatric care in community and outreach settings, including complex clinical decision-making, risk assessment, and management of challenging psychiatric and behavioural presentations.
- Strong collaborative skills and an understanding of interdisciplinary and interagency team-based care, including shared decision-making, coordinated treatment planning, and effective navigation of health, housing, forensic, and justice systems.
- Familiarity with the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system, and the importance of balancing therapeutic engagement, patient autonomy, and public safety.
Opportunities & Professional Development:
- Opportunities for clinical teaching and supervision of psychiatry residents and concurrent disorders/addiction medicine fellows, including elective and longitudinal training experiences.
- Engagement in program evaluation, quality improvement initiatives, research, and other scholarly activities.
- Opportunities to contribute to the development and implementation of an innovative specialized ACT model, including program development, service innovation, and continuous improvement in the delivery of community-based psychiatric care for justice-involved populations.
- Opportunities for interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration with health, forensic, policing, and correctional partners.
- Access to medical leadership training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
- Supportive and collaborative operational and medical leadership teams, with dedicated administrative support to facilitate clinical practice.
Closing Statement
Interested in applying? Feel free to reach out to Ben Murphy, 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):
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.
- Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
- 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
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, BC's Top Employers, Canada's Best Diversity Employers and Canada's Top Employers for Young People in 2026.
Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.
