The Department of Psychiatry in Nanaimo are seeking a part-time General Psychiatrist to provide services at the Parksville Treatment Centre (PTC) for substance use care.
The successful candidate will be a member of and work collaboratively with other members of the PTC team. Providing psychiatric services for at least 44 weeks per year for, on average, about 7.5 hours per week, or approximately 330 hours per year (equivalent of 0.2 FTEs, based on 1680 minimum hours of services per FTE). While the number of hours may vary each week, the Psychiatrist will manage their schedule to ensure continuity of psychiatry care for the PTC patients during the year, providing care for the PTC patients during at least 44 weeks of the year.
The patient population will be comprised of inpatients at the PTC who are there for substance use treatment for up to 90 days there will be 19 adult patients admitted at any given time who will all be experiencing substance use with co-occurring mild to moderate mental health challenges and/or chronic medical co-morbidities. Major goals of service abstinence-based treatment and recovery.
The successful candidate will provide psychiatric services within the PTC in collaboration with other physicians and health professionals, including, but not limited to addiction medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, clinicians, and nurses. Services provided will include psychiatric assessment, case formulation, and medication management to patients with a range of psychiatric disorders and co-morbidities, including severe substance use disorders.
Work will be on-site at the Island Health PTC and may include some virtual/telephone options.
Administrative duties of the position, include attending departmental and multidisciplinary meetings. As Island Health is part of the UBC Faculty of Medicine Island Medical Program, training of medical students and residents is expected and applying for a clinical appointment is required.
On-call responsibility is mandatory for Island Health Psychiatrists, under a Departmental MOCAP contract, and averages one weekend day every 4-6 weeks. Members of the psychiatric team within Nanaimo provide cross-coverage for vacations and holidays.
The successful candidate will have expertise in treating people with substance use issues as well as situational problems and psychiatric disorders. As an integral part of an interdisciplinary team, you will be joining other psychiatrists and therapists to provide psychiatric expertise in various clinical processes. These will include assessment by one-time consults, brief intervention/short term stabilization, and individual psychotherapy/ psychoeducation.
Clinical Duties
- You will be assessing and treating patients across a broad range of diagnosis including Substance Use Disorder patients with concurrent disorders, such as Mood, Anxiety, Adjustment, and Psychotic disorders. Co-morbid Personality Disorders, brain injuries and other physical disorders are also common.
- Assessment and short-term treatment
- Clinical documentation will be maintained in the Island Health hybrid chart consistent with current and evolving standards and policy.
- Participation in the on-call schedule.
Administration Duties
Attend meetings, provide reports, and maintain medical credentials per Island Health Medical Staff Rules and VIHA policy, where appropriate.
Additional Information
All part-time Psychiatry positions can be combined with available other part-time positions to create a rewarding and diverse full-time Psychiatry practice.
Benefits
Island Health provides administrative staff, computer system, integrated EMR, and office space.
May be eligible for additional remuneration in accordance with the Rural Subsidiary Agreement (RSA), including:
Recruitment Incentive: up to a maximum of $10,000 (pro-rated based on FTE)
Relocation: up to a maximum of $15,000 (amount based on location relocating from)
Fee Premium: 4.62%
Flat fee: $7,159.68
CME: $3,000/annum year 3-4 and $6,000/annum after 4 years in the community.
The above amounts are current as of April 2026 and maybe subject to change.
For more information, please visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-res…
Community Information
Parksville is located on the unceded and traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Snaw-naw-as, and Stzuminus People. This city has one of the most temperature climates in all of Canada, with sandy beaches and activities galore for everyone from young families to retirement to enjoy. The community has a slower pace of life, where people take time to enjoy the beauty of the area and the endless outdoor activities. Spend a day at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, stop by the Coombs market for international foods and goods, or head out for a hike to see some of the beautiful waterfalls throughout the region. All the urban city amenities are only a 30-minute drive away in Nanaimo and regularly scheduled ferry, air and float plane services offer easy access to Vancouver. Families can choose among public education or several private schools nearby. This community has a perfect blend of a quiet seaside town with convenient access to the urban lifestyle.
