Niagara Children’s Centre is hiring for an:
Occupational Therapist (Full-Time Contract Ending April 30, 2025) x 1
Role:
The Occupational Therapist works to
improve participation and quality of life through a child’s ability to perform
role-appropriate, day-to-day tasks necessary for self-care (such
as feeding, dressing, toileting); productivity (such as school,
work); and leisure and play within their environment. This
process involves assessment, identification of strengths and needs,
goal-setting, treatment planning, and implementation of treatment in a direct,
indirect or consultative manner, as indicated, then discharge.
As an employee of Niagara Children's Centre, the
Occupational Therapist may be assigned to one or more services. These include single
or interdisciplinary services, and specialized programs provided by the Centre
such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Upper Extremity Casting and
Splinting, Seating and Mobility and Home and Vehicle Modification Clinics.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Assessment: The Occupational Therapist
assesses the development of a child’s functional abilities in activities of
daily living, school/work and play/leisure within the child’s natural
environment. This may include standardized and non-standardized assessment of
the child’s neuromuscular, sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychosocial skills as
well as the physical and sociocultural characteristics of the child’s
environments. Assessment may take place at a variety of locations, such as the
Centre, the Centre school, the child’s home, community school or preschool, or
other community setting as well as online through virtual telepractice.
- Treatment
Planning: On the basis of the
assessment, the Occupational Therapist collaborates with the child/family,
educator, school or preschool, other therapists, and others who may be
involved, to identify goals and to establish an appropriate treatment plan to
achieve the goals.
- Intervention: The Occupational Therapist provides intervention to achieve the treatment
plan and to maintain, develop or restore the child’s highest potential for
performing self-care, school/work, and play/leisure activities. Intervention
may also include the prevention of conditions that may limit potential; and the
assessment for, selection of, and training in, the use of assistive technology
and/or devices to facilitate active participation or independence in day-to-day
tasks.
- Intervention may
be provided in various environments; through a variety of service delivery
options (e.g., individual, group, parent education, home programming), on a
direct or indirect or consultative basis, and either in a uni-disciplinary
setting or as part of an inter or multi-disciplinary team.
- Service
coordination with family and other members
of the child’s team.
- Supervision: The Occupational Therapist may be requested to supervise OTAs as part of
their regular workload and in doing so, must adhere to the policies established
in the COTO Standards for the Supervision of Occupational Therapist Assistants
(2018). OTs may also be requested to supervise students or volunteers.
- Documentation: The Occupational Therapist is responsible for report writing in
accordance with the Ontario College of Occupational Therapists guidelines (such
as assessments, progress reports, transition reports, and discharge summaries). In addition there
may be documentation requirements such as internal and external referrals;
funding application forms on behalf of families or parent correspondence. The
Occupational Therapist is also responsible for the daily and accurate recording
in the Centre’s data collection system of daily activities and clients seen.
- Education: The Occupational Therapist is responsible for providing education to
parents and the community; promotional activities on behalf
of the Centre. Through conferences, lectures and other training, the
Occupational Therapist will keep current in new approaches and research,
particularly if assigned to a specialized clinic with emerging and changing
knowledge and technology.
Health and Safety
The Occupational Therapist will comply with the
duties assigned to Workers as per Section 28 of the Ontario Occupational Health
and Safety Act.
Accountability and Freedom to
Act:
The incumbent has latitude for discretion within
practices and procedures covered by precedents, Centre policy and procedure
manuals, standards of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, and
supervisory review.
Key Relationships:
The Occupational Therapist is concerned
with the effectiveness of all relationships that affect the Centre. The
following are particularly significant to the position:
External:
- Children, and their families and
other caregivers.
- Regulated professionals involved
in the care of the child/family such as physicians, public health personnel,
nurse practitioners.
- Teachers and Educational
Assistants in all school and child care systems.
- Staff of Community partner
agencies and programs
- Vendors and suppliers of equipment
and services being considered for use by clients.
- Staff at relevant government
offices/branches that are responsible for approval and/or provision of
client specific funding, services or equipment
- Case managers at HNHB LHIN (if
assigned to Acute Home Care).
Internal:
- Staff at all levels in the
organization.
Performance
Factors:
In assessing the performance of an incumbent in this
position, the following factors will be utilized as appropriate:
- Workload
and productivity relative to established standards.
- Clinical
outcomes: the degree to which care plans are well-designed and goals are
achieved.
- Documentation:
the accuracy, relevance and timeliness.
- Relationships
and communication with: clients and families, colleagues, staff from other
agencies.
Position Specifications:
Education:
The minimum specifications for an incumbent will include:
- Registration
and membership in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of
Ontario.
Knowledge/Skills:
An incumbent will be expected to have the following
knowledge and skills:
- A
sound understanding and skill in the practice of occupational therapy.
- The
ability to work effectively with children and their families.
- Sufficient
computer literacy in Microsoft Office to complete work requirements.
- The
ability to assess children in a telepractice setting.
Other:
- Access
to reliable transportation and possession of a driver’s license valid for the
province of Ontario is required.
- A
current criminal reference check for vulnerable populations.
- CPR
certification.
- Evidence
of non-violent crisis intervention training.