Recreation Therapy Assistant
Status: Temporary Full-time
Location: St. Catharines,
Ontario
Open Date: July 8, 2025
The Recreation Therapist Assistant, under the direction of a Recreation
Therapist, directly supports the participation of children and youth with
disabilities in recreation and leisure activities to enhance quality of life,
participation, and therapeutic outcomes. The Recreation Therapist Assistant
(RTA) achieves these outcomes by planning and leading a variety of recreation
activities for children and youth with a variety of developmental, physical and
communicative challenges, age birth-18, and their families. The RTA leverages
child and family strengths to overcome barriers to participation within
activities that match the child/families interests and goals. This position reports to the Manager, Clinical
Services and is a one-year contract.
Some key responsibilities
include:
- Treatment
planning: Assist in preparing a child's intervention plan in order to target the
goals outlined by a Recreation Therapist. This may include selecting
activities, creating, organizing and preparing materials, observing
assessments, researching therapy ideas or equipment information, attending
meetings, scheduling appointments.
- Intervention: Carry out intervention
based on goals outlined by the Recreation Therapist. Service delivery models
may include direct or group interventions, home programs, or parent training
sessions. Intervention may take place in a variety of sites (child’s home,
Centre site(s), outdoor community locations, private or public community
facilities). Photocopying, filing, mailing, and faxing
- Reporting/Record
Keeping: Keep the Recreation Therapist,
family, and other team members informed regarding child's progress and
performance both verbally and in the child’s electronic health record. This
includes scheduling and session notes capturing progress/responses to
activities,
participation, strengths and barriers, health changes, and other
relevant information.
- Centre Therapy Material and Equipment: Maintain inventory
and organization of recreation therapy materials/equipment. Ensure all
equipment used is safe, developmentally appropriate, and in working order.
Resolve broken/missing equipment issues.
Source and/or create materials and equipment necessary to fulfill
program needs.
- Recreation Equipment Loans: Oversee & carry-out processes for family
loans of adapted Recreation Equipment
- Registration and Scheduling: Receive and process registrations for
open-registration recreational activities, including obtaining information
about the child and family necessary to ensure safe participation and
appropriate fit for activities.
- Presentations: Deliver presentations co-developed with the
Recreation Therapist to a variety of audiences including internal staff and
community partners. Content may include community recreational programming,
Centre recreation programming, and best practices for inclusion and adapted recreation. May include
representing the Centre at community events related to children’s services or
recreational services.
- Pool Supervision: Schedule and supervise open-registration swim
sessions at the Centre’s “Class B” pool, following the Centre’s pool policies
and pool supervision training program.
Health and Safety
The
Recreation Therapist Assistant 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 and supervisory review.
Key
Relationships:
The Recreation Therapist Assistant is concerned with the
effectiveness of all relationships that affect the Centre. The following are particularly significant to
the position:
External
- Children and youth, and their families and
other caregivers
- Staff of other agencies
- Community program leaders
Internal
- Clinical managers and staff
- Volunteers and students
Performance Factors:
In
assessing the performance of an incumbent in this position, the following
factors will be utilized as appropriate:
- Workload
- Clinical
outcomes
- Documentation
- Relationships
- Other factors as determined jointly by
the incumbent and the manager
Position Specifications:
Education:
The minimum specifications for an
incumbent will include one of the following:
- Recreation Therapy Diploma
- Child and Youth Studies Degree (or related
degree)
Additional certifications or training
in Therapeutic Recreation or Child Development would be an asset.
Current National Lifeguard
Certification and/or Aquatics Instructor certifications an asset.
Knowledge/Skills:
- Knowledge of recreational therapy
principles and activities that promote child development and therapeutic
progress.
- Knowledge of accessibility and inclusion
practices.
- Strong communication and interpersonal
skills, especially with children and families
- The ability to effectively lead diverse
groups of learners
- Ability to adapt activities based on each
child’s abilities, preferences, and therapeutic goals.
- Creative and resourceful approach to
engaging children in fun and meaningful activities.
- Strong organizational skills and
attention to detail.
- Sufficient computer literacy to produce
letters and reports, enter work and caseload data, access general work
applications such as electronic health records, virtual care
Other:
- Access to a vehicle 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
- Ability
to work multiple evenings per week as well as Saturdays and demonstrate
flexibility in scheduling on a week-to-week basis to meet client and seasonal
programming needs.
- This
position requires the candidate to:
- Be
physically active for long periods with children without being tired or out of
breath
- Push,
lift, pull, or carry heavy objects such as adapted recreation equipment
- Be on
the floor, twisting, turning and lifting children at times; assist children and
youth in transferring in and out of wheelchairs, walkers, bikes, and lifts;
supporting children and youth in various positions to participate safely in
activities
- Be
physically able to respond in an emergency situation including supporting a
child or adult in the therapy pool and providing first aid and CPR
- Be
comfortable supervising pool sessions and working with children in an aquatic
environment
- Previous experience working with children in a
therapeutic, recreational, or healthcare setting is an asset.
- Bilingualism
is an asset
Why Join Us?
- We provide a total rewards package that supports your well-being,
and have a culture that supports and encourages continuous professional
development and growth.
- Provide a competitive hiring range of $44,700.00 - $50,797.00
commensurate with experience.
- Participation in a Defined Benefit Pension Plan (HOOPP) from day
one of employment with us, and access to
the Employee and Family Assistance program.
- Employee wellbeing initiatives and programs
- Inclusive environment that
allows everyone to feel welcomed and part of a dedicated team
- Work life balance with flexible
schedules, summer hours, paid sick days, etc. Social events throughout the year, it’s not
just work!
To
pursue this career opportunity, please send your resume and cover letter to HR@niagarachildrenscentre.com
We
will be reviewing candidate submissions as they are received and move forward
with interviews. Early submission is encouraged.
The
Niagara Children’s Centre is committed to fair and accessible employment
practices. Upon request, suitable accommodation is available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability
Act (AODA) to applicants invited to an interview.
The
Niagara Children’s Centre is a unionized environment.
We
thank all those who apply but only those selected for further consideration
will be contacted. The selected candidate will be required to participate in a
Criminal Background Check.