Status: Full-time Permanent
Location:
St. Catharines, Ontario
Open
Date: November 7, 2025
Who We Are
Niagara Children’s Centre is
recognized throughout the Niagara Region as the provider of rehabilitation and
support services to children and youth with physical, developmental and
communicative delays and disabilities.
Core services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and
language services, augmentative and alternative communication, family services
and therapeutic recreation. Our family-centred programs aim at helping each
child achieve their own unique potential within their home, school and in the
community.
As an employee of the Centre,
you will be part of a community dedicated to creating a welcoming and
supportive environment for the children and youth we serve. We are a place where families are at the
heart of all we do. We continue to provide innovative ways of delivering high
quality services and strengthening our family-centred care philosophy. We want
to see “Niagara’s Children and Youth at Their Best!” Join a team that makes a
real difference in the lives of children and youth every day.
The 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.
Key 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.
Why Join Us?
- We provide a total rewards package that
supports your well-being and supports and encourages continuous professional
development and growth.
- Provide a competitive hiring range of $83,050.5
-$97,812 commensurate with experience.
- Participation in a Defined Benefit
Pension Plan (HOOPP) from day one of employment with us, we offer healthcare
and dental benefits, and access to the Employee and Family Assistance program.
Application Process
If you are inspired by the work of
Niagara Children’s Centre and would like to join our team, we want to hear from
you! To review the job description and pursue
this career opportunity, please visit our website at www.niagarachildrenscentre.com
We will be reviewing candidate
submissions as they are received and move forward with interviews. Early
submission is encouraged.
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.
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.