Join us in building a world of possibility! Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada’s largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital. We are a top 40 Canadian research hospital that is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and we serve over 8,500 families annually.
Our vision is to support the most meaningful and healthy futures for all children, youth and families. Providing both inpatient and outpatient programs and services, Holland Bloorview is renowned for its expertise in partnering with clients and families to provide exceptional care and is the only organization to ever achieve 100 per cent in three successive quality surveys by Accreditation Canada.
Holland Bloorview has won numerous awards including Greater Toronto's Top Employers, Canada's Top Employers for Young People and Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures. We offer an inspiring, inclusive, innovative, and collaborative work environment with competitive compensation and benefit packages and opportunities for ongoing learning and professional growth.
The Early Learning and Development department is seeking an Early Childhood Educator to work at its Play and Learn Site nursery school located in Central Toronto. The nursery school serves children 18 months to 4 years and their families. Children may have disabilities that include physical, developmental, communication and/or autism.
The Position:
The Early Learning and Development department is seeking an Occupational Therapist for the Holland Bloorview nursery school sites: Play and Learn (Eglinton Avenue W and Spadina Rd) & Scarborough (Eglinton Avenue E and Warden) and the Infant and Child Development Service. This is a unique role within two distinct programs spanning four (4) days a week and a service one (1) day a week.
Our nursery school programs integrate children with and without disabilities, and promote awareness, support and understanding of inclusion for all children.
Our philosophy:
- All children benefit from an early learning environment that supports each child’s abilities and respects the importance of family.
- We lead and guide all children through natural play-based activities to achieve their personal best
The Infant and Child Development Service provides support and services to families with children from birth to school entry who have a developmental delay and/or disability. For children and their families, this service sets a critical foundation for healthy development and improves long-term outcomes across the lifespan.
This exceptional role provides opportunities to work within skilled and engaged interprofessional teams, and directly with families in their home environments. This dual role supports the early intervention needs of children and families throughout the GTA.
This is a full-time position of 35 hours per week (7 hours per day). Please see the “Operations” section for detailed shift information.
Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and families to formulate individualized child-centered goals with focused, targeted and measurable outcomes.
- In collaboration with the ECEs and family, plan, implement and evaluate care including: assessment, analysis and planning of intervention, documentation of the habilitative/rehabilitative process according to hospital and college policies/standards and evaluation of care through outcome measures.
- Demonstrate solution-focused thinking and problem solving with members of the interprofessional care team and community providers as appropriate, to ensure an integrated approach to care within a play-based model of early education and care or family care at home.
- Incorporate evaluative activities into professional practice to ensure the delivery of efficient and effective health care within a nursery school or family home.
- Demonstrate strong critical thinking/reasoning and utilize research to establish and support evidence-informed practice.
- Utilize the teaching/learning process to provide education on various conditions, both formal and informal, to ECEs, families, colleagues, students, and other professionals within the organization and the community.
- Provide consultation, direct service, mediation and/or education to ECEs, families, and as appropriate, community providers, with focus on maximizing the child’s function in the areas of self-care, productivity (school, home and play skills) and leisure (community or recreation participation).
- Address challenges identified in client occupational performance. Provide assessment, intervention, and recommendations directed at the person, occupation and environmental factors influencing occupational performance.
- Support families with applications, letters, and/or referrals for their children to other services as appropriate.
- One day a week, travel within the GTA to family homes for consultation within the Infant and Child Development Service.
- Practice according to organizational policies and standards for practice as set out by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario and the policies, procedures and standards of care of Holland Bloorview.
- Contribute to the organization's academic mission through student supervision and/or academic teaching and/or contribution to research.
- Attend monthly Practice Council meetings and other hospital/department specific meetings.
- Other duties as assigned.
Operations
- The two Nursery School programs and one Infant and Child Development service operate from September to June annually (10 months). Closed for summer break (July, August), 2 weeks winter break (December),1 week March break (March) and Easter Monday.
- Shift time in the nursery schools is 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Shift times in Infant and Child Development Service are adjusted based on caseload needs, but typically will not begin before 8:30 am or end later than 4:00 pm
Quality and Safety
- Maintain current knowledge and training in Holland Bloorview’s emergency procedures.
- Participate in quality improvement initiatives, support the maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment and advance a culture of client safety through work and daily practices.
- Embrace Holland Bloorview’s philosophy regarding client and family-centred care practices.
- Adheres to all Holland Bloorview, Ministry of Education, and City of Toronto Children’s Services policy and protocols related to child care operations and home visiting services.
Qualifications:
Education & Training
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy required; Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy preferred
- Current registration in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario is required
- Membership in the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and/or the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists is an asset
- Knowledge of and experience in occupational therapy assessment and treatment of children with a variety of conditions
- Knowledge of and experience with occupational therapy assessment techniques, therapeutic skills, modalities and their applications
- Experience with current outcome measures (i.e. Goal Attainment Scaling, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure)
- Training in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certification an asset
- Status appointment in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at University of Toronto is an asset
Experience
- Minimum 2 years' pediatric experience required
- Previous work with children aged birth to 5 years is preferred
- Experience working in a play-based setting is an asset
- Experience working in family homes is an asset
- ADP authorizer status or eligibility to apply for registration as an authorizer is an asset
Skills
- Ability to apply adult education principles to deliver new knowledge to educators who are supporting all children’s participation and inclusion in group care
- Demonstrated ability to be self-directed and effectively and efficiently manage fluctuating responsibilities
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with ECEs, families, clients, community members and other members of the interprofessional care team
- Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of an interprofessional team is essential
- Demonstrated commitment to professional development
Other Requirements
Upon hire, staff are required to complete:
- a Vulnerable Sector Check with their local police service (completed at own expense)
- an Occupational Health Review including documentation of tuberculosis (TB) testing and vaccination status as per the Child Care Early Years Acy (CCEYA)
- Current Basic Cardiac Life Support Certificate - Basic Rescuer (C) as per the Child Care Early Years Acy (CCEYA). If you do not have a current certification, you will be required to obtain it in a timely manner at your own time and expense
- New staff orientation at hospital site
The Occupational Therapist in this role must have access to a vehicle and willingness to travel in the GTA to family homes
Physical and Environmental Demands
- The nursery schools are fast paced lively environments, requiring agility and considerable physical activity including significant walking, bending, lifting, pushing/pulling, and physical interventions to maintain safety, participation and goal obtainment of children within the learning and/or home environment
- Transitions/transfers/transports children into specialized and non-specialized equipment for indoor and outdoor play and participation
- Required to lift/carry materials, resources and/or children weighing up to 50 lbs
- In collaboration with other staff, provides support as needed in daily activities and routines of young children, including but not limited to feeding and dressing for outdoors/home
- Exposure to childhood illness and bodily fluids
Sensory demands
- Noise generated within a classroom setting
- Sights and smells associated with physical care of children
This job description represents a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties. The responsibilities, tasks and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in this job description. Other duties, as assigned, may become part of the job.
