Therapy Assistant

Reporting to the manager and under the clinical direction and supervision of a therapist, the Therapy Assistant will contribute to effective and efficient rehabilitation services across the health continuum (healthy living, getting better, living with illness/disease, end of life). The Therapy Assistant fulfills four key roles. Service Provider: Supports the patient/client and assists the therapist with direct and indirect client care and non-client service provision, including functional and goal oriented services to clients, families, groups, and communities. Collaborator: Works effectively with internal and external partners to optimize services. Life Long Learner: Enhances competency and service through reflective practice and continuous learning. Paraprofessional: Applies professionalism and ethics to the provision of person-centered care and participation in care teams. Assessment Related Activities: Screens clients using established protocols and procedures and administers specific components of standardized assessment tools as assigned by therapist. Recognizes potential risks, client limitations, changes in client status, and adverse reactions, and adapts or refrains from activities accordingly (e.g. suspends treatment in response to fatigue) and/or engages other resources appropriately and reports these changes/ actions to supervising therapist. Demonstrates awareness of supports and restrictions related to the client’s ability to execute tasks and participate in life situations. Applies knowledge of disease and normal health and development to understand and report on individual clients. Seeks clarification, assistance, guidance, and/or expertise from supervising therapist(s) when necessary.

As a Therapy Assistant, you will work both individually and as part of an interprofessional team under the assignment, monitoring and evaluation of an audiologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, recreation therapist or speech-language pathologist. You will contribute to effective and efficient rehabilitation services including direct and indirect client care across the health care continuum (healthy living, getting better, living with illness and disability, end of life care) for all ages as well as non-client service provision. This role will require you to work effectively with internal and external partners, and display professionalism and strong ethics in both client centered care and participation in care teams. You will demonstrate evidence of reflective thinking and lifelong learning that enhances individual and team competency. You will have opportunities to use your interpersonal and clinical skills in contributing to quality improvement, program planning and student supervision.

Completion of diploma from an accredited post-secondary rehabilitation Therapy Assistant program or equivalent training may be considered.

Planning: Assists in developing, scheduling, preparing, implementing and evaluating programs. Contributes to the development and modification of the client’s care plan, including providing input to goals and interventions. Uses available resources and contributes to the enhancement of program/service delivery. Demonstrates effective problem solving within the team. Quality Improvement/Assurance: Actively participate in ongoing education and the incorporation of new information into daily practice. Actively participating in his/her performance appraisal process and working to improve identified areas. Diploma from an approved post-secondary Therapist Assistant or Therapeutic Recreation program or applicable equivalent training (e.g. linguistics degree, kinesiology degree, hearing aid practitioner diploma or internationally educated rehabilitation therapist). CPR and valid drivers’ license required.

Relevant experience in rehabilitation and applicable health care setting. Community & Geriatric experience is an asset and preferred.