Occupational Therapist - Family Intensive Outreach Services (FIOS)

Position Summary

The MHA Program at IWK Health provides a full spectrum of mental health services that includes outpatient community mental health, intensive day treatment and residential services for children and adolescents, inpatient hospital care, forensics, and addictions. The current position is with the Family Intensive Outreach Service (FIOS) of the Adolescent Intensive Services portfolio. FIOS is a community-based outreach service that provides intensive treatment to clients and their families, struggling with Disruptive Behaviour Disorders.

Reporting to the Clinical Manager of Adolescent Intensive Services, and under the direction of the FIOS Team Leader, the Occupational Therapist is a member of the interdisciplinary team and provides clinical intervention within an Occupational Therapy scope of practice to children/youth and families experiencing disruptive behaviour disorders. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: conducting, interpreting and utilizing standardized assessments of occupational function; using functional assessments to establish occupational identities and roles; assisting children/youth with occupational choices; contributing with remediating the impairments associated with illness; assessing for and recommending assistive technology as appropriate to enhance occupational performance; providing individual intervention on a direct, consultative, or monitoring basis; providing input into discharge, case management and transition/after care planning. As necessary, appropriately supervises the implementation of recommended interventions for occupational performance by other members of the interdisciplinary team. The Occupational Therapist provides leadership and support around the client’s treatment plan, participates in clinical case discussion, team meetings, and case conferences, and supports program operations. The Occupational Therapist demonstrates professionalism, adheres to standards of their professional practice and maintains the principles of client and family-centered care.

Clinical services are provided to families in their homes or other locations convenient to them requiring the incumbent to travel regularly within Halifax Regional Municipality.

Hours of Work

Monday to Friday, 7.5 hours days, evening work may be necessary to meet needs of clients/families

Qualifications

• Graduate of a World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) approved Occupational Therapy Program required.
• Licensed member, or eligible for licensure, of the College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia (COTNS) required.
• Registered member of the Nova Scotia Society of Occupational Therapists (NSSOT) required.
• Registered, or eligible for membership, in the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) required.
• Successful completion of Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support (BLS) program within the last 12 months required or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate required.
• Nonviolent Crisis intervention (NCI) Certification required.
• Minimum two (2) years clinical experience as an Occupational Therapist with child and adolescent populations required, five years preferred.
• Minimum two (2) years experience working in a mental health and addictions setting strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of disruptive behaviours disorders.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of mental health and addiction disorders, family systems approach and evidenced treatment modalities preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy model an asset.
• Working knowledge of CONNECT and Trauma Informed Care preferred.
• Experience in assessment in functional goal setting treatment planning required.
• Experience in creating and delivering evidence-based individual and family interventions preferred.
• Ability to assess risk of harm to self and others, and triage appropriately preferred.
• Demonstrated excellent communication, problem solving, leadership, and administrative skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize workload, maintain flexibility to respond to competing demands, and ensure effective organization and time management required.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, as a member of an inter-disciplinary team and collaboratively with community partners and families required.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution skills required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and competences in meeting IWK clinical documentation standards preferred.
• Knowledge of the mental health and addictions services offered within the IWK Health Centre, the community, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of clinical case management.
• Valid Driver’s license and access to reliable transportation for travel required.
• Competency in other languages an asset; French preferred.