Office Location: 730 Syndicate Ave South Thunder Bay | Thunder Bay, ON P7E1E9, CAN
Purpose of the position
The Physiotherapist in this position is primarily responsible for the assessment, treatment and consultation services required as part of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) and community Child First Team serving children from birth to 18 years of age with a developmental delay or disability living in remote northern communities.
The role of physiotherapist is to apply, adapt and incorporate conventional pediatric physiotherapy treatment strategies into the therapy plans children identified in each community.
This position requires a physiotherapist who is a transdisciplinary thinker providing integrated programs for children with motor impairments and associated difficulties. This will require the ability to plan and deliver in collaboration with professional colleagues, integrated programs that address all aspects of each child’s development i.e. motor, language and communication, cognitive and social skills.
The Physiotherapist will travel to 5 KO communities for one week four times a year and will utilize telemedicine to provide follow up, consultation, teaching and reassessment when not in the communities. Travel to Thunder Bay and Red Lake will also be required at least once every year.
Accountability
The Physiotherapist reports directly to, and works under the administrative supervision of the Jordan's Principle Coordinator
Duties and Responsibilities
- To provide appropriate and effective physiotherapy intervention to children with a developmental delay or disability living in KO communities.
- To plan programs and conduct assessments of the children’s physical learning needs
- To provide advice, guidance and information to the child, their family/ caregivers, health care professionals and the community-based Child First Case Manager and workers.
- The ability to work actively with the children during their motor and self-care programs.
- It is expected that the staff member maintains a good level of physical health and wellbeing in order to fulfil the physical requirements of the role.
- To maintain up-to-date knowledge of paediatric physiotherapy. This should include: neurophysiology, musculoskeletal/orthopaedics/surgical/medical interventions/treatment strategies.
- To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of work undertaken.
- To apply clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and reflection to effectively contribute to team clinical decision making.
- To carry out appropriate and accurate assessment and therapy input to children who have diverse clinical presentations and complex needs, utilizing appropriate assessment tools.
- To work within groups as a both a leader or skilled facilitator. To lead or assist children in sessions.
- which will include mobility and transfers, sensory/motor tasks, activities of daily living, communication and academic programs
- To have knowledge of orthopaedic/musculoskeletal development in children with sensory motor difficulties and implement appropriate intervention both individually and within programs.
- To evaluate intervention and progress through reflection, analysis and outcome measures and document appropriately.
- To support child centered care ensuring the child and their family/caregivers are actively involved in their own goal setting.
- To ensure that the child and their family’s goals (based on assessment of need) are integrated into programs which are imaginative and creative and develop the child’s motivation.
- To lead group and individual programs in such a way that each child can maximize their potential for learning new skills and consolidating existing ones across the full range of development.
- To have knowledge of pediatric specialist equipment and be able to assess and order equipment appropriately.
- To undertake complex risk assessments in the following areas: moving and handling risk assessment, use of specialist equipment, environmental risks. To advise others on how to manage, or minimize risk to themselves and the child.
- To work with other key staff in assessing the changing needs of the children on a regular basis and use the outcomes of these assessments to plan and modify programs.
- To communicate and liaise with parents regularly and consistently in order to develop a close working relationship, meet their needs and objectives and promote continuity of care.
- To participate in and contribute to capacity strengthening activities for staff, parents, Elders and volunteers.
- To undertake such other duties as may reasonably be expected.
- Risk management
- Work with the communities to Identify and evaluate the risks to the programs (clients, staff, volunteers), and assist the communities to implement measures to control and minimize risks.
- Ethical responsibilities
- Maintains confidentiality
- Respect and safeguard client rights
- Respect the client’s autonomy and right to be treated with respect, dignity, and worth
- Safeguard the client’s well-being, and cause no harm to clients
- Ensures that clients have opportunities to express concerns
- Encourages feedback on ways to improve services
- Educational responsibilities
- Promote education and continuous learning
- Participate in educational opportunities
- Share knowledge with colleagues
- Participate in continuous quality improvement activities
- Identify capacity strengthening activities required by the communities and assist them in the development of a capacity strengthening plan
- Record keeping, reporting, and accountability responsibilities
- Keep accurate and timely records and reports observations
- Reports incidents, accidents, and unusual activity, immediately
Supervision responsibilities: Participate in and accept supervision/feedback from the Health Director
Other duties: Accepts other duties as may be assigned
Minimum Qualifications
- Must be sensitive to the cultural traditions of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak people
- Experience working with First Nation communities
- Proven leadership abilities, including accountability, and work-habits
- Experience and skills working in a political environment
- Experience in collecting and reporting statistics
- Knowledge of the complex multi-layered structure of health and social program targeted to children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families
- Masters of Physiotherapy
- Registered and in good standing with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
- Effective decision making and leadership qualities;
- Strong written and verbal communication skills;
- Demonstration and oral presentation abilities.
- Must be a permanent resident of Canada.
Salary Range: $95,000 to $100,000
Only those chosen for interviews will be contacted.
