Recreation Therapy Assistant

**Recreation Therapy Assistant**

**Status**: Temporary Full-time

**Location**: St. Catharines, Ontario

**Open Date**: July 8, 2025

**Closing Date**: July 22, 2025

The Recreation Therapist Assistant, under the direction of a Recreation Therapist, directly supports the participation of children and youth with disabilities in recreation and leisure activities to enhance quality of life, participation, and therapeutic outcomes. The Recreation Therapist Assistant (RTA) achieves these outcomes by planning and leading a variety of recreation activities for children and youth with a variety of developmental, physical and communicative challenges, age birth-18, and their families. The RTA leverages child and family strengths to overcome barriers to participation within activities that match the child/families interests and goals. This position reports to the Manager, Clinical Services and is a one-year contract.

Some key responsibilities include:

- _**Treatment planning**:_Assist in preparing a child's intervention plan in order to target the goals outlined by a Recreation Therapist. This may include selecting activities, creating, organizing and preparing materials, observing assessments, researching therapy ideas or equipment information, attending meetings, scheduling appointments.
- _**Intervention**:_Carry out intervention based on goals outlined by the Recreation Therapist. Service delivery models may include direct or group interventions, home programs, or parent training sessions. Intervention may take place in a variety of sites (child’s home, Centre site(s), outdoor community locations, private or public community facilities). Photocopying, filing, mailing, and faxing
- _**Reporting/Record Keeping**_**:Keep the Recreation Therapist, family, and other team members informed regarding child's progress and performance both verbally and in the child’s electronic health record. This includes scheduling and session notes capturing progress/responses to activities, participation, strengths and barriers, health changes, and other relevant information.
- _**Centre Therapy Material and Equipment**:_Maintain inventory and organization of recreation therapy materials/equipment. Ensure all equipment used is safe, developmentally appropriate, and in working order. Resolve broken/missing equipment issues. Source and/or create materials and equipment necessary to fulfill program needs.
- _**Recreation Equipment Loans**:_Oversee & carry-out processes for family loans of adapted Recreation Equipment
- _**Registration and Scheduling**:_ Receive and process registrations for open-registration recreational activities, including obtaining information about the child and family necessary to ensure safe participation and appropriate fit for activities.
- _**Presentations**:_Deliver presentations co-developed with the Recreation Therapist to a variety of audiences including internal staff and community partners. Content may include community recreational programming, Centre recreation programming, andbest practices for inclusion and adapted recreation. May include representing the Centre at community events related to children’s services or recreational services.
- _**Pool Supervision**:_Schedule and supervise open-registration swim sessions at the Centre’s “Class B” pool, following the Centre’s pool policies and pool supervision training program.

**Health and Safety**

The Recreation Therapist Assistant 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 and supervisory review.

**Key Relationships**:
The Recreation Therapist Assistant is concerned with the effectiveness of all relationships that affect the Centre. The following are particularly significant to the position:

- **External**_
- Children and youth, and their families and other caregivers
- Staff of other agencies
- Community program leaders
- **Internal**_
- Clinical managers and staff
- Volunteers and students

**Performance Factors**:
In assessing the performance of an incumbent in this position, the following factors will be utilized as appropriate:

- Workload
- Clinical outcomes
- Documentation
- Relationships
- Other factors as determined jointly by the incumbent and the manager

**Position Specifications**:

- **Education**:_

The minimum specifications for an incumbent will include one of the following:

- Recreation Therapy Diploma
- Child and Youth Studies Degree (or related degree)

Additional certifications or training in Therapeutic Recreation or Child Development would be an asset.

Current National Lifeguard Certification and/or Aquatics Instructor certifications an asset.
- **Knowledge/Skills**:_
- Knowledge of recreational therapy principles and activities that promote child development and therapeutic progre