Occupational Therapist

Through its core values of Courage, Respect and Excellence, CAMH is implementing its Strategic Plan: Connected CAMH, to transform lives, ignite innovation and discovery, revolutionize education and drive social change. CAMH is more than a hospital, it is a cause. CAMH is on a mission to change the way society thinks about and responds to mental illness. They aim to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and shape a world where mental illness is central to our healthcare system – a world where Mental Health is Health.

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The Geriatric Mental Health Outpatient Services provides culturally-sensitive and interdisciplinary assessment, consultation, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and ongoing community support/services to its target population of clients 60 years of age and older, as well as neuropsychiatry clinic. The GMHS outpatient clinics specialize in dementia care, as well as serving clients with both long-standing and newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders including mood, psychosis, anxiety, and concurrent disorders as well as psychiatric conditions which may arise from medical conditions or substances/medications.

The Geriatric Mental Health Outpatient Services is currently seeking a full-time, temporary (until July 17, 2026) Occupational Therapist. Reporting to the Manager, Geriatric Mental Health Outpatient Services, and as a part of the interdisciplinary team, the Occupational Therapist will provide time limited, specialized and integrated community based occupational therapy services to clients who are living in the community or returning to the community from institutions. Using a biopsychosocial approach and encompassing the components of self-care, productivity, and leisure, the Occupational Therapist will share the responsibility with the multidisciplinary team to provide outreach, treatment, rehabilitation, support and consultation to help maintain the client in the community at their highest level of function.

The Occupational Therapist will work with other community stakeholders to facilitate integration of the client into established community based programs and/or to establish supports for clients in their communities. You will be expected to manage a client caseload in accordance with professional practice guidelines and standards, conduct occupational performance assessments, addressing self-care, productivity and leisure. You will initiate, screen, and review OT referrals for assessment, intervention or consultation. You will provide consultation and assessment of clients' physical health, mental/emotional health, cognitive ability, psychosocial status and/or functional status as it relates to performance in the areas of self-care, productivity and leisure for the Geriatric population.

Assessments include, but are not limited to: functional assessments, mobility/gait assessments, seating assessments, ADL assessments, cognitive assessments and community safety assessments. You will analyze assessment findings and determine client abilities/areas of functional impairment. Develop individual and group interventions to address the cognitive, physical, psychiatric and psychosocial needs of the clients in order to support their recovery and wellness in the community. Interventions include, but are not limited to: addressing seating and mobility needs and prescribing mobility equipment, recommending home safety equipment, providing cognitive impairment support and cognitive rehabilitation, providing psychotherapeutic support, providing psychoeducation, safety and comfort planning, risk management, goal planning, skill building, community integration/linking clients to community resources and supporting engagement in meaningful activities.

You will participate in and contribute to inter-professional care planning and provide a range of specialized services for geriatric clients with psychosis, memory impairments and mood disorders, including outreach, rehabilitation, group facilitation, counselling, psychotherapy and consultation to help clients live safely in the community. You will participate in research, program evaluation and quality assurance activities, and provide education and supervise students. You will support a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable regulatory and legislative requirements. This position is located at 1001 Queen Street West. 

The successful candidate must possess a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy (or a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy plus a Master's degree in OT, Rehab Sciences or a related field), combined with a preferred three (3) years of experience working with older adults who have mental health and addiction issues. You must have membership in either the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) and/or the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists (OSOT) and be a holder of COTO's pre-requisite Professional Liability Insurance. Assistive Devices Program authorizer status is an asset. Current CPR certification is preferred. Formal training in, and experience providing with, Cognitive Behavioural therapy is required. Training in other modalities of Psychotherapy, counseling, orthopedic assessments, pain assessment and intervention would be considered an asset. Understanding of medical and psychiatric conditions, evaluation techniques, psychometrics properties needed to evaluate therapeutic interventions and functional status and knowledge of psychiatric emergency and crisis management skills would be preferred. Working knowledge of standard assessment tools, e.g. MoCA, MMSE, WHODAS, GDS, RUDAS, etc. and basic understanding of substance misuse would be an asset. Demonstrated superior communication skills (both written and oral), strong interpersonal and organizational skills, conflict resolution skills, experience working with community-based providers, and experience with research processes and standardized measures are required. Familiarity with computer-based programs (MS Office, Outlook, etc.) is essential. The ability to work with clients of diverse ethno-racial and cultural backgrounds is required. Bilingualism (French/English) and/or and proficiency in a second language is an asset.

All applicants offered and accepting employment must complete a Vulnerable Sector Police Records Check. The offer of employment will be conditional upon receipt of the satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Police Records Check.