Occupational Therapist, Assistive Technology and Specialty Seating and Mobility

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.

Company: IWK Health

Req ID: 229188
Department/Program: Occupational Therapy, Children's Medical Care
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly PT (90% FTE) x 1 position(s)
Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $38.4318 - $52.7714 /hour
Closing Date: 23 November 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers, and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families, and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people of any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases, and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

Accountable to the Manager, Rehabilitation Services, the Occupational Therapist (OT) works on both the IWK Assistive Technology Service and the Specialty Seating and Mobility Service. The Assistive Technology Service consists of working with children and youth experiencing communication challenges and physical access challenges (ACCS). The OT will work on the interprofessional Augmentative Communication Consultative Service (ACCS). ACCS is a consultative service developed in partnership with Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres and the IWK Health Centre. The team consists of a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and Communication Disorders Technician. The goal is to help children, families, and community teams across Nova Scotia and PEI find communication solutions for children who struggle with speech development. The OT may also work with children experiencing technology access challenges but no communication challenges. The Occupational Therapist provides assessment and intervention to children and youth with physical challenges accessing technology. Evaluation, intervention, and follow-up may be provided on a direct, consultative, or monitoring basis. In collaboration with Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, the Occupational Therapist also provides joint assessment and consultation services to children and youth with verbal communication and access needs.
Occupational Therapist works as part of an interdisciplinary team in a family-centered care environment, providing specialty seating and mobility services predominantly within Nova Scotia, but also including some PEI clients. The Occupational Therapist provides assessment, intervention (including wheelchair and secondary postural support selection, fitting, and training), and follow-up outcome evaluation (as appropriate) to meet client needs and environmental conditions. This may be on a direct, consultative, or monitoring basis and does require some provincial travel.
The Therapist liaises with clients/families, team members, IWK, Maritime healthcare partners, vendors, and other community partners to ensure continuity of care and capacity building/ education. The therapist also participates in program planning and evaluation of the specialty seating service. The OT provides supervision to the Seating Technician and Rehabilitation Assistants as appropriate. The successful OT will be responsible for staying up to date on seating and mobility best practices.
This position requires daily recording of workload, and therapists must follow the documentation guidelines established by the Health Centre. The therapist liaises with clients/families, team members, preschools, school staff, and community partners, which may require local and regional travel. The therapist will participate in discipline meetings and discipline-related activities/committees as appropriate. This position services and requires travel across Nova Scotia. The Occupational Therapist shares responsibility with other IWK Occupational Therapists to provide caseload coverage throughout the Health Centre, as required.

Hours of Work

8/8:30 am to 4/4:30 pm, with occasional travel clinics within Nova Scotia.

Your Qualifications

• Graduate of a World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) approved Occupational Therapy Program required.
• Registered member of the Nova Scotia Occupational Therapy Regulator (NSOTR) required.
• Registered, or eligible for membership, in the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) required.
• Two years of clinical experience as an Occupational Therapist with child and adolescent populations, preferred (pediatric rehab preferred).
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in assessment and intervention for children and youth with developmental disabilities required.
• Clinical experience in the application of a variety of assistive technologies preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in assessment and intervention for children and youth with seating and mobility needs is preferred.
• Completion of the Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and Safe Travel for All Children (STAC) training will be considered assets.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team as well as the ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, presentation, and communication (verbal and written) skills required.
• Excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills required.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to family-centered care, solution-focused coaching, and the Life Needs Model of Pediatric Service Delivery required.
• Valid Class 5 Nova Scotia Driver’s License and reliable transportation required.
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BLS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, required.
• Experience in splinting is an asset
• Knowledge of program-based care is an asset.
• Experience providing care in the community is an asset.
• Competencies in other languages are considered an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing), you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units, or employment status are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.