Key focus of Laichwiltach Family Life Society

Our vision is to empower and promote healing and education in our communities from an Aboriginal perspective, nurturing and encouraging cultural awareness and self-sufficiency. We envision and celebrate a thriving, proud, respectful and inclusive community.

About this role

Working as part of an integrated team-based care approach, the Occupational Therapist (OT) plays a key role in supporting patients, caregivers and families. Reporting to the Health Director, the Occupational Therapist will support patients from initial intake and assessment through to treatment planning and implementation, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the OT will be involved in program review and continuous improvement of the OT Program as well as patient education. Patients may be supported with rehabilitation care, chronic, acute, and/or palliative care.
What you will do: Primary responsibilities

Working in a trusted care giving relationship with patients, and if they choose caregivers and family, the OT will align with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC in providing client-centred care. Your primary responsibilities in this trusted role include:
1. Treatment Planning and Care:
a. Provide occupational therapy services to patients in-clinic, including initial assessment and evaluation, treatment and care planning, treatment, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of health outcomes.
b. Work with clients to co-develop treatment plans with specific patient goals directing the approach. The treatment plans may include but are not limited to: activities for daily living, assisted daily living devices, lifts and transfer techniques, basic mobility training, and connecting patients to other community-based resources.

2. Education and Caregiver Support:
a. As appropriate and as directed by the patient, work with the patient’s family and/or caregiver to share information, provide education and training and demonstrate how to support, accommodate and care for the patient.

3. Advocacy and Coordination:
a. Advocate for patients, and their caregivers, by obtaining services, supports, resources and access to devices and treatments.
b. Support the coordination of the treatment plan and is a full participant in an interdisciplinary team supporting patients with care for chronic, acute, palliative or rehabilitative health care needs.
There will be other responsibilities that emerge, and this job description will be reviewed and updated annually in partnership with the OT.
How we will work: Team responsibilities

1. Collaborative Support: The OT works closely with all clinic staff, including Family Physicians (FPs), Social Workers, Registered Nurses (RNs), Physiotherapists and the broader clinical team to ensure there is a coordinated, patient-centred treatment plan in place to support the patient and their caregiver and/or family.

2. Professionalism and Adaptability: The OT demonstrates respect and professionalism for the team by:
a. practicing clear written and verbal communications.
b. Clearly identifying the needs of the patient; and
c. Carefully documenting clinical chart information, treatment plans, progress reports and external requests made on behalf of the patient.

3. Confidentiality: The OT respects confidentiality, sharing only what is needed to support patient-centre care and avoiding any sharing of information that could lead to judgement, stigma or shame on the patient.

4. Training and Role Updates: As the team grows, the OT will work with the Health Director to support the onboarding of new team members and establishing a shared understanding of the scope of work and integration within the broader team.

There will be other responsibilities that emerge, and this job description will be reviewed and updated annually in partnership with the Physiotherapist and the broader team promote a collaborative work environment.
Cultural competencies

Culturally safe and appropriate care is critical to who we are and how we work. We are seeking team members who are committed to a lifelong journey of learning and unlearning so that we can bring humility, kindness and safety to every health care experience. This means that all team members must:
• Recognize the importance of First Nations and Indigenous cultural identities as part of a healthy and balanced person and community. Specific to this role, this includes an understanding (or willingness to learn) about traditional wellness, the social determinants of health, and the role of cultural identity and family/community systems as part of wellness and health.
• Understand and honour First Nations cultural principles, protocols, and healing approaches that may differ from traditional Western medicine.
• Work with patients, caregivers and families to integrate traditional wellness and ways of being from assessment, treatment, and evaluation.
• Promote a culturally safe environment by implementing practises that respect and incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
• Understand (or seek to better understand) the communities we serve, their unique strengths and challenges, and how culture supports wellness and health.