Occupational Therapist

Join Northeastern Ontario’s Health Care Leaders!

Health Sciences North is an organization dedicated to being patient and family focused, digitally enabled, and socially accountable, while supporting and developing our people and advancing our academic and research impact for Northeastern Ontario. We pride ourselves on being a learning hospital, providing professional development opportunities for our staff.

Health Sciences North (HSN) is seeking an innovative individual for the position of Occupational Therapist to provide a holistic, client, and family-centred approach to assessment, analysis and treatment to optimize safety, functional ability, and well-being to enable participation in activities of daily living for older adults with multiple complex health needs. In this role, you will provide care to patients in acute care transitioning to the Acute and Reactivation Care Centre.

The ideal candidate will have current Certificate of Registration in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO). We are looking for someone with a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working within a healthcare environment and recent experience working with older adults. Candidates that possess certification as an Assistive Devices Program (ADP) authorizer are preferred.

As of January 2026, Expansion of “As of Right” legislation allows more regulated health professionals moving to Ontario from another province to practice right away while they await registration with the regulatory body in Ontario. More information can be found here.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Acute and Reactivation Care Centre (ARCC), is a 52-bed specialized unit focused on providing best-practice, rehabilitative care for hospitalized older adults. Our goal is to treat acute medical conditions while preventing functional decline and reducing premature admission to long-term care. Care is delivered through an interdisciplinary team, trained in geriatric care, working collaboratively with patients and families to set goals and plan for safe, community-based discharge.

Our dedicated team includes a Geriatrician, Care of the Elderly Physicians, Primary Care Providers, Nurses, PSWs, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Reactivation Workers, Social Workers, a Clinical Behaviour Response Specialist, Geriatric Assessor, Geriatric Nurse Clinician, Recreation Therapist, and Ward Clerks — all committed to improving outcomes for older adults.

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced, team environment and are looking for a rewarding career opportunity, you are encouraged to view the full job description on the HSN Careers Website.

At HSN/HSNRI, we prioritize the physical and psychological wellness of all our staff through a variety of initiatives, aimed at creating a supportive and engaging workplace. Our Wellness Committee actively promotes health and well-being offering tips and resources to support wellness of our staff. We pride ourselves on recognizing our dedicated team members through Years of Service Celebrations and Excellence in Action Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements across the organization. We host Employee & Medical Staff appreciation events, and celebrations throughout the year, fostering a sense of community. Leadership development training is available to staff as well as an education fund, ensuring our people are our number one asset.

HSN provides support through our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), which is available for all HSN staff and family members regardless of status, position, affiliation, etc.

HSN INCENTIVES

We offer a competitive salary and vacation, extended health and dental benefits, and relocation allowance to assist with moving expenses. In addition, there may be additional monetary incentives available upon hire.

We are proud to participate in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), offering our valued employees the security and peace of mind that comes with a defined benefit pension plan. We understand the importance of financial well-being and believe that a strong pension, like HOOPP, recognizes our employees and provides a stable foundation for their future as part of the overall compensation package. HOOPP is also a multi-employer pension plan, meaning it can be transferred between many organizations in the province.  Join us and start building a future you can look forward to. For every dollar an employee contributes to HOOPP, the employer (HSN) contributes $1.26, meaning the plan is 55% funded by the employer, and 45% funded by the employee. All employees are eligible to join immediately upon hire.

REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS INCENTIVE GRANT

The incentive grant program offers taxable incentive grants of up to $5,000 per eligible year, to a maximum of $15,000 paid over a three-year period to occupational therapists who establish their practice in Northern Ontario and accept full-time positions which are fully funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and which are approved by the Northern Health Programs (NHP). In order to be eligible for this incentive grant, the NHP must approve the application before the applicant establishes his/her practice. More information regarding this grant can be found here.

HSN is a proud participant in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot Programs. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) offer a unique pathway to permanent residence for international workers looking to build a future in Greater Sudbury and surrounding communities. These programs are designed to address key labour shortages while helping skilled individuals and families settle long-term in welcoming, opportunity-rich regions of Northern Ontario. More information regarding this program can be found here or on the Sudbury site here.

Interested applicants are asked to apply directly to requisition # 9349 on the HSN Careers Website at https://careers.hsnsudbury.ca/. The posting will remain active until filled however the search committee will begin reviewing applicants on February 4, 2026.

KEY FUNCTION:
Provide a holistic, client, and family-centred approach to assessment, analysis and treatment to optimize safety, functional ability, and well-being to enable participation in activities of daily living for older adults with multiple complex health needs. Provide care to patients in acute care transitioning to the Acute and Reactivation Care Centre.

REPORTING:
Under the general direction of the Clinical Manager, Acute and Reactivation Care.

DUTIES:
1. Administer and perform complex standardized and non-standardized assessments in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
2. Analyze and interpret assessment findings to establish patient centered goals.
3. Perform a comprehensive medical history and physical assessment of patients to establish a clinical impression for intervention as required.
4. Treat patients to optimize functional independence and physical performance promoting optimal function, mobility, physical activity and overall health and wellness.
5. Recommend and educate compensatory and remedial strategies, activity modification, adaptive equipment, and assitive devices to promote safety and maximize functional independence.
6. Provide care during transition from acute care to Acute and Reactivation Care and additional care destination outside of HSN, including partnership with internal and community resources to maximize successful transitions.
7. Provide guidance, supervision and delegation of appropriate interventions to the reactivation workers as required in accordance with the standards defined by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO).
8. Implement strategies to address patient safety issues and mitigate risk within the acute setting and transition to community.
9. Educate patients and families in coping strategies, decision-making, and utilization of personal and community resources, and make referrals to community resources as required.
10. Act as a professional resource to build capacity in geriatric best practice for internal health care providers and community partners.
11. Collaborate with clients, families, interprofessional team members, and community partners throughout the therapy process and advocate to ensure client needs are met.
12. Document assessment findings, analysis, treatment plans, client goals, client’s ongoing progress, effectiveness of treatment plan, and government/insurance/legal forms according to the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO) standards and HSN policy.
13. Educate and provide internships to student Occupational Therapists (OT)/Occupational Therapist Assistants/Physical Therapist Assistants, other members of an interprofessional health care team as required.
14. Ensure the privacy and confidentiality of personal health information is maintained.
15. Follow service-specific, Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) and Infection Prevention and Control practices, including monthly workplace inspections.
16. Evaluate patient care and satisfaction on an ongoing basis and formulate solutions for improvement.
17. Determine and align improvement projects with HSN’s Strategic Plan; monitor and adjust to achieve goal outcomes.
18. Participate in education and training specific to current, relevant federal and provincial health and safety and Occupational Therapy practice legislation, standards and guidelines.
19. Educate and promote health, safety and wellness in the work place.
20. Represent the department or program on various committees and in meetings as required.
21. Perform other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
1. Current Certificate of Registration in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO) is required.
2. Certification as an Assistive Devices Program (ADP) authorizer is preferred.
3. Ministry of Labour “Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps” training certificate is required.

EXPERIENCE:
1. Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working within a healthcare environment.
2. Recent experience working with older adults is required.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:
1. Demonstrated knowledge of community support services, home and community care, rehabilitative services, adult day programs and other social services.
2. Demonstrated ability to mentor assistants.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of typical and atypical anatomy/neuroanatomy, physiology/neurophysiology, social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology, and education), and development across the lifespan.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of health assessment tools (e.g. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), Barthel Index, Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clock Drawing Test, Phonemic/Semantic Fluency, Trails Making Test, Kingston Standardized Cognitive Assessment (KSCA), Brain Network Activation (BNA), Geriatric Depression Scale, and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia).
5. Demonstrated knowledge of OT theory, other theoretical frameworks relevant to the area of practice, and the Canadian Practice Process Framework (CPPF).
6. Demonstrated knowledge of Specialized Geriatric Services across the continuum, primary care, community support services (i.e. Alzheimer’s society, Home and Community care, etc.) and other partners in care.
7. Demonstrated knowledge and application of client and family-centred models of care.
8. Demonstrated knowledge of COTO standards of practice and guidelines.
9. Demonstrated knowledge of current health care and privacy legislation.
10. Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based geriatric clinical practice and best practice in geriatric care.
11. Demonstrated knowledge of outcome measures and research process/methodology.
12. Demonstrated ability to exercise professional judgment, clinical reasoning, and critical thinking with the ability to apply ethical frameworks and choose the optimal assessment and treatment intervention.
13. Demonstrated knowledge of OT techniques relevant to the area of practice.
14. Demonstrated training, experience or utilization of quality improvement methodology for process improvement.
15. Demonstrated ability to independently identify issues, plan improvements, measure success and continue improvement.
16. Demonstrated excellent computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office software (e.g. Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and patient information systems.
17. Demonstrated superior interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
18. Demonstrated ability to manage routine correspondence, multiple tasks/projects, diversified workload and rapidly changing priorities and challenging deadlines.
19. Demonstrated discretion and maturity when handling confidential information.
20. Demonstrated commitment to the safety of co-workers and patients.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
1. Successful Vulnerable Sector Check is required.
2. Demonstrated ability to meet the cognitive, emotional, and environmental demands of the job.
3. Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
4. Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development.
5. Demonstrated professionalism in dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.
6. Demonstrated positive work record and good attendance record.
7. Demonstrated ability to meet the physical and sensory demands of the job.
8. Ability to travel between local sites.

Selection Process:  Candidates will be selected for this position on the basis of their skill, ability, experience and qualifications as identified in the resume and completed Application Form submitted. The Hospital reserves the right to conduct a formal interview where required. This posting is for an existing vacancy.
 

Health Sciences North is committed to providing accommodations to applicants with disabilities to enable their participation in the recruitment, assessment, selection and hiring stages of employment.

HSN THANKS ALL APPLICANTS.
ONLY THOSE SELECTED FOR INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONTACTED.
WE WILL NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS AFTER THE CLOSING DATE AND TIME.