Client Services Assistant- March Break Respite Camp

Join us in building a world of possibility! Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada's largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital, and a top 40 Canadian research hospital. Serving over 9,000 families annually in both inpatient and outpatient programs and services, Holland Bloorview is renowned for its expertise in partnering with clients and families to provide exceptional care and is the only organization to ever achieve 100 per cent in three successive quality surveys by Accreditation Canada.

Holland Bloorview's vision is to support the most meaningful and healthy futures for all children, youth and families. We are an academic hospital, fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. All clinical staff are expected to contribute to the academic agenda through one or more of the following activities: supervising students, teaching, academic service, scholarship and research.

Holland Bloorview has won numerous awards including Greater Toronto's Top Employers, Canada's Top Employers for Young People and Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures. We offer an inspiring, inclusive, innovative, and collaborative work environment with competitive compensation and benefit packages and programs that support ongoing learning and professional growth.

Position Summary

The Creative Arts March Break Respite Camp is a day camp for children and youth with physical disabilities and developmental delays. Participants will interact and play through music, visual art, movement and drama. The goal of the program is to enable participants to have fun through creative, sensory and social experiences and to provide respite relief to families during the March Break school holiday (March 10-14, 2025). Successful candidates must be flexible to participate in training after business hours or on weekends. An additional, mandatory full-team training session is being held on Saturday, March 1, 2025 (afternoon) and an evening on Monday, March 3, 2025.

The Client Services Assistant (CSA) provides direct assistance for an assigned program participant, drawing on prior knowledge and experience of working with children and/or youth with disabilities to provide support safely, professionally, and effectively. The CSA supports and encourages the strengths of participants, facilitating their fullest possible participation in program activities while maintaining participant and program safety.

There are 5 Client Services Assistant positions available.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 assistance for assigned participant. This may include support with activity participation (e.g. hand-over-hand support), mobility (lifts/transfers/repositioning and transportation), personal care (e.g. toileting), eating, communication, behaviour support and self-regulation.

• Encourage and support participants in communication, working with others, problem solving, decision-making, task planning and organizing, and peer socialization.

• Apply crisis intervention/de-escalation strategies calmly and effectively and respond quickly to situations that may occur.

• In collaboration with the Group Leader, other CSAs, and PSWs and Artists, provide assistance to other participants of your group as need arises. This could include lifts and transfers, personal care or support with de-escalations, etc. Support lunch and break times.

• Collaborate with program staff, volunteers and families to meet program goals.

• Contribute to the larger team, including site preparation and clean-up, participation in group activities such as arts activities, music, etc.

• Contribute to daily debriefing meetings.

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, support the maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment and advance a culture of client/patient safety through work and daily practices.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Successful completion of a Diploma in Developmental Service Work, Personal Support Worker certificate/diploma, nursing education, child youth worker/development degree/diploma or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and education (complete or in progress) is required

• Previous work experience with children and youth with physical disabilities, developmental delays, and/or who are neurodivergent is required

• Demonstrated understanding and training in supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to participate in activities

• Past work experience in lifting, transferring and/or positioning clients with disabilities ages 4 to 18 is required

• Current ability to lift, transfer or position participants independently as needed

• Past work experience in supporting eating (i.e. spoon-to-mouth) and personal care (i.e. changing briefs) for clients with disabilities ages 4 to 18 is required

• Proven experience in preparing clients who use wheelchairs for transportation i.e., boarding accessible school bus

• Excellent verbal communication skills as they relate to participants, families and other team members

• Proficient written communication skills to write, understand, and effectively act on written materials from participants, families, and members of the staff team

• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and to quickly assess and respond to participant support needs

• Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to efficiently manage working hours

• Demonstrates initiative and self-direction to work independently at times

• Ability to take direction and receive feedback, and to work in collaboration with staff/clients/families

• Experience with creative arts (music, art, drama, music) facilitation and participation preferred

• CPR certification - CPR HS (Heart Saver) certificate recommended

• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) Certificate an asset

• American Sign Language (ASL) qualifications an asset