Occupational Therapist

Due to service growth, Life Skills Hub are looking for another passionate OT to join our Multi-D Team.

Both experienced and new graduates are encouraged to apply.

About Us

Life Skills Hub is one-of-a-kind space in Adelaide's Northern suburbs, for young people aged 7-25+ to develop their capacity to function independently and build connections with similar-aged peers. Our innovative spaces are tailored for people to feel safe through an inclusive culture and homely design. From Star Wars to Basketball, and Kitchens to Gardens, there is bound to be a space for you to connect with clients and their families. Our vision is to bridge the gap between traditional therapy and the home, to cater to the evolving needs of young people. Our spaces and programs reflect our commitment to providing opportunities where young people feel empowered, connected and most importantly, welcome.

We understand there is no "one size fits all" approach and as such offer a range of individualized supports including:

• One-to-one services
• Group-based therapy and structured social groups
• Telehealth services
• Caregiver-only sessions
• Professional development and consultation

Our services and approach are centred around four pillars, including our step-down model. To find out more about about approach, see our website.

Our Beginnings

After working within the private sector for many years as an OT, our Director Ellen saw a large disconnect between the types of services provided to youth in the disability sector. Many clients were seeking increased independence and social connection, however were accessing supports that were designed for children in paediatric settings. We asked ourselves, "How can we encourage youth to be more independent and autonomous – yet sit in spaces that were filled with toys and cartoon animals on the walls? How can we enable them to feel competent, yet sit them in environments that subconsciously suggest otherwise?"

We saw recurrent themes of young people 'outgrowing' therapy, becoming disengaged and/or finally mustering up the courage to join mainstream groups but having negative experiences due to the lack of individualised support.

Young people accessing services needed spaces that they felt connected to, as well as be provided supported opportunities to practice the skills they were learning in 1:1 therapy. We needed something between the home and the clinical environment. A place where young people could come together to engage in groups while being provided with the right, tailored, and individualised supports to enable them to be successful. A place that tells them they are in charge, they are capable and they are welcome. That's when the vision for Life Skills Hub was born.

About our New Grad Program + The Role

At Life Skills Hub, we are committed to nurturing the growth of new graduate occupational therapists by providing a supportive and structured environment that not only focusses on developing clinical knowledge but also skills to help them develop as an effective professional. Our 12-month program is designed to ensure that new graduate OT's are well-equipped to deliver high-quality and client centred care while gaining confidence in their role as an allied health professional. This program has been designed for OT's, BY OT's and has been developed by a range of experienced professionals to create a framework that we believe will set up new graduates for success long-term.

The successful candidate will be supported by large team consisting of OT's, Psychologists, Dietitians, AHA's and Mentors. This a full-time permanent position that will include a mixture of both clinic-based and offsite community services.

What our New Grad Program offers:

• Weekly supervision
  for the first six months' (minimum), with no less than fortnightly supervision ongoing. Supervision will focus on identifying strengths, interests, areas for professional growth and will support new graduates to develop their own professional identity.
• Fortnightly learning sessions
  focusing on specific clinical themes and professional skills. Examples of topics include; working with caregivers, supporting sensory needs, navigating group dynamics and organization strategies.
• In addition to your designated supervisor, have access to a range of experienced supervisors,
  all of which have formal training in supervision and have varied areas of interest and experience.
• Support in clinical skills development
   through gradual exposure, formal learning, access to a range of resources and consistent supervision. Be supported to build skills in all areas of the Occupational Therapy Practice Process (OTPP) in assessment, goal-setting, therapeutic intervention and review. Be supported to build skills running groups, 1:1 sessions and learn how to step clients down through our step down model.
• A graded and staged approach to a manageable caseload.
  This involved shadowing, completing sessions in tandem with experienced therapists and gradual exposure with a range of 1:1 and group sessions.

In addition, as part of the role we offer:

• Scheduled administration time each day (minimum hours) to allow you to focus on providing high quality care and opportunities for ongoing professional learning.
• Professional development budget and 2 additional PD leave days
• Minimum of 2 additional days of whole-team professional development
• Monthly team meetings which include internal sharing of knowledge and information.
• Monthly reflective practice sessions
• Provision of laptop
• Annual leave loading
• Travel allowance for providing offsite services
• A fantastic admin team to enable bookings and support administrative tasks
• Access to a wide range of therapeutic resources
• Flexible working arrangements by negotiation

About you:

• Enthusiastic individual who is passionate about providing high-quality care for clients in our community.
• Shows a strong openness to learning and developing as a professional.
• Strong Interpersonal skills and an ability to deal with a diverse range of people in age, culture, health conditions, histories and other backgrounds.
• Collaborative, client-centred, inclusive, relational and evidence-based approach.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team.
• Adaptable and flexible in guiding therapy most suited to client's needs and circumstances
• High degree of initiative with the capacity to formulate new ideas.
• Exceptional organizational skills and time management skills.

Tasks & responsibilities

• Provision of occupational therapy interventions that address identified client goals.
• Facilitation of group therapeutic and/or structured programs that are in line with client goals.
• Conducting initial assessments to determine needs of the client using a combination of assessments and clinical observations.
• Preparation of formal assessment reports, and other relevant documentation including, but not limited to NDIS progress reports, Medicare letters and therapy plans.
• Continued critical reflection and reviewing the effectiveness of service delivery, and adjust accordingly to best meet client needs.

Essential Criteria:

• Approved qualification in Occupational Therapy. Position can be offered under a condition of AHPRA registration for new graduates.
• Current Working With Children Check
• Current First Aid Certificate including up-to-date CPR.
• Completion of "Through Their Eyes' training or equivalent.
• Eligible to obtain Medicare Provider numbers

Highly Desirable
:

• Experience in working with children and young people.
• Experience in working in the disability sector.
• Experience working with NDIS, Medicare and private health clients.
• Experience in completing Functional Capacity Assessments (for experienced therapists)

How to Apply

If you are interested in this position , please email your resume and cover letter to  or call Ellen at for a confidential discussion. Shadowing opportunities may be provided to appropriate candidates.