Program Assistant, Recreation Therapy & ASD Respite

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) is seeking a Program Assistant to support Recreation Therapy and ASD Respite programs across multiple CHEO sites in Ottawa. The role requires evening and weekend availability and involves direct activity execution, safety, and logistics coordination for children and youth with disabilities.

The position emphasizes on-site operational duties, collaboration with therapists, and effective communication with families and staff.

Qualifications

• Graduate from a related post-secondary education program (Essential).
• Minimum two years of related work experience supporting children and youth with physical and/or developmental disabilities (Essential).
• Demonstrated flexibility working within various clinical settings and in collaboration with supervising therapists (Essential).
• Excellent verbal communication skills as they relate to children, youth, families and other team members (Essential).
• Ability to problem-solve, adapt to a frequently changing operational schedule, and organize daily logistics (Essential).
• Vulnerable Sector Check, CPR Level C, and NVCI certificates (Essential).

Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary operational point person on shift to execute daily Recreation Therapy and ASD Respite activities.
• Communicates daily activity schedules, shares logistics, and assists Attendants with workflow transitions and shift execution.
• Develops, organizes, and implements structured activities under the clinical direction of the supervising therapist.
• Performs setup, teardown, and environmental preparation for daily activities, group sessions, and outings.
• Maintains inventory and orders required program supplies; supports intake and documentation tasks.
• Collaborates with families and interdisciplinary team members to support safe, engaging client experiences.

Skills

Verbal communication

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Bilingualism (EN/FR)

Education

Post-secondary education in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Epic

Job description

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) is seeking a Program Assistant to support Recreation Therapy and ASD Respite programs across multiple CHEO sites in Ottawa. The role requires evening and weekend availability and involves direct activity execution, safety, and logistics coordination for children and youth with disabilities.

The position emphasizes on-site operational duties, collaboration with therapists, and effective communication with families and staff.