Disability Officer/Occupational Therapist

Job Title:

Disability Officer/Occupational Therapist

Purpose:

The Disability Officer will provide support and help people do as much as they can on their own, live independently, fit into their community and find ways to work or support themselves.

The successful incumbent will transform medical diagnoses into practical and actionable life strategies.

Department:

Disability Unit

Location:

X1 East London

X1 Mangaung

X1 Tshwane

X1 eThekwini

X1 Polokwane

X1 eNhlanzeni

X1 Rustenburg

                     X1 Cape Town

Requirements:

   Qualification

·        Qualification

·        Bachelor Degree in Occupational Therapy or Bachelor of Science (Bsc) in Occupational Therapy

·        Registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) under the Professional Board for Occupational Therapy, Medical Orthotics, Prosthetics and Arts Therapy

Advantageous

•        Experience in private or public institutions or NGO’s or funding organisation 

•        Understanding of legislative and business climate pertaining to disability

•        Experience in liaising with various stakeholders

•        Experience in the social and health sector projects

   Experience

• 1000 hours of supervised clinical fieldwork

• One year community service

• 1 to 3 years’ experience in Disability Services or Health Management or Inclusive Education

• 1 to 3 years’ experience in Occupational Therapy, Social Work or Inclusive Teaching

• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Package (Ms Word, PowerPoint and Excel)

Behavioural competencies:

·        Strong planning and organisational skills.

·        Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

·        High attention to detail and accuracy.

·        Analytical and problem-solving capability.

·        Ethical conduct and integrity.

·        Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

·        Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.

·        Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

·        Customer service orientation.

·        Proactive and results-driven approach.

Main Functions

Clinical Assessment 

1. Conducts comprehensive evaluations to identify patient limitations with respect to cognitive, physical and behavioural abilities

2. Create personalised and realistic therapy goals

3. Designing and implementing evidenced based therapy sessions

4. Provide the necessary support that improve daily living skills and physical or cognitive functions

5. Assess, recommend and training patients on assistive devices, wheelchairs and home or workplace accessibility

6. Design rehabilitation programmes (medical, educational and vocational) to help patients return to work or re-enter society

7. Manage daily patient schedules, meet productivity targets and handle administrative duties efficiently.

8. Ensure clinical certification are current

9. Attend the necessary training and ensure adherence to health, safety and ethical standards

Stakeholder Management and Relationships

1. Develop home care plans and train family members, caregivers and employers on how to properly support the patient’s independence

2. Building and maintaining partnerships with other occupational therapists, health care worker, medical specialists and disability organisations to stay updated on new processes and emerging standards

3. Engage internal and external audiences through effective written and verbal communication

4. Encourage and value feedback

5. Establish efficiency channels and databases to resolve stakeholder queries and complaints

6. Collaborate with other internal departments to satisfy other priority stakeholders

Reporting and Accountability     

1. Maintaining accurate, legally compliance medical records, progress notes and functional capacity reports

2. Update and report on amongst others the departmental operational annual plans, and KPIs, stakeholders’ issues, query management and interventions, internal and external audits and risk

3. Ensuring quality and safeguard reports in place which will include critical incidents, complaints and feedback, registration and intake data, service delivery, academic and workplace accommodations.