Job Description

Company : IWK Health
Req ID: 208386
Department/Program: AIS Addictions/Concurrent 24/7, Mental Health And Addictions
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT short-assignment (100% FTE) for 3 months x 1 position(s)
Start Date: October 2025
Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $25.8361 - $30.0937 /hour
Closing Date: October 16, 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)
Where there are no qualified candidates who meet the minimum requirements of two (2) years of experience as a Recreation Therapy Associate, consideration may be given to candidates without the required experience.
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other's talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our , and enjoy access to enhanced and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq people. Working in Mi'kma'ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.
The Opportunity
The Adolescent Intensive Services (AIS) is a voluntary treatment program that treats adolescents who are harmfully involved with substances, have a mental health disorder(s) or who may present with concurrent mental health disorders. AIS provides 24/5 and 24/7 treatment services within the IWK Mental Health and Addictions Program to adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years of age. Reporting to the Manager of AIS, the Recreation Therapy Associate (RTA) works as a member of a collaborative interdisciplinary team to provide mental health and addiction services to adolescents and their families. The RTA supports adolescents to acquire skills, knowledge, and behaviour that allows them to enjoy their leisure and participate as independently as possible in their home and community. In collaboration with the Recreation Therapist, the Recreation Therapy Associate is responsible for providing therapeutic-based interventions and programming with the goal of enhancing the development of life-long leisure skills and attitudes, eliminating barriers to leisure, and optimizing the leisure involvement of youth with mental health and addiction issues in partnership with families, therapists, and community groups. Other key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, planning and developing program content, ensuring group safety during on-site and community programming, volunteer management, and management of equipment resources. Under the direction of the Recreation Therapist, the Recreation Therapy Associate is responsible for implementing appropriate interventions and plans, including appropriate documentation/recording of the plan as well as reporting observations to the Recreation Therapist.
Hours of Work
Combination of 4, 8 or 12 hour shifts Days, Evenings and Weekends.
Your Qualifications

• Completion of a two (2) year Diploma in Human Services Therapeutic Recreation or equivalent program required.
• Minimum two (2) years experience as a Recreation Therapy Associate required.
• Recent experience working with adolescents and families preferred.
• Successful completion of a CPR Level C Health Care Provider or Basic Life Support (BLS) course within the last 12 months required.
• NCI certification required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in leisure/recreation program planning required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and addictions disorders and the impact on health, well-being, and quality of life required.
• Working knowledge of harm reduction approaches and substance misuse and/or concurrent disorders best practices preferred.
• Working knowledge of Trauma Informed Care and the Connect Model preferred.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal, communication (verbal and written), and presentation skills required.
• Demonstrated initiative, ability to set priorities and manage workload effectively required.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interprofessional care team, to working independently or with minimal supervision required.
• Demonstrated excellent time management, organization and problem-solving skills required.
• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to family-centred care required.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and promote interpersonal and community relationships required.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and competency in meeting IWK clinical documentation standards preferred.
• Valid minimal Class 5 Nova Scotia driver's license and ability to drive program van required.
• Demonstrated experience implementing behaviour management strategies preferred.
• Competencies in other languages considered an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.

Skills Required