Volunteer

Description

SL/Physio/Occupational Therapists - Latin America & Dominican Republic

Locations: Residential Children’s homes in Peru, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic

Required by our long term partner NPH (nph.org) with whom VC has worked with for over 20 years.

NPH seeks licensed and experienced Physiotherapists, Speech & Language, Occupational Therapists with some post qual work experience with special needs children.  Experience with self-structured and independent work schedules. Experience with preventive therapeutic care and follow up care for chronically ill and disabled children. Familiarity with the execution of training sessions for the childcare staff members and the therapeutic team.
Language: Spanish; a basic level of English language skills is recommended but not obligatory.

Skills:

* Strong sensitivity for the relevant therapeutic needs of the young orphaned and disabled populations of the residential units, as well as the willingness to meet those needs as appropriate.

* Strong team working and intercultural-cooperation skills.

* Strong sense of cultural awareness.

* Strong organizational skills.

* Ability to organize and follow work routines and schedules independently.

* Strong training skills.

* Readiness and ability to learn/improve Spanish language skills and to work in an international work environment that is in part characterized by frequently changing colleagues with different cultural and professional backgrounds.

* Computer Skills (MS Office, Internet, email).

* Reliability and responsibility.

* Readiness to get by with limited personal space and privacy.

* High level of frustration tolerance.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

The therapists will be responsible for providing skilled relevant therapy services to any children in the residential homes requiring them. At any given time there will be between 15 to 20 children on the caseload (this number may grow with population). The majority of the care will be focused on treatment of current population, but occasionally there may be evaluations of new children. The current caseload includes children with neurologic and orthopedic impairments or general developmental delays. In addition, it is expected that the therapists participate in other duties as needed, for example, educating children and staff on their own therapy or engaging children with special needs in activities outside of their daily routine. Further on:

* Training and supporting the local child care staff, especially in regard to the therapeutic needs of and care for our pediatric population with special needs.

* Supporting activities which aim to improve the integration of the disabled children in the life and routines of the non-disabled population of the home.

* Each child should have an updated assessment, plan and documented progress

* Professional weekly information exchange about the health and therapeutic status of the children receiving therapy with the members of the medical and therapeutic team of the home.

* Monthly reports, written by the volunteer therapists, will be shared with relevant team members through written reports. Therapeutic team meetings will be held with the local physician, where the written report will also be shared.

* Readiness to welcome and cooperate with visiting medical brigades.

* Readiness to participate in the process of the home’s Special-Needs-Care policy making.

* Readiness to participate in the staffing process for a new and extended special needs care facility.

Conditions
12 month contract; small local living allowance; food; accommodation; local transport

Is training provided?: Yes

Please note that Garda Vetting is required for this position.