Child Development Institute

Therapeutic Recreation Facilitator – Connecting Towhee Program

Clinical Services - Toronto, ON, Canada - Contracted

Posting Date: March 10, 2026

Who we are

As the need for mental health services grows, Child Development Institute (CDI) continues to be the steadfast support and leading provider of specialized mental health services for children and youth aged 0-18 and their families. All of our services are guided by a strength-based approach that incorporates the family and the community into the journey of supporting children and youth. 

Trusted with the mental well-being of our community's most sensitive members, infants and children, all of our programming is backed by rigorous research. Science is the backbone which informs our work as we evolve alongside the needs of our community.

We are committed to providing services that are respectful of racial, cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity, as well as sexual orientation, age, gender and family differences. All our services are delivered by a deeply caring and compassionate team that guides children, youth and families along a mental health journey in a safe, respectful and welcoming space.

Who we need
We are seeking Therapeutic Recreation Facilitators to join our Therapeutic Recreation, Connecting Towhee Team. The successful candidate will facilitate group-based programs for our Connecting Towhee program, in our Learning Disabilities & Mental Health program. Responsibilities will include co-facilitating various types of therapeutic recreation-based activities, while also supporting the social skills, emotional regulation, and mental health needs of clients. 

Connecting Towhee is a Toronto based pilot program designed to bridge the gap for the participants of our overnight camp, Camp Towhee. The goal is to bring the fun and intentional support of camp into the city, to provide ongoing social, emotional and interpersonal support for these clients beyond their summer programming. Connecting Towhee will involve activities such as sports, mindfulness, yoga, community outings, and more. Each activity will combine social skill development and emotional regulation strategies with engaging recreational activities to support the mental health and growth of participants. 
 

What the role is all about...
  1. Work in tandem with other facilitators to effectively plan, deliver, and document therapeutic recreation activities for groups of clients. 
  2. Attend mandatory staff training sessions prior to the start of groups.
  3. Facilitate groups in an engaging, safe, fun, and accessible way while accounting for variations in clients age, cognitive profile, mental health and personal needs.
  4. Provide one-to-one and group support in moments of frustration, confusion, and/or challenging behaviour with the goal of deescalating, understanding, collaborating, and repairing relationships. 
  5. Manage client behaviors in a non-shaming or judgmental way consistent with the program model and staff training. 
  6. Promotes social interactions, connections, friendships, and program engagement.
  7. Ensure proper client documentation is completed as required (i.e.-Incident reports, group reports and client notes).
  8. Communicate client information and concerns, including child protection concerns, to Program Coordinator promptly.
  9. Work with the Coordinator, Therapeutic Recreation Programs to monitor program materials, equipment, and inventory. 
  10. Consults with the Coordinator during supervision meetings and scheduled team meetings.
     
What we hope you will bring…
  • An in-progress or complete post-secondary diploma/degree, preferably in fields such as Social Work, Psychology, Education or Child & Youth Care.
  • At least 2 years’ experience facilitating programs with youth in a therapeutic, educational, or recreational setting.
  • Knowledge in related program areas such as sports, mindfulness, yoga, or recreational hobbies. 
  • Experience in learning disabilities and/or mental health (LDMH) or a commitment to professional development in this area.
  • Excellent initiative, emotion regulation, organization, and time management skills.
  • Ability to commute to the job location. Ability to work up to 10 hours per week, in the late afternoon/evening, as scheduled. 
     

Other Requirements

  • All applicants are advised that offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a Vulnerable Sector Check.
  • Credential verifications & References required.

Mental Effort

  • Listening and mental attentiveness in dealing with client and family queries, and manager's requirements.
  • Safely assessing physical, emotional and social risks and quickly responding.
  • Mental effort required in multi-tasking and handling interruptions that require constant refocusing.

Physical Effort

  • Capacity to teach, model and perform physical exercise in the context of group programming.

Working Conditions

  • Consistently interacts with children, youth, families, and co-workers.
  • The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.
  • Fast-paced work environment.
  • Ability to work flexible hours to meet the needs of clients, including primarily evenings from 4-9 PM  
Type of Supervision Required
Reports to the Therapeutic Recreation Programs Coordinator and informs them before making a major decision.

Type of Supervision And/or Assistance Given
Provides support, guidance, informal training or instruction to co workers, volunteers and students

Compensation 
$22 per hour. Hours are not guaranteed. Work will be scheduled as needed.

Contract Period 
April 1, 2026 to December 18, 2026

Working Location
46 St Clair Gardens Toronto, ON M6E 3V4

Apply now

If you're excited about this role but your experience aligns differently with every requirement, we encourage you to apply. While specific qualifications are strictly required, others can be based on various experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge. We can't promise an interview, but we will consider your whole application. We thank all interested parties but only those selected for an interview will be contacted

CDI is firmly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People of North America and the world, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. We are committed to providing equitable opportunities in employment and to providing a workplace which is free from discrimination and harassment. We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations, please reach out to us at [email protected] 

Apply: Therapeutic Recreation Facilitator – Connecting Towhee Program
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Help us maintain an inclusive culture.

We want anyone, anywhere to have the same chance and opportunity to build a life they love and that they are proud of. We are proactive in creating a belonging environment that anyone can be a part of. Thoughtful, data-driven decision-making is core to this success. We ask these questions to strengthen our practices by using data to identify and mitigate unconscious bias in our hiring process.

If you choose to answer them, the responses are ONLY used in aggregate to help us identify areas for improvement in our processes. Your responses, or your choice to prefer not to say, will not be associated with your application and will not in any way be used in the hiring decision. For one, that’s illegal, and we’re really not into breaking the law. Keep being awesome, and thank you for considering work at Child Development Institute.

1.) Indigenous peoples: Based on the definition below, are you an Indigenous person?

"Indigenous peoples" means First Nations, Inuit or Métis peoples of Canada.*
2.) Persons with disabilities: Based on the definition below, are you a person with a disability?

"Persons with disabilities" are individuals who have a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or learning impairment, and who consider themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment, or believe that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment. This includes persons whose functional limitations owing to their impairment have been accommodated in their current job or workplace.*
3.) Members of visible minorities: Based on the definition below, are you a member of a visible minority?

"Members of visible minorities" are persons, other than Indigenous peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour, regardless of birthplace.*
4.) To which gender identity do you most identify?*
5.) Are you legally eligible to work in Canada on an ongoing basis?*
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7.) Are you an internal candidate?*
8.) Have you previously worked at the Child Development Institute?*
9). Our program is planned to run on Wednesday evenings from April to June. Are you available during that time?*
10.) The salary displayed in the job ad is fixed and non negotiable for this role. Please confirm if you are okay to proceed with your application.*
11.) This is an contract position. Do you confirm you understand this?*
12.) This position requires in-person attendance at our St. Clair Garden Service Center, located at 46 St. Clair Gardens, Toronto, ON M6E 3V4. Please confirm that you are able to travel to this location.*
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