OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (X1 POST)

This position offers an opportunity for a qualified occupational therapist to join the therapeutic team at Umgeni Specialized Psychiatric Hospital in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal. The successful candidate will work within a dedicated mental health care environment, providing comprehensive occupational therapy services to patients, including those requiring intellectual impairment management. The role is central to the hospital’s rehabilitation and quality-of-care objectives, requiring both clinical expertise and administrative competence. As part of the Occupational Therapy Services unit, the therapist will assess, plan, and implement treatment methods tailored to individual mental health care users, ensuring that therapeutic interventions align with current clinical theory, ethics, and legislative frameworks. The position also involves contributing to the broader functioning of the department through active participation in meetings, protocol development, and quality assurance programmes.

Applicants must hold a National Senior Certificate and a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy that permits registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as an occupational therapist. A valid registration certificate with the HPCSA is mandatory, along with computer literacy and a valid driver’s licence. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong communication and teambuilding skills, sound knowledge of health and public service legislation, regulations, and policies, and a solid grasp of clinical occupational therapy theory, practice, and ethics. Practical competence in using therapeutic media, equipment, crafts, and rehabilitation activities is essential, as is the ability to solve problems, exercise leadership, and maintain discipline and interpersonal relationships. The role demands resilience and the capacity to function under pressure when working with mental health care users, as well as excellent organisational and time-management skills to handle allocated duties efficiently.

Key duties include assessing and implementing occupational therapy treatment methods, managing intellectual impairment services, and performing administrative tasks such as compiling monthly statistics, conducting clinical audits, writing reports, and attending meetings. The therapist will also mentor community service therapists and university students, ensure accurate record keeping and compliance with quality assurance requirements, and engage in ongoing skills development. Additional responsibilities involve safeguarding and evaluating equipment and infrastructure through repair and maintenance programmes, managing stock control, contributing to planning, budgeting, and procurement processes, and exercising control over expenditure within the department’s cost centre. The role requires supporting the immediate manager in transformative changes and undertaking supervisory tasks as needed, as well as marketing and promoting occupational therapy services, and contributing to research and training initiatives.

This is a single post, graded at an entry-level professional scale, with benefits such as a 13th cheque and optional medical aid and housing allowances subject to prescribed requirements. The appointment is subject to a positive outcome from the National Intelligence Agency’s verification checks, including security clearance, credit records, qualification verification, citizenship, and previous employment. Shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo two pre-entry assessments: a practical exercise to evaluate technical and generic suitability for the post, and an integrity or ethical conduct assessment. These assessments will be scored as an additional criterion by the selection panel. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply, and the hospital is committed to equitable employment practices. Due to financial constraints, no subsistence and travel claims will be paid for candidates invited to interviews. Applicants should note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, as receipt of applications will not be acknowledged. The closing date and application procedures are specified in the official circular, and all required documentation, including the Z83 form and a detailed curriculum vitae, must be submitted as per the instructions. This role offers a meaningful career path for a dedicated occupational therapist seeking to make a difference in specialised psychiatric care.