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3 Health occupations > Other Technical Occupations in Therapy and Assessment (NOC 3235)

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Other Technical Occupations in Therapy and Assessment (NOC 3235)


Description

This unit group includes workers, not elsewhere classified, who perform various technical therapy and assessment functions. Some may assist professionals such as audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and ophthalmologists. They are employed in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, educational institutions and in the private practices of the professionals they assist. Massage therapists may also be self-employed.

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Example Titles

  • audiology technician
  • audiometric assistant
  • audiometric technician
  • audioprosthetist
  • hearing aid consultant
  • massage therapist (MT)
  • ophthalmic assistant
  • ophthalmic technician
  • ophthalmic technologist
  • speech technician
  • speech therapist aide
  • speech therapy aide

      >> View all titles

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Classified Elsewhere

  • Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health) (321)
  • Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental) (323)
  • Physical therapy aides or chiropractic aides (in 3414 Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services)

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Duties

The following is a summary of the main duties for some occupations in this unit group:

  • Audio prosthetists examine clients to determine appropriate type of hearing aid; may test patient's hearing; take ear impressions for use in the manufacture of the devices; fit and adjust hearing aids; and perform follow-up examinations and readjustments.
  • Audiometric assistants administer, under the supervision of audiologists, tests such as speech reception and speech discrimination to determine the hearing thresholds of patients; and record these test results.
  • Communication assistants carry out remedial programs, under the supervision of speech language pathologists, to rehabilitate patients with communicative disorders.
  • Massage therapists assess clients by conducting range of motion and muscle testing and propose treatment plans; treat soft tissues and joints of the body through soft tissue manipulation, hydrotherapy, remedial exercise programs and client self-help programs; provide courses of treatment for medical conditions and injuries or wellness maintenance; maintain records of treatments given; and may work with other health care professionals when appropriate.
  • Ophthalmic medical assistants operate ophthalmic testing and measuring instruments to aid ophthalmologists to assess patients' vision; record test results; assist ophthalmologists in office surgery; and administer eye drops, ointments and medications as directed by ophthalmologists.
  • Physical rehabilitation technicians carry out, under physiotherapists' direction, treatment programs such as massage, thermotherapy, traction and hydrotherapy to rehabilitate injured or disabled individuals.

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Skills

Individuals working in these occupations need the following characteristics:

Essential skills:

  • be able to relate well to a wide range of people and gain their confidence,
  • ability to work independently and as a member of a team,
  • good problem-solving and decision-making skills,
  • physical stamina and manual dexterity,
  • good listening and observational skills,
  • good verbal and written communication skills,
  • knowledge of computers.

Technical skills:

  • ability to operate complex medical equipment
  • administrative skills such as basic accounting, human resources and materials
  • management may be required for self employed individuals

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Employment Requirements

  • For the occupations in this group, a college program or a certificate is required.
  • Massage therapists usually require completion of an 18- to 24-month program and supervised practical training.
  • Membership with the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) may be required if you are working in speech and/or audiology fields.
  • In Manitoba, any person testing or measuring human hearing by audiometer or another other means for the purpose of selecting, adapting, recommending, or selling hearing aids, or selling or offering for sale hearing aids, or making impression for earmolds to be used in connection with hearing aids is considered a hearing aid dealer and requires a licence from the Manitoba Hearing Aid Board.
  • Membership with the Canadian Society of Ophthalmic Medical Personnel and Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in ophthalmology (JCAHPO) may be required for
  • ophthalmic assistants.

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Terms & Conditions

Working conditions vary for individuals in this group, depending on their occupational specialty. Most work regular week day business hours, but some work evenings or weekends to accommodate client needs. Some professionals in this group travel to various locations with their equipment to provide assessments or therapy services.

These professionals spent a great deal of their time working one-on-one with their clients. Speech-language pathologist assistants work primarily with children, in schools, daycares, or hospitals. The work of massage therapists can be strenuous and require standing for long periods of time. Massaging requires considerable arm and hand strength.

More than half of the members of this group are self-employed (59%), most of these are massage therapists. Approximately one third of this group work force are part time.

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Earnings

$25,000 per annum - starting

$29,400 per annum - average

$45,800 per annum - high

Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.

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Education / Training

Massage Therapy:

No programs in Communicative Disorders Assistant (and related audiology and speech programs) are offered in Manitoba. The following programs are available out-of-province:

  • Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology (Orillia, Ontario), Durham College (Oshawa, Ontario), and St. Lawrence College (Cornwall, Ontario), offer a 1-year Communicative Disorders Assistant certificate program. http://www.georgian.on.ca/
  • Brock University (St. Catherines, Ontario) offers a 4-year Bachelor of Arts with a Communicative Disorders Assistant certificate. http://www.brocku.ca/
  • University College of Fraser Valley (Mission, B.C.) offers a Speech Language Assistant diploma. http://omega.ufv.ca/page557.aspx
  • Medicine Hat College (Medicine Hat, Alberta) offers a 1.5 year Therapist Assistant (in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy or Speech-Pathology Therapy) diploma. http://www.mhc.ab.ca/
  • Grant MacEwan College (Edmonton, Alberta) offers a 20-month Speech-Language Pathologists Assistant diploma and a 2-year Hearing Aid Practitioner diploma program by
  • distance delivery. http://www.macewan.ca/web/home/index.cfm
  • George Brown College (Toronto, Ontario) offers a 3-year Hearing Instrument Specialist diploma program.
  • Conestoga College (Kitchener, Ontario) offers a post-degree/post-diploma Hearing instrument Specialist program. http://www.conestogac.on.ca/

Ophthalmic Assistants:

  • Prospective ophthalmic assistants must be employed with an ophthalmologist before and during the home study program offered through Health Sciences, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary. Certification can be acquired through the international Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology.
  • Centennial College offers an ophthalmic Medical Personnel certificate by distance delivery. http://db2.centennialcollege.ca/ce/certdetail.php?CertificateCode=7934
  • University of Ottawa Eye Institute offers a 4-year Ophthalmic Medical Technologists program. http://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/sc/eyeinstitute/index-e.asp
  • The Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in ophthalmology (JCAHPO) website provides a list of approved ophthalmic assistant, technician and technologist programs in Canada, United States and abroad. http://www.jcahpo.org/.

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Career Paths

Massage therapists are employed in spas and hotels, however most are self-employed. They may travel to clients' offices or homes, or work in their own homes or offices, gyms, health clubs, massage centres, or clinics shared with other healthcare professionals. Massage therapists are generally responsible for building and maintaining their own clientele and operating as a small business. Advancement in this occupation generally takes the form of building a larger client base.

Hearing aid practitioners are employed in clinics, educational institutions, hospitals, rehabilitation centres and the private practices of audiologists. Many are self-employed. Experienced hearing aid practitioners may start their own businesses or move into related occupations such as technical sales representative.

Ophthalmic assistants are employed in hospitals, clinics, and private ophthalmologists' offices. In larger organizations, ophthalmic assistants may advance to ophthalmic technician and ophthalmic technologist positions.

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Outlook

Employment prospects for assisting occupations in support of health services are expected to be good in the period 2009 - 2013. Employment in Manitoba in 2009 is estimated at 770.

As the population ages there will be an increase in demand for services, particularly hearing aid, vision care, and physiotherapy. The focus on wellness in workplaces, and the inclusion of these services in more health care plans is also having a positive impact on employment.

Massage therapists account for a large portion of the occupational workforce. There has been an increase in the number of day spa operations in urban centres and these facilities are adding massage therapy to their range of services. There is currently a sufficient supply of massage therapists. Competition for business is intense as the majority are self-employed.

The work of massage therapists, physical rehabilitation technicians, and physiotherapy technicians can be strenuous, and many leave the occupation after five to ten years of practice. This creates replacement demand.

Technical occupations in therapy and assessment are fairly evenly distributed across the Province. They work mostly in Other Services (except Public Administration) (49%), followed by the Health Care and Social Assistance sector (47%) and Retail Trade (1%).

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Employment by Age Group

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Employment by Industry

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Employment by Region

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Employment by Gender

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Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification

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Employment by Visible Minority

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Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.



Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...

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Other Related Information...

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Service Canada Province of Manitoba