COTA- Home Health

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)

This Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) provides Occupational Therapy services under the direction of an OTL/R according to the attending physician's Plan of Care. As a member of the multi-disciplinary team, the therapist assumes responsibility for communication of client related issues for appropriate team members or other facility/agency staff and participates in the collection and evaluation of data necessary to assess the appropriateness of care at home. The COTA works with the clients and family in the home setting without direct supervision.

Position Specific Responsibilities

• Demonstrates competency in providing quality therapy services including intervention, implementation of the treatment plan established by the OT, related documentation and communication with clients and OT on a frequent basis.
• Also demonstrates competency with identifying and making appropriate referrals regarding medical, social and emotional factors influencing care.
• Communicate with the multidisciplinary team to form a collaborative client care plan.
• Provides care in accordance with physician orders and the established plan of care.
• Assesses the effectiveness of treatment and notifies OT if treatment needs to be modified to achieve goals.
• Documents all treatment and coordination of care contacts in appropriate facility/agency format.
• Meets agency time guidelines for completing documentation.
• Documentation reflects good clinical documentation as well as meeting agency billing and reimbursement requirements.
• Produces expected results given present skills, knowledge, abilities, training and education for the following age groups: neonate, pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric.
• Demonstrates an ability to treat the wide range of diagnoses and be knowledgeable in therapy treatments, goals and contraindications for treatment.
• Treatments are adapted to the unique home setting and to the client and/or caregiver's ability to follow through safely and correctly.
• Request consultation supervision or continuing education when appropriate, to learn specialized techniques or treatment approaches.
• Communicates pertinent medical and clinical information to the interdisciplinary team, including information regarding the client's care plan, implementation of changes per physician order and assuring adequate medical follow-up.
• Also communicates pertinent information to team members, supervisor, facility/agency staff and external sources as appropriate.
• Plans for discharge.
• Participates in team reassessments and discharge planning.
• Teaches client or family discharge therapy program.
• Recommends and facilitates appropriate medical and/or rehabilitation followed up once Home Services/Home Infusion/Hospice services have been discontinued.
• Assists in obtaining adaptive equipment.
• Fabricates adaptive equipment as needed.
• Adapts equipment and techniques for use to the home setting assuring optimum function and safety.
• Provides consultation or makes appropriate referrals regarding resources and barriers in the community.
• Independently manages case load under supervision of an occupational therapist, plans and schedules home visits coordinating with other team members as needed to maximize effectiveness of overall care plan.
• Organizes weekly schedule to attend required meetings within schedule of client care needs.
• Responds to urgent client needs by prioritizing and triaging treatments.
• Communicates schedule and work plan to scheduling coordinator, supervisor and other team members as appropriate.
• Organizes and coordinates transfer of client information when additional complementary therapies are requested and when client care is provided by another clinical facility/agency.
• Educates facility/agency staff, hospital staff and community resources regarding therapy services for home care/hospice clients in the home.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of home care/hospice nursing, MSW, volunteer, chaplain, HHA, and other rehabilitation disciplines in order to make appropriate referrals for those services.
• Provides consultation regarding COTA services to other disciplines, as needed or as requested.
• Participates in agency in-service programs and community continuing education needed to remain clinically current in treatment techniques.
• Completes documentation on the day of the visit per the agency time guidelines for completing documentation.
• Meets agency productivity standards established for therapy.
• Uses time efficiently and effectively.
• Attends required team meetings.
• Participates in agency committees as assigned by supervisor.
• Participate in facility/agency program planning, gives input to program policy discussions particularly in those areas impacting client care.
• Participates in the orientation of new facility/agency staff members by orienting them to the unique clinical practice of their discipline in the home setting.
• When providing services for clients in settings other than a private home, i.e., Adult Family Home or Nursing Home or coordinates care, provides consultation and training, and meets additional documentation requirements specific to that setting.
• Follows facility/agency communication Policies and Procedures for voicemail, reporting schedules and schedule changes, responding to pagers and notification of information to supervisor and others.

Education and/or Experience

• Required - Education to meet certification, license or registration requirement.
• Required - Degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.
• Preferred - 1 year In home health as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
• Required - 2 years Experience in the area of Occupational Therapy as a COTA.
• Other Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of relevant rehabilitation therapy techniques and procedures in respective discipline.
• Other Skills and Abilities: Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate care to clients ranging in age from adolescents to geriatrics including knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span, possession of the ability to assess data reflective of the client's status and be able to interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each client's requirements relative to his or her age specific needs.
• Other Skills and Abilities: Access to daily use of an insured reliable vehicle or an alternate ability to travel to sites as required.

Certifications, Licenses, and Registrations

• CA: Required upon hire: California Occupational Therapy Assistant License (Vendor Managed)
• Required within 30 days of hire: National Provider BLS - American Heart Association (Vendor Managed)

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The demands of this role necessitate a team member to effectively perform essential functions. Adaptations can be made to accommodate team members with disabilities. Regular standing, walking, and manual dexterity are fundamental, along with the ability to lift and move objects up to 50 pounds. Visual acuity requirements include close and distance vision, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. In a healthcare setting, exposure to bodily fluids, infectious diseases, and conditions typical to the field is expected. Routine use of standard medical equipment and tools associated with clinical care is essential. This description provides a general overview and may vary by role and department, capturing the nuanced demands and conditions inherent to clinical positions in our organization.

At Providence at Home with Compassus, including all Compassus affiliates, diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our Pillars of Success. We are committed to creating a fair work environment where our team members feel welcomed, highly valued, and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Pay range: $33.40-$41.25