CERTIFIED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT (COTA)

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

This position works 8 hours/day, during the school year.

Basic Function: Under the direction of the Director of Special Education and/or designee, assist in providing occupational therapy services and treatment to enhance fine motor, sensory motor and other skills and development among identified students with disabilities; prepare equipment for treatment; assist with data collection and perform related clerical duties.

Minimum Qualifications: Education: High school diploma or its recognized equivalent AND graduation from accredited Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant program. Experience: Some experience working with students with various disabilities in a rehabilitative setting is desirable. Licenses and Other Requirements: Certification as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Licensed by the California Board of Occupational Therapy to practice as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Valid First Aid and CPR certification. A valid California Class C driver's license and an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) and availability of private transportation between job sites may be required.

Job Duties: Provide occupational therapy treatment to enhance fine motor, sensory motor, gross and fine motor delays and other skills and development among identified students with disabilities. Maintain treatment and other assigned work areas in a safe and orderly manner. Assist with student observations, assessments, evaluation and related interviews. Collaborate with multi-disciplinary team in providing occupational therapy services. Assist Occupational Therapist in developing therapeutic treatments and intervention goals that are educationally relevant and will be used in student's education programs. Assist with data collection (e.g., notes concerning daily therapy activities, treatment and student progress) for the use in multi-disciplinary meetings. Collaborate with the Occupational Therapist in monitoring and assist with adjusting individual treatment and therapy programs and activities in response to student progress. Plan and prepare for daily occupational therapy services and activities; utilize, adjust and demonstrate the use of various adaptive and therapeutic equipment and tools. Monitor inventory levels of therapeutic supplies and equipment; order, receive and maintain adequate inventory levels of supplies and equipment. Receive work guidance for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) in accordance with American Occupational Therapist (OT) Association/California Board of Occupational Therapy standards. Operate a variety of standard office equipment including copier, computer, and assigned software. Attend various trainings, workshops and in-services as directed. Perform related duties as required.

Knowledge of: Issues related to child development. Educational and developmental needs of children with specific disabilities. Principles, methods, practices and equipment used in occupational therapy. Functioning of adaptive equipment, assistive technology and special equipment as it applies to occupational therapy services.

Ability to: Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Organize and prioritize responsibilities. Work independently with appropriate supervision. Perform task analysis of underlying treatment components to address IEP goals.

Supervision is received from the Director of Special Education and/or designee. Work guidance may be received from the Occupational Therapist. Environment: Is subject to inside and outside environmental conditions; may be required to use personal vehicle in the course of employment. Physical Abilities: Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate office equipment and therapeutic equipment. Hearing and speaking to exchange information, seeing to monitor student progress and read a variety of materials, bending at the waist, twisting, kneeling or crouching to assist students, require the ability to walk long distances, perform work which may involves pulling and/or pushing of objects (such as wheeled equipment, carts and wheelchairs) weighing from ten (10) to one hundred (100) pounds, lifting objects (such as therapy equipment) and students weighing up to seventy-five (75) pounds, occasionally carrying objects which approximate twenty-five (25) pounds and may weigh up to seventy-five (75) pounds, sitting or standing for extended periods of time. Note: The heaviest item to be lifted alone is fifty (50) pounds. Should an applicant require reasonable accommodation, the Director of Classified Personnel will consider that upon request. Hazards: May be required to work around foul odors, contact with dissatisfied or verbally and physically abusive individuals. May be unintentionally struck by students while providing physical assistance to students.

The application process: To be considered for an employment opportunity with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, it is necessary for you to complete an official District Application and Supplemental Questions. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. The application is part of the examination process and is part of your total evaluation of qualifications for employment. The examination process: For those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications, the examination process will consist of any one or more of the following: Training and Experience Evaluation, Written Test, Performance Test, and/or Structured Interview. Additional information pertaining to the examination process will be emailed to those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. Examination Protests: Protest of any part of the examination process must be in writing and received in the office of the Director of Classified Personnel no later than five (5) working days from the date you were notified of examination results. All notifications are sent electronically via email. Any protest must include rationale to support the protest and must be based on illegal discrimination, abuse of discretion, or procedure/process error. We are not responsible for any incoming mail that is lost or misdirected after it has been entrusted to the US Postal Service. Accommodation for Disabled: If you have a disability that may require an accommodation in any of these examination procedures, please notify the Personnel Commission in writing at the time you submit your application. Establishment of Eligibility List: This examination process shall be open to all qualified applicants and shall result in one integrated eligibility list. All eligibility lists shall be established in accordance with Personnel Commission rules and shall be established for a period one (1) year, unless otherwise noted, or until there are fewer than three (3) ranks of eligible candidates who are available. Candidates are placed on the eligibility list in rank order according to their final examination score. Final examination scores will not change, but ranking may change as other candidates are added or removed from the list. Advanced Step Placement: Generally, new employees start at the first step on the appointed salary schedule. When filling a permanent vacancy, a new employee may request a higher salary placement based on having training and experience that greatly exceeds the minimum qualifications. An employee may submit a formal request for advanced step consideration on or after the first day of employment. Education transcripts, training certificates, and additional references may be requested for verification purposes.