Occupational Therapist- Early Steps Program

Job Description The USF Bay Area Early Steps Occupational Therapist helps and treats patients whose movement and physical abilities are impaired throughout The USF Bay Area Early Steps Occupational Therapist helps and treats patients whose movement and physical abilities are impaired throughout Polk County, Florida. The occupational therapist will interact with patients and other health care providers to diagnose problems, establish goals and decide upon a course of treatment or management, then implement that plan with the patient. This position is grant funded. This position will require a Level 2 Background Check Responsibilities Clinical Services 40% This position will involve clinical care. The position will provide direct clinical services to families and children served within the Early Steps program. These services include evaluation and assessment. Development of Individualized Family/Child Goals and Strategies on the Individualized Family Support Plan. Ongoing intervention including developmental strategies, coaching and mentoring families, team-based strategies. Ongoing progress monitoring of patients’ progress. Delivering difficult news to families; addressing family grief and fear in practice. Provider Monitoring and Quality Improvement (30%) This position will participate in ongoing monitoring of internal and community providers related to program requirements. Duties will include IFSP development, quality of intervention service and documentation, timelines, and other service benchmarks as documented in the Early Steps State Office Program Handbook and Operations Guide. This position will work with the Program Director, Assistant Program Director and the Community Compliance & Development Program Coordinator to implement the provider mentoring model in which benchmarks related to the Team Based Primary Service Provider approach are incorporated into their ongoing practice. Duties include the development of internal agency processes to promote family centered care, the team based primary service provider approach and provision of services and support within the child's typical routines. Education and Training (20%) This position will also be involved with education and training. The position is responsible for providing education and training to medical students and pediatric residents who rotate through the Early Steps program. This position provides community training and mentoring related to clinical services provided to children and families through the Early Steps program. University and Program Support (10%) May participate in the educational programs of the university as well as other duties as assigned. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: Requires Florida State Licensure as an Occupational Therapy and 2 or more years of experience with children ages 0-5 years. Additional Minimum Qualifications: Ability to drive to locations to see children within the Early Steps Program, per Early Steps State Office requirements; primarily in Polk and Eastern Hillsborough County. Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate ( ) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S. SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:

• a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree

Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment. Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310. About Us Working at USF With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts. About USF The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at . Compliance and Federal Notices This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check. Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process. Equal Employment Opportunity The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract. #J-18808-Ljbffr University of South Florida