Occupational Therapist - School

Job Description:

Provide occupational therapy and rehabilitation services that include assessment, developing treatment goals and plans, and direct intervention to assist students in acquiring functional and independent life skills.

The School Occupational Therapist is a professional health care provider requiring registration and state licensure. The School Occupational Therapist works directly with and serves as case manager for physically and psycho-socially disabled students and family members. Advancement to this position requires occupational therapy registration and state licensure.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

* Provides occupational therapy services to students by conducting assessments with the educational setting using an ecological model to determine level of need.

* Develops educationally relevant therapeutic plans, which include goals that can be linked as part of a student’s educational program.

* Reviews reports from other health care providers who are requesting occupational therapy services, evaluates student progress on individual therapy plans, and revises goals as needed. Prepares reports of occupational therapy interventions and outcomes.

* Collaborates with parents and staff on occupational therapy interventions for students on site and through home programs. Attends Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) meetings as necessary to ensure that interventions blend with educational goals.

* Coordinates occupational therapy services with student’s other health care providers and medical protocols. Coordinates services with school nurses.

* Instructs paraprofessionals in occupational therapy and instructional support on understanding, interpreting, and implementing intervention procedures.

* Provides in-service training and continuing professional development to teachers and resource personnel. Promotes the need for occupational therapy services to teachers and administrators. Develops up-to-date best practices for therapy services.

* Ensures the documentation of services is professional, efficient, and accountable, and in conformance with the policies of state and other agencies.

* Modifies and may design adaptive equipment that enhances students’ ability to access learning and technology.

* Performs other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position

Knowledge and Skills:

* Physical, sensory, intellectual, social, and emotional growth patterns of children including the developmental and educational needs of children with disabilities.

* Current theories and best practices in the application of occupational therapy techniques, including oral motor facilitation, daily living activities, psychodynamics of being disabled, and normal and abnormal child development.

* State Education Code as it applies to the specific accountability of this position.

* Personal computer applications to use common office productivity software, internet, and specialized computer-aided programs supporting diagnostic assessment.

* Advanced math and interpretive skill to conduct and evaluate statistics.

* Human relations skills to achieve and maintain trust and cooperation with peers and clients, to deliver formal discussion with classroom-sized groups, to resolve conflict, and to use advanced lines of inquiry to obtain personal information from clients.

* Professional writing skills sufficient to write reports and correspondence that may be sensitive and have legal implications.

Abilities:

* Requires the ability to carry out all aspects of the position.

* Understand differences among children with various handicapping conditions.

* Assess the development status and educational needs of children and the role of occupational therapy.

* Learn, interpret, and apply State and Federal requirements and objectives for academic achievement including Individualized Educational Plans.

* Work effectively with fellow professionals and paraprofessionals in carrying out regular and remedial therapeutic programs.

* Perform statistical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.

* Relate well with students, parents, and all levels of staff.

* Present self in a professional manner to students, parents, and staff.

* Maintain confidentiality of private information.

* Optimize a work schedule that involves multiple locations

Physical Abilities

* Function effectively in classroom and office environments, engaged in work of a moderately active nature.

* Ambulatory ability to move to various class and meeting room settings, to stoop, bend and kneel, and to reach.

* Hand-arm motion ability and coordination to assist others with physical movements.

* Hand-eye-arm coordination ability to use special diagnostic devices and a personal computer keyboard to access and record information.

* Visual ability to recognize words, numbers, and non-verbal actions of people.

* Auditory ability to project voice and carry out conversations with individuals and small groups in person and over the phone.

Minimum Qualifications :

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy or closely related field. One year of practicum and/or experience providing occupational therapy services. Experience with children with special needs is desirable.

Licenses and Certificates:

Valid California Occupational Therapist license. Valid registration by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Valid California driver’s license.