Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist

Qualifications:

• Graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy program
• Current certification from the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy
• Experience providing occupational therapy to children with disabilities in public school settings

Reports To: Administrator of Special Programs or otherwise assigned

Job Goal: Provide quality school-based occupation therapy services, which includes but is not limited to assessment/evaluation, intervention/direct service, goal planning and implementation, exit criteria documentation, and communication between co-workers, professionals (medical and non-medical), and families. Services may be provided through direct and/or consultative approaches.

Essential Functions/Performance Responsibilities:

• Provide services as appropriate or based on referral
• Evaluate students and interpret results to determine the need for and type of services and or interventions
• Interview and observe student and families to obtain and interpret data necessary for identifying and implementing services and or interventions.
• Develop, coordinate, and implement IEPs (including goals, objectives, and activities to meet goals/objectives)
• Ensure that services support performance within the student's classroom environment
• Implement IEPs in collaboration with others
• Adapt environment, tools, material, and activities according to the needs of the student and/or their social/instructional environment
• Provide family members/caregivers with the knowledge and tools necessary to reinforce occupational therapy activities in the home environment
• Monitor the student's progress on goals or interventions and accommodations, re-evaluate as needed, and modify IEP as needed
• Terminate services when student has mastered goals or demonstrates a level of independence and no longer requires OT support.
• Maintain daily progress notes, goal check lists, communication/conversation logs, quarterly progress notes, and other documentation for record keeping of students' progress and needs
• Communicate and collaborate with other professionals (i.e. teachers, psychologists, PTs, speech therapists), family members, caregivers, and other team members.
• Follow policies and procedures as outlined by the school district, American Occupational Therapy Association Code of Ethics, and the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Certification
• Provide in-service education to team members and others as needed
• Identify and pursue professional growth and development, including participation within professional and community activities
• Maintain professional AZ licensure requirements
• Establish and maintain Medicaid/AHCCCS requirements for providing billable

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

Terms of Employment: Salary and work year in accordance with the currently approved Academic Support Placement schedule.

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with Board policy on evaluation of professional staff.