Occupational Therapist Position Description
The Occupational Therapist provides quality school-based occupation therapy services, which include but are not limited to assessment/evaluation, intervention/treatment, IEP planning and implementation, discharge planning, related documentation, and communication between teachers, teacher assistants, and related service providers, and families. A full-time position, 10-month position working with students in self-contained non-categorical classrooms and general education inclusion classrooms.
Major Responsibilities
- Develops individualized goals and objectives to facilitate eligible students’ active participation/acquisition of functional performance skills in self-maintenance, academic and vocational pursuits, and leisure/play activities that occur in school environments.
- Prepares both written and oral reports, and presentations for determining students’ eligibility for special education services.
- Utilizes direct and indirect services, assistive technology, and/or environmental modifications to implement special educational programming to provide for the development of sensory-motor, perceptual or neuromuscular functioning and emotional, motivational, cognitive, or psychosocial performance.
- Maintains confidential files which include assessments, reviews, test results, IEPs, and documentation of consultations.
- Consults with Lee Montessori general and special education staff, parents, and community resources.
- Participates in planning team meetings for students and discusses students’ response to OT treatment; makes recommendations to enhance student function in other areas, and may make or recommend referrals to other disciplines as appropriate.
- Reviews and interprets independently generated therapy and medical reports and serves as a resource in reporting findings to other health care and related service providers.
- Attend administrative due process hearings (and other court proceedings), eligibility conferences, and other meetings.
- Ability to articulate the role of occupational therapy in the evaluation, intervention planning, and intervention process.
- Analyze tasks relative to areas of occupation, performance skills, activity demands, contexts, and student factors to implement the intervention plan.
- Recognize occupational performance deficits in the areas of personal care, student role/interactive skills, processing skills, play, community integration, and written communication.
- Gather screening and evaluation data, completing checklists, histories, and interviews.
- Ability to select, adapt, and sequence relevant occupations and purposeful activities that support intervention goals.
- Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records and progress notes.
- Willingness to be educated and trained for specific program implementation.
- Complete thorough evaluation, including muscle tone, range of motion/mobility, orthopedic needs, movement analysis, perceptive/fine motor skills, sensory-motor processing, and functional activities of daily living.
- Educate and demonstrate (verbally or written) therapy techniques to parents that can be incorporated into the home.
- Attend staff meetings, in-service training, and continuing education courses as appropriate or required. Assess and make recommendations regarding the use of adaptive equipment as needed and provide written justification.
- Deliver timely documentation of evaluation results, progress reports, discharge reports, daily notes, and service tracker notes.
- Maintain professional clinical competency by attending certified CEU in-services and workshops.
- Other duties as assigned.
Requirements & Qualifications
- Preferred knowledge in Sensory Integration theory and practices.
- Successful completion and graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy program recognized by NBCOT and completion of all fieldwork requirements
- Initiative, strong work ethic, and the ability to positively interact and collaborate in a team environment.
- 1-2 years of experience as an occupational therapist in an urban school setting with preschoolers and elementary-aged children.
- Certification as an occupational therapist by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
- Current District of Columbia license as a certified occupational therapist.
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of strategies for students with autism, developmental delay, specific learning disabilities, and behavior disorders.
- Be strong classroom support.
- Demonstrate strong skills in partnering with families.
- Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of colleagues, parents, families, and community members.
- Be committed to meeting the needs of a diverse student population.
- Have a track record of being a team player and community-minded.
- Be committed to their own learning.
- Have excellent time-management skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
- Have a passion for urban public schools.
- Adhere to a high level of professional and ethical standards.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $75,000 - $90,000 per year plus benefits
Lee Montessori PCS offers an extremely competitive compensation and benefits package. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and, as a school serving a diverse group of students, work to reflect this diversity in our staff.