JOB TITLE: Occupational Therapist
FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Exempt (Professional), salaried employee.
WORK DAYS: 184 days (same number of days as teachers are scheduled to work).
STANDARD HOURS PER DAY: 7 hours per day (not including a 30-minute unpaid duty-free meal break).
WORK YEAR: The starting and ending days of the work year depends on the calendar of the schools where the Occupational Therapist is assigned.
SALARY SCHEDULE & BENEFITS: The Occupational Therapist is paid 103% of the salary on the “Teachers” salary schedule (based on education and years of experience), and is eligible for benefits on the “Support Staff” benefits schedule.
REPORTS TO: The Occupational Therapist reports to the Director of Special Education.
SUPERVISES: The Occupational Therapist supervises the Occupational Therapy Assistant.
GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Under general supervision, the Occupational Therapist administers direct services to students according to established therapy goals. The Occupational Therapist instructs educational staff on therapeutic educationally relevant therapies, and is responsible for maintaining supplies/equipment in therapy areas. Performs related work as directed.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.
Provides direct services to students according to established therapy goals.
Establishes developmentally appropriate therapeutic goals for assigned students.
Instructs educational staff on therapeutic educationally relevant therapies; communicates with various entities in receiving and disseminating information, i.e., parents, students, school administrators, therapy staff.
Reports/documents students’ activities and responses during therapy sessions.
Maintains supplies/equipment and orderliness of therapy areas; ensures provision of a safe and environmentally healthy therapy environment.
Prepares various records and documentation relevant to assigned duties, i.e., student attendance, progress, notes.
Utilizes/operates various specialized equipment/devices in administering therapeutic services, i.e., wheelchairs, positioning and lifting equipment, adaptive switches, adaptive communication devices.
Utilizes various materials/items in administering therapeutic services to develop fine/gross motor skill sand eye-hand coordination, i.e., paper, paints, clay, stencils, scissors.
Ensures the safe and effective operational condition and performance of all therapeutic equipment and devices.
Evaluates student progress and modifies therapeutic goals as needed;
Supervises occupational therapy assistant(s); establishes an on-going evaluation of methods/techniques to ensure quality services and adherence to principles and safe case management.
Ensures compliance with laws and regulatory standards governing the provision of occupational therapeutic services.
Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology, as job appropriate, being used by the district.
With the support of the district, attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in current position.
Responsible for timely and accurate information they maintain as part of their job responsibilities.
NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
While the following tasks are necessary for the work of the unit, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other unit members.
Performs related duties as directed.
ENTRY-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:
1. EDUCATION/TRAINING: Bachelor’s Degree in occupational therapy is required.
2. EXPERIENCE: At least six months of direct service experience working with school-age children in a therapeutic setting.
3. CERTIFICATIONS &/OR LICENSES: The appropriate license from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency is required. A valid Indiana driver’s license is required.
4. OTHER: Ability to perform the essential functions, meet the performance aptitudes, and fulfill the physical/sensory/environmental requirements of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) is required.
PERFORMANCE APTITUDES:
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to assist persons by action or interaction in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of special needs and therapeutic equipment and devices.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive and advisory data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over).
SENSORY REQUIREMENTS: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate depths.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Tasks are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.