JOB DESCRIPTION:

This position reports directly to the Rehab Director. An Occupational Therapist, or OTR, is responsible for providing patients with treatment to help them develop and improve their ability to complete everyday tasks related to their job and daily lives. Job duties include performing initial patient assessments, teaching patients to use adaptive equipment/technology, and coaching them through therapeutic activities.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Helps patient develop or regain physical or mental functioning or adjust to patient’s particular needs by implementing programs involving manual arts and crafts, practice in functional, prevocational, vocational, and homemaking skills, activities of daily living, and sensory-motor, educational, recreational, and social activities.
• Promotes maximum independence by selecting and constructing therapies according to the individual’s physical capacity, intelligence level, and interests.
• Evaluate results of occupational therapy by observing, noting, and evaluating patient’s progress; recommending and implementing adjustments and modifications.
• Patient Education: Facilitates movement toward a healthcare partnership between providers, patients, and their families. Educates patients and their families regarding therapeutic exercises, activities, and equipment. Helps patients participate in everyday activities based on their unique circumstances.
• Assisting patients to exercise for pain relief.
• Reviewing the patient’s progress and adapting the treatment accordingly.
• Performing administrative tasks such as keeping records, writing reports, and making telephone calls.
• Evaluation/Re-evaluations: Is responsible for administering and evaluating patients through standardized assessments. They gauge functional abilities, including physical, emotional, cognitive, and sensory components, to evaluate the necessity of skilled occupational therapy intervention. A patient’s history, context, and treatment goals should be considered when determining a treatment plan.
• Treatment: Helps the client achieve goals outlined in the treatment plan by providing neuromuscular reeducation, therapeutic activity, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, self-care/home management training, development of cognitive skills, sensory integration techniques, wheelchair management, and wound care. Modalities utilized may include biofeedback, paraffin baths, whirlpools, iontophoresis, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound.
• Discharge: Ensures safety at discharge and continuation of progress by providing home exercise programs, family/caregiver instruction, recommendations for assistive equipment, and recommendations for continued therapy in a less restrictive setting. Discharge planning should begin at the evaluation and continue throughout treatment. Planning and coordination for discharge should occur in conjunction with physicians, social workers, other healthcare workers, the client, and their family members/caretakers.
• Contribution to Healthcare Team: Communicates with the larger health team through adequate documentation and charting of patient and department records. They maintain patient confidence by keeping information confidential, keeping the work environment safe and clean, and adhering to infection control and other safety policies.
• Maintenance of Department Integrity: Compliance with federal and state professional requirements. They also maintain professional expertise through continued education as necessitated by licensure and as appropriate for specific treatments. The therapist may further develop the occupational therapy department by reviewing best practices annually.
• Supervision: Therapists may also supervise occupational therapy students following standards set by the American Occupational Therapy Association, the state of employment, and the facility.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of traits, processes, and ethics in patient care.
• Demonstrated skills in writing and editing notes, evaluations, and reports.
• Ability to analyze complex information and software to develop spreadsheets and databases and do word processing.
• Ability to meet established deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Standard office equipment, including personal computers and peripherals; multi-line phone system.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited program.

EXPERIENCE:

5-7 years of experience in related field preferred.

Experience working with NICU infants preferred.

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:

Occupational Therapists must be licensed to provide occupational therapy in the state of Texas. They must also be registered and in good standing with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and possess an appropriate, valid Texas driver’s license and insurance. CPR certification and other relevant certifications may be required.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Office environment, exposure to computer screens, frequent contact with the public. Continuous sitting. Some lifting and carrying. Assist in philanthropic efforts for the clinic and perform other duties as assigned.

BENEFITS:

Medical, dental, life insurance, 401K, ample paid time off including spring break, July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

All offers for employment with Moody Clinic are contingent upon the candidate having successfully completed a criminal background check.