Occupational Therapy Assistant

General Purpose:

Occupational Therapy Assistants are certified/licensed professionals who plan, direct and administer medically prescribed Occupational Therapy programs to provide treatment under the direction and supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist.

Essential Functions:

• Provides Occupational Therapy services to patients under the direct supervision of an Occupational Therapist designated by the client facility, in accordance with state regulations
• Assists Occupational Therapy supervisor to assess patient to determine problems and goals of each patient in cooperation with
• Assists with development of effective treatment program based on initial evaluation and treats patients accordingly as approved by the Occupational Therapist.
• Responsible for reporting on the condition of patient/client to the appropriate supervisor and other staff members. Coordinate and assist with care as directed
• Communicates assessment findings, treatment programs and guidance in daily living to patients, family, and other team members under the direct supervision of the Occupational Therapist.
• Assists with training patient, family and appropriate staff in the use or application of sensory strategies, adaptive equipment, orthotics, etc. based on child's needs to improve performance in daily routines.
• Maintains patient records that reflect patient treatment: (daily treatment record, patient care plans, discharge summaries, telephone orders, billing)
• Clinical knowledge and skill, or ability to develop knowledge and skills required for treatment of pediatric and adolescent patient populations
• Work closely and collaborate with other disciplines to improve effectiveness of services provided.
• Ability to travel between facilities or other treatment locations as necessary
• Responsible for performing tasks that are within the scope of his/her educational preparation, knowledge, and permitted by the policies and procedures of Pediatric Therapy Associates and other local, state, and federal guidelines; and the policies of the facility requesting the services
• Participate in multidisciplinary rounds/meetings and in-services as needed

Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Graduate from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant program, Bachelor's degree preferred
• Licensing: Current state licensure or license eligible in states where applicable
• Training and experience: Unless otherwise indicated, one year of current experience within the last three years in a comparable job classification required
• Maintenance of current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for HealthCare Workers or Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification for HealthCare workers
• Educated on and compliant with HIPAA regulations; maintains strict confidentiality of client information
• Complies with Infection Control, Standard Precautions and OSHA standards for the healthcare professional
• Able to wear personal protective equipment (e.g., face mask, goggles, latex/non-latex gloves) as needed
• Ability to work effectively within role independently for 30-60min sessions, up to eight to ten patients per day.
• Ability to organize and complete work in a timely manner
• Ability to read, write and effectively communicate in English
• Ability to understand medical/surgical terminology
• Health Requirements- In good health and able to work without restrictions as evidenced by Health statement
• Physical Demands-Stooping, turning, bending, squatting, kneeling and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds; constant/repetitive standing; requires normal, correctable vision and hearing, and the ability to accurately discern color as necessary to perform job functions
• Sufficient fine and gross motor coordination to manipulate/operate equipment controls and to perform manual treatment/assessment techniques
• Maintain and clean supplies, equipment and other therapy area
• Perform other relevant duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor

Must have the use of sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with others through the use of the telephone and personal contact as normally defined by the ability to see, read, talk, hear, handle or feel objects and controls. Standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, and crouching are regularly required of the position. The employee is required to have visual and hearing acuity sufficient enough to assess patient safety and ability. Capable of exerting 20-50 pounds of force occasionally (less than 1/3 of the time) and/or 10-20 pounds of force frequently (1/2 of the time) and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly (2/3 or more of the time) to move objects, equipment and/or perform medium to maximum transfer assists with patients.

The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.