24-25 Itinerant Occupational Therapist (2024-2025 school year)

Job Goal:We seek a highly skilled and knowledgeable Occupational Therapist to serve preschool students, teachers, and families in community-based early education and care programs as part of the Somerville Partnership for Young Children (SPYC).

As part of this effort to advance high-quality programming, the Itinerant Occupational Therapist will work directly with early education classrooms across the city to ensure consistency and alignment of practices to help students develop the strength and skills needed to participate in their classroom environments. This position will assist individual children directly and provide consultation to teachers and directors on occupational performance/IEP needs.  

About the Somerville Partnership for Young Children:

The Somerville Partnership for Young Children (SPYC) is a coordinated effort between Somerville Public Schools, the City of Somerville, Head Start, community-based early education centers, and other community organizations.

Through Somerville's mixed delivery system, Somerville Partnership for Young Children (SPYC) leads a network of early education and care providers to expand access to high-quality preschool and child care for children in Somerville from birth through age 5. SPYC is committed to equity in educational outcomes for all children regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, home language, geography, or culture.

The goal of SPYC is to expand early childhood education program access and align and improve the quality of Somerville’s local early childhood education system through strategic partnerships between the Somerville Public Schools district, the City of Somerville, and participating early childhood centers and providers in Somerville that are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).

The Occupational Therapist position is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated educator who is culturally competent and committed to supporting speech and language services onsite in our childcare partner centers, ensuring that all students meet and exceed the kindergarten readiness benchmarks. 

Position Type: 

This is a grant-funded, temporary position (eligible for benefits). Funded by the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant. 

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited occupational therapy program
• Registered Occupational Therapist
• Massachusetts License
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• At least 3 years of relevant experience with school-aged children preferred 
• Citizenship, residency or work visa required
• Experience with the process of Screening, assessing, and evaluating students to determine eligibility for occupational therapy services
• Experience developing individual plans and goals for each student based on need and determination of services
• Demonstrated ability to form and maintain strong professional relationships with district staff and parents 

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with teachers, other related service providers, and parents/guardians to ensure understanding of student’s occupational performance strengths and needs through evaluation, educational program planning, and service delivery.
• Develop protocols for sensory spaces with an emphasis on students with Autism or sensory dysregulation.
• Evaluate students through a variety of functional, behavioral, and standardized assessments, skilled observation, checklists, histories, and interviews.
• Synthesize evaluation results into a comprehensive written report which reflects strengths and barriers to student’s participation in the educational environment.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings to review evaluation results, integrate findings with other disciplines, offer recommendations, and develop individual education plans for intervention plans to achieve IEP goals.
• Work directly with other members of the Somerville Partnership for Young Children itinerant and coaching teams to foster inclusion.
• Provide targeted, evidence-based therapeutic intervention to facilitate student participation and occupational performance within the educational environment.
• Collect data for decision making and progress monitoring.
• Schedule direct services using a variety of service delivery models, including classroom intervention, consultation/collaboration and pull-out sessions as appropriate to meet student needs in the least restrictive environment.
• Maintain easily accessible and accurate student files.
• Safeguard confidentiality of student records following FERPA, IDEA, and HIPPA guidelines when needed.
• Complete logging of services for third party reimbursement accurately and in a timely manner.
• Monitor and reassess the effects of specific occupational therapy intervention and the need to continue, modify, or discontinue services.
• Adapt and modify environments, equipment, and materials.
• Train instructional staff and families to meet individually needs and to help students function as independently as possible.
• Manage inventory of therapeutic equipment.
• Attend reconvened Team meetings and parent-teacher conferences.
• Chair team meetings and participate collaboratively with multi-disciplinary educational teams to develop Individualized Education programs (IEPs), write measurable goals and objectives, and complete all required documentation in a timely manner.
• Develop appropriate IEPs based on students’ strengths and needs and demonstrates awareness of professional performance in due process matters and litigious environments.
• Plan, coordinate, and conduct educational trainings for staff, parents, and students.
• Participate in professional meetings and workshops directly related to Occupational Therapy.
• Perform related work as required.
• Other such duties as assigned by the Director of Early Education.

Terms of Employment:

• August 2024 - August 2025
• 209 Work Days (School Year Schedule, and 25 days during the summer) 
• Full-time, District-Wide/multiple locations
• Salary will be commensurate with experience and education
• Funded by the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant. 

Position Reports to: Director of Early Education and Care and Director of Special Education

The Somerville Public Schools does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, home status, marital/civil union status, sex/gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, citizenship status, place of birth, national origin, ancestry, cultural identity, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.