POSITION: Occupational Therapist
REPORTS TO: Director of Student Support Services
START DATE: August 16, 2021
We are looking for an energetic, collaborative, and experienced occupational therapist to join our special education team of speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, ABA therapist, social workers, physical therapist, and special education teachers. The occupational therapist’s job responsibilities include but are not limited to therapy, student evaluations, IEP development, and teacher consultation, in addition to the areas described below. The full-time position (11 month) provides services for students in the self-contained non-categorical classrooms and general education classrooms. In addition, it serves students in Pre-K to 5th grade with mild to significant special needs.
Bridges Public Charter School’s mission is to provide an exemplary educational program for students with and without special needs. Our child-focused and family-centered educational approach nurtures students to develop their academic and social-emotional skills to build a foundation for life-long learning.
Bridges PCS is a multicultural program; we are looking to hire individuals of diverse backgrounds to join our school staff to reflect the multicultural demographics of the students we serve.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Have a Master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited school of occupational therapy program
- 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.
- 2 years of experience as an occupational therapist in an urban school setting with preschoolers and elementary aged children.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills and an ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team
- 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, flexibility, and ability to work independently and problem solve
- Have a passion for public schools
- Adhere to a high level of professional and ethical standards
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
- Providing high quality direct occupational therapy services to students according to students’ IEPs/504 plans.
- Developing treatment plans (IEPs/504 plans) that are strength-based as well as child and family centered for overall educational improvement.
- Conducting assessments, analyzing results, and writing reports to determine strengths and concerns for student’s skills and development as is assessed by the area of Occupational Therapy.
- Completing thorough evaluations, including muscle tone, range of motion/mobility, orthopedic needs, movement analysis, perceptive/fine motor skills, sensory motor processing and functional activities of daily living.
- Participating in necessary meetings as part of IEP process and the student’s physical therapy plan
- Ensuring evaluations, treatment plans and service delivery are aligned with school, state, and federal guidelines.
- Completing weekly notes, progress reports, evaluation reports in timely manner and according to school policy.
- Managing a detailed log of service provided and services missed due to student or therapist absences.
- Documenting all aspects of work with students in EasyIEP according to school and state guidelines.
- Communicating and coordinating with Director of Student Support Services to ensure school mission, philosophy, and procedures are embraced.
- Engaging parents and families in their student's learning and acting as an ambassador for the school in the community.
- Collaborating with therapy staff to develop school-wide programs to benefit students and staff.
- Designing and conducting trainings for parents and families as appropriate.
- Attending and participating in staff meetings, in-service training, and continuing education courses as appropriate or required.
- Assessing and make recommendations regarding the use of adaptive equipment as needed and provide written justification.
- Ensuring students’ skills are generalized across settings by collaborating with teaching teams and related service providers.
- Maintaining an inventory of materials, assessments, and supplies.
- Maintaining appropriate, confidential, records and provide timely reports.
- Contributing productively to the school as a whole (i.e. morning drop-off support, test proctoring as needed).
- Other duties as assigned.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Salary is based on educational level, certification(s), and years of experience. Employees will be contracted yearly. Contracts will be renewed according to evaluations and staff interest. Health benefits (medical & dental), disability insurance, and a retirement plan: 401-(k) or the continuation of the DCPS retirement plan.
To ensure safety for all students, all staff members may be fingerprinted. Background checks will be conducted on all school staff prior to their service as employees. Bridges is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants without unlawful consideration of race, religion, age, color, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Spanish-speakers and persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
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