Occupational Therapist Clinical Specialist (OT)

Stanford Health Care•Palo Alto, CA

1d•$69 - $91

About The Position

The Occupational Therapist IV, Clinical Specialist is a senior therapist who is fully competent in Occupational Therapist I, II, and III duties and applies broad, advanced clinical skills across varied patient populations, ages, and diagnoses. The role functions independently as a content expert in designated populations or service lines and supports the development of pathways, processes, interventions, and education for rehabilitation staff. The position is based in Stanford Health Care’s Inpatient Acute Occupational Therapy department, which serves patients across areas including medicine, neurology, cardiothoracic care, emergency, orthopedics, trauma, neurosurgery, intensive care, transplants, and oncology. The team offers specialized mentorship and services in areas such as vision, VAD, custom splinting, pain, mental health, and vestibular care. The department provides mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, continuing education, and opportunities to participate in quality improvement and future leadership development.

Requirements

Master's or doctorate degree.
Graduate of an approved Occupational Therapy curriculum.
At least five years of clinical practice as an Occupational Therapist.
One certification under AOTA board certification, CA Advanced Practice, or another certification determined on a case-by-case basis.
Leadership of a department or interdisciplinary program, initiative, or process-improvement project.
Substantial content expertise in the specialty service, unit, or population.
Successfully complete a Stanford Leadership Development course within the first 12 months of hire.
Complete at least 50% of required annual continuing education hours in the area of specialty.
Knowledge of professional ethical codes and performance standards, equipment and vendors, business aspects of the position, evaluation and treatment methodologies, legal issues, relevant pathologies and injuries, and clinical specialty principles and methods.
Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, coworkers, visitors, supervisors, and other health professionals.
Ability to develop and document clear, accurate, realistic, measurable, appropriate, functionally based treatment goals that include patient and family input.
Ability to develop, implement, and adapt treatment programs, including in response to changing clinical status.
Ability to evaluate patients, interpret clinical data, and make clinical judgments in complex situations.
Ability to provide appropriate care and treatment progression according to professional standards and individual needs, including age, development, culture, psychosocial factors, precautions, and medical condition.
Ability to use sound clinical reasoning, safety awareness, judgment, and problem-solving skills to determine appropriate interventions.
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
Ability to clinically supervise, train, and evaluate students, interns, residents, and fellows.
Ability to apply advanced clinical skills in difficult and complex cases.
Ability to advance care in the specialty area through research, medical-team collaboration, presentations, and continuing education.
Ability to translate knowledge into clinical practice and represent the Rehab Department in cross-functional improvement initiatives.
BLS - Basic Life Support certification.
OTR - Registered Occupational Therapist certification.

Responsibilities

Perform Occupational Therapist I, II, and III duties with a more diverse and highly complex patient population.
Lead patient care conferences and communicate with and teach other care providers.
Lead team or discipline meetings.
Recommend development of departmental policies and procedures and lead new program development, including treatment protocols for new patient populations.
Develop clinical teaching content, instruct interns, students, residents, and staff, and present at least three in-services per year.
Help re-evaluate care delivery and programs and complete assignments in the departmental plan to improve services.
Participate in research and new program development.
Serve as a clinical instructor for Occupational Therapy students as needed.
Participate regularly as faculty or mentor in the Advanced Training Program.
Serve as a primary orientation resource as needed.
Maintain expertise in the focus area and keep unit or service-line staff and leadership informed about policy, practice, protocol, and equipment changes.
Assess service-line or patient-population needs and staff education needs, and provide educational support.
Act as a liaison to assigned specialty unit or service-line staff.
Represent the Rehab Department at specialty quality meetings and process-improvement initiatives.
Support departmental and organizational principles, goals, and objectives.
Use communication and education methods to ensure rehabilitation staff understand and align with new or modified processes.