Occupational Therapist

New Bedford Public Schools - New Bedford, MA

New Bedford, MA

Educational Services

About the position

The occupational therapist is responsible for assessment, planning and goal development and for providing appropriate intervention services designed to enhance the student's potential for learning, to assist the student in acquiring those functional performance skills needed to participate in and benefit from the educational environment, and to help the student function independently. Services are provided in pre-school, elementary, secondary educational programs, and alternative programs.

Responsibilities

• Carries out assessment and evaluation procedures for students demonstrating special needs in suspected areas of delay including but not limited to: fine motor, gross motor planning, sensory processing, visual motor, visual perception, activities of daily living.
• Plans and develops therapeutic intervention goals that are educationally relevant and will be used in students' educational programs.
• Participates in writing components of the students' Individualized Education Plan on ASPEN.
• Establishes a system of documentation that is professional, efficient, and accountable and that conforms to state and school district policy.
• Maintains and is accountable for the therapy inventory and equipment.
• Communicates results of evaluations and reports of occupational therapy services during team meetings to the educational staff, parents, students and when appropriate, other professionals and agencies concerned with the students.
• Attends staff meetings and other school meetings when appropriate.
• Facilitates in-service education and professional development for related service/occupational therapy staff.
• Professionally supervises and monitors the job performance of any assigned occupational therapy assistants and aides.
• Monitors the occupational therapy program goals by teaching and supervising other professionals and paraprofessionals who are involved with the implementation of the intervention procedures.
• Provides consultation to the educational system regarding student needs, professional needs, and system needs in order for the system to achieve its goals and objectives.
• Provides reassessments of students focusing on areas of need at intervals determined to be educationally relevant.
• Communicates the needs of the occupational therapy program to the appropriate supervising school administrator.
• Communicates student progress in writing via progress reports.
• Works as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure best practice of meeting students' goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Massachusetts state license.
• NBCOT registered.

Nice-to-haves

• Successfully completed a pediatric affiliation.
• Two years prior experience in the area of pediatrics.