SY26-27 SEZP Occupational Therapist

Springfield Public Schools • Springfield, MA

20h • Onsite

About The Position

SEZP is seeking an Occupational Therapist to provide services to students who are identified with or suspected of having disabilities that interfere with their ability to perform daily life activities or participate in necessary or desired occupations. The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) was established in 2015 as a collaboration between Springfield Public Schools (SPS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Springfield Education Association (SEA). SEZP seeks to improve the longitudinal life outcomes of the more than 2,500 students in our 8 middle schools. SEZP combines district-based public education with the flexibility of autonomous school models, granting schools meaningful control over curriculum, staffing, scheduling, and budgeting—while maintaining clear accountability for student learning and growth. SEZP is guided by three core values: Access, Belonging, and Opportunity.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited school required
• Licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Occupational Therapist (OT) required
• Current CPR certification required
• Fully understands, implements and oversees embedded OT school-based services and OT IEP services/requirements
• Fully understands and implements TIC, restraint reduction, and BBI principles and practices
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal, communication and leadership skills
• Demonstrates ability to develop, implement and evaluate OT services/programming within the school setting
• Demonstrates organizational skills necessary to complete and monitor OT functions in a timely fashion.
• Demonstrates knowledge related to treatment needs of the student population
• Demonstrates knowledge of behavioral and relational dynamics related to the school setting

Nice To Haves

• Certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) optional
• If you meet many—but not all—of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply.
• SEZP values educators who are reflective, collaborative, and committed to continuous growth.

Responsibilities

• Completion of initial screenings and evaluations
• Documents OT assessment(s), re-assessments, OT intervention, goals and plans in a timely manner.
• Obtains or completes supplemental assessments or clinical documentation, as needed
• Collaboratively develops goals, objectives and individualized intervention plans
• Participates in scheduled IEP and progress review meetings.
• Maintains thorough, ongoing records of referred, screened, and eligible students, as well as individual students receiving therapy or other school-provided occupational services.
• Serves as a resource to school staff members in the development of a balanced program for students with occupational needs, and provides information, support, and consultation to parents and families when appropriate.
• Provides families and school based teams with trainings as needed to support students
• Works in collaboration with the school leadership and staff to ensure that OT services are scheduled and take place in a timely manner.
• Maintains an inventory of supplies, and supervises safe storage and repair of supplies and equipment.

Benefits

• Educators in SEZP are eligible for the same competitive benefits available to Educators in the Springfield Public Schools.
• Signing bonus in addition to base salary
• Relocation award for candidates from regions beyond western Massachusetts

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level