Occupational Therapist

Chicago Public Schools - Oak Lawn, IL

Full-time - Entry Level

Oak Lawn, IL

Educational Services

About the position

The Occupational Therapist (OT) at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) plays a crucial role in providing therapeutic services to students within their least restrictive environment, ensuring they benefit from their special education programs. The OT focuses on enhancing students' participation in educational activities, improving self-care skills, and facilitating access to the school environment. This position requires collaboration with school teams to develop individualized education plans and to implement strategies that promote student independence and success in various school-related tasks.

Responsibilities

• Improving manipulative skills for self-care and paper/pencil tasks through reach, grasp and dexterity.
• Enhancing school transitions and participation in educational activities by providing environmental accommodations.
• Enhancing comfort, participation and attending by maintaining functional postures.
• Increasing functional use of hands and visual regard by providing stable positions.
• Ensuring independence in feeding for safety and nourishment.
• Facilitating safety in the school environment by decreasing the possibility of injury to students.
• Improving success for small muscle school tasks by increasing coordination of eye-hand movements.
• Facilitating access to and mobility within school by assessing and changing the environment.
• Increasing functional use of extremities through use of adapted equipment.
• Enhancing ability to learn through sensorimotor activities that address motor planning, attending and behavior issues.
• Promoting competency and safety of educational staff in body mechanics, handling techniques, motor skills and classroom adaptations.
• Facilitating student's independence through access to assistive technology.

Requirements

• Must pass the National Board Certification for Occupational Therapy.
• Must hold a current and active Illinois license to practice as issued by the IL Department of Professional Regulations.
• Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral degree in occupational therapy from an accredited program approved by the AOTA.
• 24 hours of continuing education per license renewal cycle.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in developing and implementing individualized OT intervention strategies.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices in occupational therapy.
• Experience collaborating with community agencies and healthcare professionals.

Benefits

• Professional growth opportunities.
• Clinical educational opportunities for students of occupational therapy.