Sr Occupational Therapist

Shriners Hospitals for Children•Portland, OR

11d

About The Position

The Senior Occupational Therapist leads and mentors staff in providing compliant, current, evidence-based practice while supporting the local manager or director of rehabilitation and therapy services. The role serves as a subject matter expert and provides patient-centered, comprehensive clinical care in an efficient, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive manner. The therapist demonstrates strong communication and critical-thinking skills, supports staff and student development, works collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, and helps develop and improve programs at the patient, department, and facility levels. The position follows Shriners Children's FOCUSED©™ Program, a system-wide model emphasizing patient-centered care and the needs of patients and families. After receiving a referral from a licensed independent practitioner, the therapist examines and evaluates patients using a comprehensive, family-centered approach informed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model and AMA CPT codes. The therapist determines diagnoses, prognosis, measurable goals, and individualized intervention plans; monitors patient response; modifies treatment as needed; and develops home programs for pediatric and young adult patients. The role also evaluates needs for orthotic devices, adaptive equipment, pressure garments, assistive technology, prosthetics, and durable medical equipment, and fabricates orthotic devices when indicated. The therapist supports compliant clinical practice, documentation, revenue-cycle processes, discharge planning, caregiver education, and coordination with families, care management, community resources, vendors, and outside therapy providers. Additional duties include mentoring peers, orienting and educating employees, supporting student clinical education and non-professional staff oversight as appropriate, contributing to clinical program development and improvement, participating in departmental education and committees, and pursuing ongoing professional development.

Requirements

Five years of pediatric rehabilitation experience.
Licensed in the state of practice.
Specialty certification that requires prerequisites to apply, includes an examination or review process, requires recertification or maintenance, is evidence-based and relevant to practice, and is externally recognized as supplemental to the field of practice.
Basic Life Support (BLS).

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in a related field.
Master's degree in a related field.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited program (listed as the minimal degree requirement in the preferred qualifications).
Graduate degree.
AOTA fieldwork educator certificate, APTA credentialed clinical instructor credential, or ASHA clinical fellowship mentor qualification.

Responsibilities

Examine and evaluate referred patients using a systematic, comprehensive, patient- and family-centered approach, including history, systems review, and appropriate tests and measures.
Use clinical findings to establish therapy diagnoses, determine intervention strategies, formulate prognoses, and set measurable, attainable goals.
Develop and implement individualized treatment plans using evidence-based practice and monitor and modify interventions as needed.
Design home programs for infant, toddler, school-age, adolescent, and young adult patients.
Evaluate equipment and technology needs and collaborate with patients, families, multidisciplinary teams, vendors, and payers to arrange appropriate devices and equipment.
Maintain the knowledge and skills needed to fabricate orthotic devices when indicated by the treatment plan.
Help identify and develop clinical programs, practice guidelines, and protocols that address departmental and patient needs.
Ensure interventions comply with department policies, professional standards, and applicable state regulatory requirements.
Develop discharge plans with patients, families, care management, community resources, schools, and outside therapy clinics; participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
Assess patient and caregiver education needs and provide understandable discharge instructions and training for home programs, exercises, splints, and equipment.
Coordinate discharge referrals with medical vendors and outside therapeutic services as needed.
Maintain accurate, timely, objective, factual, and HIPAA-compliant clinical documentation that supports medical necessity, skilled interventions, and patient progress.
Assist with documentation audits and complete revenue-cycle, scheduling, adaptive-equipment, and patient-care-statistics paperwork accurately and on time.
Mentor colleagues, model critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making, and promote a positive, organized, compliant, and safe work environment.
Plan, implement, evaluate, and modify clinical programs and interventions; use data to identify and implement organizational improvements and address recurring clinical practice issues.
Participate in new-employee orientation, staff education, competency completion, student clinical education, and appropriate training and oversight of non-professional staff.
Build effective relationships and serve as a resource for other healthcare team members.
Participate in program development, departmental responsibilities, committees, staff in-services, and competencies as assigned.
Identify opportunities to integrate equipment or technology that advances practice and supports patient care, and share staff concerns with the director as needed.
Reflect on personal practice, pursue clinical education, and support research and evidence-based practice.
Review applicable federal, state, payer, AMA CPT coding, and State Practice Act requirements and assist peers in meeting regulatory standards.
Uphold ethical, professional, and technical standards and organizational values.