Occupational Therapist Evaluator (38226)

Job DetailsJob Location: Administrative Office - New York, NY 10001Position Type: ContractorSalary Range: $1.00 - $1.00 CommissionJob Shift: DayOur OT Evaluators provide service for both Preschool and School-age students.

Registered occupational therapists in educational systems are considered to be related service personnel. The Occupational therapist is responsible for assessing student's motor skills, developing and implementing goals designed to enhance the student’s learning potential, to assist the student in acquiring those functional performance skills needed to participate in and benefit from the educational environment as well as help the student function independently.

Evaluation
• Make observations during preliminary screening of new students, and/or ongoing evaluations of students enrolled in the school.
• Based on clinical observations and formal evaluations, write a full description of the child’s performance and behavior during evaluation referencing his/her sensory processing, perceptual skills and/or deficits in addition to the student’s fine and gross motor coordination as they impact on the student's ability to participate and benefit from the educational environment.
• make suggestions for approaches and activities that might enhance the student's ability to
Professional Training
• Take part in developing staff development and parent workshop opportunities around the development of gross motor, fine motor, and perceptual skills, and related underlying sensory and motor functions, leading to successful participation in the educational environment and more independent functioning.
• Demonstrate approaches and activities to be implemented by educational staff that will improve children’s abilities to participate in the classroom
• Help the staff identify children's specific sensory and motor skill levels.

Individual and group related service provision and documentation.
• Develop a series of developmentally-graded activities based on evaluation, designed to improve sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills, and perceptual skills.
• Carry out medical prescriptions for occupational therapy.
• Maintain mandated documentation of treatment and progress (e.g., individual treatment session and quarterly progress notes, Related Service Attendance, etc.).
• Submit a written report of the progress of the children at the end of each school year.
• Make recommendations for IEP goals and participate as required in IEP conferences.
• Explain findings and program aims to parents, and recommend activities, physical positioning and/or adaptations that might facilitate increased independence in the home.
• Maintain O.T. equipment and supplies, and recommend ordering them as required by IEP mandates or needed clinically.

• Attend departmental meetings, supervision and school meetings, as well as any additional meetings,
• Comply with regulatory requirements and school policy and procedures in all areas, and maintain
• Maintain appropriate and effective interpersonal relationships with team and department members, parents, other staff, supervisors, administrators, and outside agencies. Demonstrate:
• open communication, flexibility and the ability to learn and utilize team building strategies
• the ability to self-evaluate, to utilize supervision and problem solve
QualificationsEducation
Bachelors or Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy

Experience
Minimum of six months of supervised experience; prefer 1-3 years of related work experience.

SKILLS & ABILITIES
Certificates & Licenses
The occupational therapist must have completed an accredited education program and all field-work requirements. All O.T. programs are accredited by the American Medical Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Must be certified by the Occupational Therapy Certification Board (OTCB) following successful completion of the national certification exam. The O.T. must be licensed.

To counsel, assist and train individuals with developmental disabilities in the areas of personal care, travel skills, social skills, home management and life skills in order to maximize their functioning in the community.

Minimum Job Requirements:

Education:

High School diploma or General Education Degree (GED).

Experience:

Minimum 1-year experience working with developmentally disabled population preferably in a residential, health or treatment related setting preferred.

Specialized Knowledge, Licenses, etc.:

Specialized training in direct care provision preferred.
Must complete and obtain certification in OPWDD Approved Medication Administration Course (AMAP)during probationary period and maintain AMAP certification.
Valid NYS Driver’s License required.
Ability and willingness to be First Aid and CPR certified.
Ability and willingness to obtain certification in SCIPR Competencies and advance to Promote Competencies
Demonstrated competency in written, verbal, and computational skills to document records in accordance with program standards.

Physical Demands:

Regularly required to speak clearly and hear the spoken word well.
Regularly required to utilize near vision ability to read data and documents, including spreadsheets and reports, in printed form and on computer screens.
Regularly required to provide physical care for clients and individuals, which may include, but is not limited to bathing, feeding, changing clothes or diapers, and pushing wheelchairs.
Ability to physically restrain challenging behaviors that include aggression, self-injurious, and destructive behaviors.
Ability to apply proper lifting techniques.

Work Environment:

Noise level is consistent with levels usually present in an office, education, group home, residential, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
Hazards present are consistent with those common to an office, education, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
Working with individuals whose age ranges from childhood to adulthood.

Essential Functions:

Support the individual by supporting a comfortable home environment. Examples include but are not limited to:

Provide safe and clean environment for the individual based on skill level and risks and support the safety of all individuals in everyday situations.
Use verbal and physical means to create a positive environment that will encourage and enable individual growth.
Using a holistic approach, participate in the individual’s life planning activities and assist in their implementation.
Assist the individual in the development of social skills that will help the individual become integrated/ included in his or her community.
Perform protective oversight while engaging in community activities.
Monitor each individual’s personal health on a continuous basis (during situations of high activity, while bathing/showering/swimming, in the morning and the evening, at meals, while in the community, at all times).
Assist individuals in learning and practicing skills necessary for home living (indoor household chores such as, but not limited to, cooking, sweeping, dusting, bed-making, vacuuming, and dish-washing, laundry, folding and storing clothes, etc.).
Provide opportunities for the individual to be self-advocate.
Perform advocate responsibilities, while demonstrating respect for the processes and people involved.
Responsible for all documentation related to the essential function and services for the individual.
Adhere to the procedures for mandated reporting and responding.
Adhere to the NADSP code of ethics (attached).
Work towards the satisfactory completion of each of the core competency goals according to the OPWDD timeline requirements.

Other Functions:

Demonstrates respect for all people.
Demonstrates professional demeanor, attention to punctuality and attendance policies, reliability, flexibility, and pleasantness.
Professionally interacts with other staff members and with others in the community.
Demonstrates enthusiasm for learning the knowledge and skills required to perform the job.
Readily seeks and accepts feedback to improve performance.
Applies knowledge and skills gained on the job and maintain required certifications.
Participates in the work of the organization in a positive way by using problem solving skills.
Demonstrates respect for the safety of all others.
Performs additional responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Staff.
May be assigned other tasks and duties reasonably related to their job responsibilities.
Adheres to all rules outlined in the policy and procedures manual.

The position description is a guide to the critical duties and essential functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and revised to meet the changing needs of the agency at the sole discretion of management.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions unless this causes undue hardship to the company.

Performance is evaluated each year based on these competencies and the NADSP code of ethics.

EEO Statement

Birch Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Birch Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Birch Family Services expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Birch Family Services’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.