Speech Therapist

Speech Therapist

Summary:

The staff therapist is a licensed professional who directs, supervises, evaluates, and provides therapy services within their scope of practice to the patient as referred by the attending physician or practitioner.

Environment:

Work will be performed primarily indoors at Jasper Memorial Hospital, throughout all areas, including in patient rooms, and on carpeted and/or tiled floors.   Work will be performed routinely around other co-workers, healthcare staff, patients, and guests.  Due to the nature of the facility’s business, worker may be exposed to occasional slippery floors, objects on floors, chemicals, sharp objects, hazardous materials and waste (including human), blood borne pathogens, and communicable diseases, as well as high-stress medical and/or life-threatening situations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Meet physical and sensory requirements stated below, and be able to work in the described environment.
• Identify and participate in process improvement initiatives that improve the customer experience, enhance work flow, and/or improve the work environment.
• Treat patients of all ages (e.g., infants, children, adolescents, adults, geriatrics), races, creed, gender and disability without bias or prejudice.
• Practice ethical responsibility based on cultural, ethnic, and religious beliefs of the patients served, as well as applicable law.
• Observe, record, and report to the nurse/physician the patient’s reaction to the therapy program or any changes in the patient’s condition.
• Submit to the physician appropriate written reports of the patient’s progress at the designated intervals using appropriate and designated forms.
• Assist in determining the needs of the patient and in developing the therapy plan of care.
• May supervise rehab technicians/aides, students, Therapist Assistant(s) and co-sign Therapist Assistant(s) progress notes, dependent upon discipline specific state practice acts.
• Instruct, teach, and supervise patients and staff regarding therapy procedures within scope of practice as related to patient’s therapy programs.
• Adhere to all applicable state, federal, local, and company standards of care and ethics and policies concerned with the practice of therapy and among other things, personnel qualifications.
• Demonstrate evidence of completion of all required in-service sessions
• Meet productivity and time management expectations as established by the facility.
• Understand and implement cost-effective service delivery that meets patients’ needs and achieves expected outcomes.
• Complete timely clinical documentation to support skilled services delivered.
• Complete administrative/billing documentation timely and accurately.
• Consistently observe facility administrative, clinical and departmental policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the financial implications of treatment costs and resources on therapy services.
• Organize time effectively and perform tasks efficiently.
• Consistently use support staff according to state practice and/or national professional guidelines.
• Provide consistent, effective and constructive feedback to support staff.
• Use non-appointment time or unscheduled work time productively.
• Effectively handle urgent/emergency situations while maintaining quality of service.
• Maintain functionality of workspace and equipment.
• Demonstrates regular and punctual attendance.

Evaluation and Treatment Planning

• Effectively gather pertinent data from appropriate sources (patient, family medical records).
• Consistently assess patient’s prior functional level and document appropriately.
• Consistently determine psychosocial needs and resources of the patient.
• Consistently record patient goals.
• Consistently and accurately, perform thorough evaluations according to protocol, which are relevant to patient diagnosis, and current scientific and clinical knowledge.
• Correctly interpret evaluation data to identify functional deficits and barriers to function and define current functional status.
• Recognize and appropriately refer patients with problems outside scope of practice to appropriate discipline or healthcare practitioner.
• Effectively prioritize patient problems according to patient/discharge environmental needs.
• Consistently establish realistic, measurable, timely and functional short-term goals and long-term goals related to the discharge plan.
• Consistently design a comprehensive, individualized therapy plan of care using scientific and clinical knowledge to address short-term and long-term goals.
• Accurately and consistently address and modify as appropriate:
  1. Short-term goals
  2. Treatment plan based on patient response and changes in the discharge plan.

Treatment Implementation and Re-evaluation

• Effectively adapt the treatment environment to create optimal therapeutic conditions when a patient is learning a skill.
• Effectively progress treatment environment to functional settings to ensure carryover of learned skills.
• Skillfully implement patient treatments and include functional tasks.
• Accurately monitor and modify treatments to maximize patient functional outcomes based on patient’s rehabilitation and psychological responses.
• Provide accurate and timely teaching and training to staff, patient, and family regarding patient management to maintain current level of function.
• Consistently monitor effects of teaching, training, and discharge planning to staff, patient, and family and retrain as appropriate to ensure safety and carryover of tasks.
• Manage support personnel in a professional, objective manner, always demonstrating dignity and respect for others.
• Delegate tasks in an outcome-oriented manner and relate to the needs and goals of the department as a whole.
• Other special projects and duties, as assigned.

Job Requirements

• Effective verbal and written English communication skills.
• Demonstrated basic to intermediate skills in Microsoft Word, Internet, and Intranet navigations.
• Highest level of professionalism with the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Good communication skills including ability to handle complaints, objections and resolve conflicts.
• Ability to community at all levels of organization and work well with a team environment in support of company objectives.
• Customer service oriented with the ability to work well under pressure and demonstrates the ability to field intermittent interruptions while providing optimal care to patient.
• Deliver service through a team approach that includes all disciplines, team members, and patients.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy, excellent organizational skills with ability to prioritize, coordinate and simultaneously maintain multiple projects with high level of quality and productivity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, take initiative and make independent decisions.
• Ability to deal with new tasks without the benefit of written procedures.
• Approachable, flexible and adaptable to change.
• Function independently, and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with stakeholders and vendors.
• Based on scope of practice, the therapist must be a Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OTR), or Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) as follows:
  1. Physical Therapist:
     • Graduate of an accredited program of physical therapy, culminating in a minimum of a bachelor of science degree.
     • Valid physical therapy license in the state of Georgia.
  2. Occupational Therapist:
     • Graduate of an accredited program of occupational therapy, culminating in a minimum of a bachelor of science degree.
     • Current certificate with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy or eligible for certificate as required by state guidelines.
     • Valid occupational therapy license in the state of Georgia.
  3. Speech-Language Pathologist:
     • Graduate of an accredited program of speech, hearing science and language development, culminating in a minimum of a master’s degree.
     • Valid state license, or equivalent, in speech-language pathology services at the clinical level in the state of Georgia.
     • Current Clinical Competence Certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

• Moderate physical activity:
  1. Push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of fifty (50) pounds to a minimum height of three (3) feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of fifty (50) feet.
  2. Standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day
  3. Bending and/or stooping for more than one (1) hour at a time.
  4. Sitting for more than two (2) hours at a time.
  5. Requires consistent computer work with repetitive typing and concentrating on computer screen.