Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Job Family: Therapeutic Services

Supervisor: Director of Occupational Therapy

Direct Reports: Non-technical personnel, COTA (assigned to a client as needed)

Main Purpose of the Role: Facilitate the development and rehabilitation of patients with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities by planning and administering medically prescribed occupational therapy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Evaluations - Perform assessments and interpret test results; determine occupational therapy treatment plans in consultation with the family/caregiver to increase independence in the client's functional activities of daily living.
• Professional Knowledge - Knowledge and skill to develop treatment plans that address but are not limited to the following: child development, muscle tone, range of motion, orthopedic/splinting needs, movement analysis, visual motor skills, visual perceptual skills, sensory-motor processing, neuromuscular skills, social skills, functional skills, and activities of daily living.
• Treatment - Promotes independence by selecting and constructing therapies according to the individual's physical capacity, intelligence level, and interest.
  • Identify and facilitate the client in the engagement of meaningful and healthy occupations
  • Develop, improve, sustain, or restore skills in activities of daily living (ADL), work or productive activities, and play or leisure
  • Develop, remediate, or restore sensorimotor, cognitive, or psychosocial components of performance
  • Assess, recommend, and educate on adaptive equipment and its use.
  • Manage behaviors/maladaptive responses and seek outside assistance with problem areas from the Director of OT and/or BCBAs as needed.
  • Provide occupational therapy services to patients enrolled at the Emerge Center and/or Emerge School for Autism
• Education - Assures continuation of a therapeutic plan by designing and instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise programs; assistive technology, and other resources.
• Communication - Maintain communication with parents and physicians through progress reports or other communication measures.
  • Participate in parent/family conferences
  • Participate in team conferences
• Documentation - Responsible for timely documentation of evaluation results, daily notes, billing, progress notes, discharge reports, attendance reports, insurance authorizations, and justification as needed.
• Collaboration - Participate and facilitate department staff meetings as well as department programs.
• Outreach - Participate in community education programs that focus on issues relating to the needs of clients and occupational therapy.
• Professional Development - Maintain professional clinical competency by attending continuing education and workshops in the areas of pediatrics
• Assist in developing strategic and long-range plans for the OT program and other programs established by The Emerge Center
• Perform any other duties deemed necessary by the Director of OT services and the Clinical Director/CEO
• Adhere to agency safety policy and procedures, values, and attitudes of The Emerge Center to ensure its ability to obtain its mission

Qualifications:

Required

Preferred

Qualification

· Master of Science Degree from a college or university having an accredited school of occupational therapy or grandfathered BS.

· Current license by the State of Louisiana

· Completion of pediatric affiliation/internship or pediatric experience preferred.

· Current CPR or obtain within 3 months

· Lift and transfer children (25-100 lbs)

· Participate in handling and floor activities with children

· Working knowledge and use of assessment tools used to evaluate children

· Computer experience preferred especially EHR, Word, and Excel

Experience

New grad welcome

Pediatric experience

Prior Knowledge

· Therapeutic use of meaningful and purposeful occupations

· Therapeutic use of self

• Adaptation of environments and processes to enhance functional performance in occupations
• Promotion of health and wellness through engagement in valued occupations
• Graded tasks and activities as prerequisites to engagement in occupations
• Design, fabrication, application, or training in the use of assistive technology or orthotic devices
• Application of physical agent modalities as an adjunct to or in preparation for engagement in occupations

• Sensory motor processing techniques
• Neuromuscular re-education
• Feeding therapy and oral motor training/retraining

Team Work

· Collaborate with OT department

· Collaborate with therapeutic teams within Emerge

· Engage families as team members in the care of their child

Essential Job Functions

• Spend considerable time stooping, kneeling, and crouching.
• OTs move heavy equipment.
• Assist with patient transfers and lifts or help them turn, stand, or walk.
• Must follow proper body mechanics and procedures for lifting/moving patients.
• Ability to lift/move fifty (50) pounds.
• Ability to stand for extended periods
• Fine motor skills
• Visual acuity