Occupational Therapist

JOB TITLE:  Occupational Therapist

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:  Exempt (Professional), salaried employee.

WORK DAYS:  184 days (same number of days as teachers are scheduled to work).

STANDARD HOURS PER DAY:  7 hours per day (not including a 30-minute unpaid duty-free meal break).

WORK YEAR: The starting and ending days of the work year depends on the calendar of the schools where the Occupational Therapist is assigned.

SALARY SCHEDULE & BENEFITS: The Occupational Therapist is a salaried support staff role paid on the "Teachers" salary schedule, and is eligible for insurance benefits on the "Teachers" benefits schedule.  This role receives PERF and support staff retirement benefits. Starting salary $50,800 (BS)/$51,800 (MS) with 0 years of experience. *This role includes a stipend. The stipend is:  $2,500 per year ($1,250 in December and $1,250 in June). 

REPORTS TO: The Occupational Therapist reports to the Assistant Director of Exceptional Learners.

SUPERVISES: The Occupational Therapist does not supervise any staff. 

GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

Occupational Therapist provides school-based occupational therapy services to support students' access to and participation in the educational environment. The Occupational Therapist assesses, plans, and implements therapy interventions aligned with students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This role also involves collaboration with educational staff and families to integrate therapeutic strategies into the classroom and school routines.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position. 

1. Provides direct and consultative services to students according to established IEP goals.
2. Establishes appropriate goals for assigned students that are educationally relevant and developmentally appropriate.
3. Trains, collaborates, and consults with educational staff and other related service providers on strategies, accommodations, and equipment that support student needs across school settings.
4. Maintains accurate and timely documentation, including service logs, evaluation reports, and progress updates in compliance with district, state, and federal requirements. Bills medicaid for services that qualify.
5. Maintains supplies/equipment and orderliness of therapy areas; ensures provision of a safe and environmentally healthy therapy environment.
6. Recommends and helps maintain therapeutic materials, adaptive equipment, and sensory tools necessary for student interventions.
7. Ensures the safe and effective operational condition and performance of all therapeutic equipment and devices.
8. Conducts occupational therapy evaluations and interprets evaluation results in order to develop appropriate therapy goals and service recommendations.
9. Ensures compliance with laws and regulatory standards governing the provision of occupational therapeutic services.
10. Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology, as job appropriate, being used by the district.
11. With the support of the district, attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies and best practices in school-based Occupational Therapy remain current with best practices.
12. Responsible for timely and accurate information they maintain as part of their job responsibilities. 

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

While the following tasks are necessary for the work of the unit, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other unit members.
 

1. Performs related duties as directed. 

ENTRY-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:

1. EDUCATION/TRAINING: Bachelor's Degree in occupational therapy is required. 

2. EXPERIENCE: At least six months of direct service experience working with school-age children in a therapeutic setting is preferred.

3. CERTIFICATIONS &/OR LICENSES: The appropriate license from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency is required. A valid Indiana driver's license is required.

4. OTHER: Ability to perform the essential functions, meet the performance aptitudes, and fulfill the physical/sensory/environmental requirements of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) is required.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES: 

1. Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
2. Human Interaction: Requires the ability to assist persons by action or interaction in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
3. Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of special needs and therapeutic equipment and devices.
4. Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive and advisory data and information.
5. Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
6. Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
7. Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over). 

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate depths. 

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Tasks are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.