Title: Occupational Therapist

Reports To: Director of Therapy

Job Summary:

The Occupational Therapist facilitates development and rehabilitation of patients with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities by planning and administering medically prescribed occupational therapy. They are responsible for empowering patients to participate more fully in daily tasks when this ability is compromised by a health condition. Experience working with a wide range of patient injuries and age groups with the desire to be a part of a state-of-the-art technology and treatment modalities.

Essential Functions:

• Meets the patient's goals and needs and provides quality care by assessing and interpreting evaluations and test results; determining occupational therapy treatment plans in consultation with physicians or by prescription.
• Helps patient develop or regain physical or mental functioning or adjust to disabilities by implementing programs involving manual arts and crafts, practice in functional, prevocational, vocational, and homemaking skills, activities of daily living, and sensorimotor, educational, recreational, and social activities; directing aides, technicians, and assistants.
• Promotes maximum independence by selecting and constructing therapies according to individual's physical capacity, intelligence level, and interest.
• Prepares patient for return to employment by consulting with employers; determining potential employee difficulties; retraining employees; helping employers understand necessary physical and job result accommodations.
• Evaluates results of occupational therapy by observing, noting, and evaluating patient's progress; recommending and implementing adjustments and modifications.
• Completes discharge planning by consulting with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health care workers; contributing to patient care conferences.
• Assures continuation of therapeutic plan following discharge by designing and instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise programs; recommending and/or providing assistive equipment; recommending outpatient or home health follow-up programs.
• Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects hospital operations by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Complies with federal, state, and local legal and certification requirements by studying existing and new legislation; anticipating future legislation; enforcing adherence to requirements; advising management on needed actions.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 2 years of experience providing occupational therapy to patients in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital or fully equipped PT facility.
• BS or Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
• Current Occupational Therapy license in Texas.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (with AED).

Continuing Education:

• Attends in service and educational programs.
• Attends continuing education required for maintenance of professional certification or licensure.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to communicate in English via phone, in writing, and verbally in conversation with different levels of staff, patient families, and any outside customers.
• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Works in office areas as well as throughout the Facility. Must be able to move about intermittently during working hours including standing, lifting, bending, stooping, twisting, pushing and pulling.
• Must be able to transfer patients and assists in emergency evacuations.
• Interacts with patients, family members, staff, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions/circumstances.
• May be exposed to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including exposure to the AIDS and Hepatitis B viruses.