COTA Certified Occupational Therapist Per Diem - Hospital for Special Care

• QUALIFICATIONS
  • Required: Graduate from accredited occupational therapy assistant program.
  • Required: Initial certification as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.
  • Required: Current Connecticut Licensure.
  • Required: Maintains continued competency requirements as defined by state.
  • Required: Valid drivers license.
  • Preferred: Current CPR certification.
  • Preferred: Member of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
• JOB SUMMARY
  • To work under the direction and supervision of the occupational therapist in the performance of occupational therapy procedures and related tasks including data collection. To participate in the planning, implementation and documentation of patient status and provide a goal oriented program of purposeful activities and therapeutic interventions to develop or maintain skills necessary for patient's maximal physical and mental functioning. To participate in an interdisciplinary team approach, communicating effectively with team members, patients and families. May supervise a therapy extender, volunteer or occupational therapy assistant student.
• PHYSICAL DEMANDS
  • Ability to tolerate up to four hours of consecutive work, which may include constant standing or walking with occasional periods of sitting. Ability to safely transfer patients and provide contact guarding or hands-on assistance. Ability to lift or carry objects up to 10 pounds continuously, to 50 pounds frequently, over 75 pounds occasionally for patient transfer. Ability to push/pull over 60 pounds frequently throughout the day for patient transport. Frequent need to initiate body positional changes, such as bending and reaching and occasionally climbing, squatting, kneeling or crawling to access equipment from high and low areas and while providing treatment interventions. Functional fine and gross motor skills and upper extremity sensation needed. Intact vision needed for observation of patient's non-verbal responses and skin assessment. Must be able to initiate and interpret communication with patient and others.
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    Additional physical demand for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at main campus: Ability to tolerate submersion in up to shoulder depth water from 1-3 hours.
• COGNITIVE DEMANDS
  • Job requires independent problem identification. Abstract reasoning and adaptability to new situations, changing environments and information, and quick decision making are required. A high degree of selective attention, discernment, perception, and/or concentration in the presence of noise/distraction are necessary.
  • Job requires the ability to analyze and synthesize information, discriminate relevant from irrelevant information, determine prognosis through interpretation of information, learn new techniques and apply theory to functional context. Reading and auditory comprehension of abstraction and an ability to make inferences are also required.
  • Job requires a high degree of writing proficiency including attention to detail, adherence to all elements of style and ability to postulate. A working knowledge and familiarity with medical terms and definitions are required. Job requires a working knowledge of current Medicare guidelines and requirements for documentation and billing. For Outpatient, a knowledge of relevant documentation and billing requirements for other payers is also required.
  • Job requires a high level of communication skill including expression of abstract/complex ideas, use of negotiation and active listening and an ability to dialogue with multiple parties. Also, to modify communication skills to the listener's level of ability or readiness to comprehend.
  • Job requires the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with all units of measure, and the ability to perform these operations with common and decimal fractions. Also, to compute ratio, rate and percent and perform arithmetic operations involving American monetary units.
• WORK DEMANDS
  • Job requires working primarily indoors, only occasionally needing to be outdoors. Job requires working around and with others on a continuous basis. Schedule fluctuation is frequent and often unpredictable due to census or caseload documentation requirements, program development and potential weekend therapy coverage needs. Work may be carried out in a noisy and somewhat crowded setting. There is exposure to body fluids, contagious disease and blood borne pathogens. There is occasional exposure to particles, chemicals, electromagnetic, electrical, ultrasonic, and/or thermal agents that could cause eye, nose, or skin irritation such as those utilized for casting/splinting, patient treatment, equipment fabrication or cleaning.
• ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Demonstrates competency in Occupational therapy interventions utilized. Carries out interventions, patient and family education as directed by occupational therapist. Complies with physician orders or requests changes in orders as appropriate to patient status/needs in collaboration with OT
  • Communicates with OT and team members to develop an interdisciplinary plan of care. Educates team members on patient care plan or activities and attends team meetings as needed to share patient data and goals.
  • Measures patient progresss, modifies goals and intervention in collaboration with OT. Administers secondary assessments or screening tools once competency demonstrated.
  • Completes documentation of all patient assessments, interventions, education, interdisciplinary communication and outcomes as applicable in daily notes and for updated care plans in accurate and timely fashion. Completes and submits charges as per departmental standard.
  • Supports and reinforces team and interdisciplinary goals when interacting with patient/family and/or other team members. Coordinates patient education in preparation for discharge providing training and resources
  • Manages schedule independently including arrangement of coverage in advance for paid time off. Communicates with front office staff for efficient scheduling of patients to meet needs. Meets productivity expectations. Attends relevant staff meetings. Completes assigned audits
  • Employs behavior management strategies and principles in adherence with CSC policies and training. Accesses policies and procedures as needed. Uses High Reliability Organization (HRO) concepts in all interactions with internal and external customers.

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