2023-2024 School Year

Anticipated/Pending Budget Approval

Job Goal:
To provide Occupational Therapy services to special education students with a variety of needs and severity of disabilities to help students develop the strength and skills needed to participate in the school environment.

Qualifications:

•Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited occupational therapy program
•Registered Occupational Therapist
•Massachusetts License
•Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:
•Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited occupational therapy program
•Registered Occupational Therapist
•Massachusetts License
•Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Responsibilities:
•Collaborate with teachers, other related service providers and parents to ensure understanding of student’s occupational performance strengths and needs, through evaluation, educational program planning, and service delivery.
•Develop protocols for sensory spaces with an emphasis on students with Autism or sensory dysregulation.
•Evaluate students through a variety of functional, behavioral, and standardized assessments, skilled observation, checklists, histories, and interviews.
•Synthesize evaluation results into a comprehensive written report which reflects strengths and barriers to student’s participation in the educational environment.
•Participate in multidisciplinary meetings to review evaluation results, integrate findings with other disciplines, offer recommendations, and develop individual education plans for intervention plans to achieve IEP goals.
•Provide targeted, evidence-based therapeutic intervention to facilitate student participation and occupational performance within the school environment.
•Collect data for decision making and progress monitoring.
•Schedule direct services using a variety of service delivery models, including classroom intervention, consultation/collaboration and pull-out sessions as appropriate to meet student needs in the least restrictive environment.
•Maintain easily accessible and accurate student files.
•Safeguard confidentiality of student records.
•Complete logging of services for third party reimbursement accurately and in a timely manner.
•Monitor and reassess the effects of specific occupational therapy intervention and the need to continue, modify, or discontinue services.
•Adapt and modify environments, equipment, and materials.
•Train instructional staff and families to meet individually needs and to help students function as independently as possible.
•Manage inventory of therapeutic equipment.
•Attend reconvened Team meetings and parent-teacher conferences.
•Chair team meetings and participate collaboratively with multi-disciplinary educational teams to develop Individualized Education programs (IEPs), write measurable goals and objectives, and complete all required documentation in a timely manner.
•Develop appropriate IEPs based on students’ strengths and needs and demonstrates awareness of professional performance in due process matters and litigious environments.
•Plan, coordinate, and conduct educational trainings for staff, parents, and students.
•Participate in professional meetings and workshops directly related to Occupational Therapy.
•Perform related work as required.

Position Reports to:
•School Principal and Director of Special Education or designee

Somerville Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Somerville Public Schools actively seeks applicants with diverse backgrounds. Grade level and content licensure is required when applicable. Dual licensure including SPED, ESL, ELL, or bilingual licensure and/or proficiency in a language or languages other than English is preferred.