Occupational Therapist

ReNEW Schools; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, DC is seeking an Occupational Therapist to support students’ participation in daily activities through evaluation, planning, and targeted interventions aligned with IEP goals.

The OT will collaborate with teachers, families, and other specialists, delivering services within the school setting. This is a 10.5-month, exempt position requiring a DC OT license and relevant degree.

Qualifications

• Master's or Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy.
• Licensed to practice in the District of Columbia (DC OT license).
• At least one year of post-graduate experience as an OT.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate students' abilities and formulate occupational profiles using assessments and observations.
• Synthesize results into reports to guide program development and interventions.
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and staff to meet learning and behavior needs.
• Deliver occupational therapy services per IEP goals and document progress.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and family conferences to align plans.

Education

Master's degree or Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy

District of Columbia license

One year of post-graduate employment as an Occupational Therapist

Job description

Occupational Therapist

Background

Two Rivers Public Charter School serves a diverse group of learners across three locations in Wards 5 and 6. Staff at Two Rivers create an exciting educational environment in which students and staff become a community of learners on a journey of discovery. Two Rivers uses the EL Education model, emphasizing interactive, hands-on, project-based learning. The school focuses on the whole child, recognizing the importance of character education and the social-emotional needs of children while helping them achieve academic excellence.

The Two Rivers staff shares a strong belief that all children can learn and be high achievers. The curriculum at Two Rivers is rigorous, and standards-based, and provides opportunities for students to excel in all areas. An integrated arts program and a content-based Spanish program augment the school's demanding academic program. These elements come together through learning modules that allow students to incorporate and apply their classroom learning through real-world experiences. The mission of Two Rivers is to nurture a diverse group of students to become lifelong, active participants in their own education, develop a sense of self and community and become responsible and compassionate members of society.

The Occupational Therapist works to prevent, assess, and treat individuals with physical, mental, developmental, or emotional disabilities to support engagement in everyday activities. This job description is meant to provide structure to the responsibilities and accountability of this position. There may be additional responsibilities that are undertaken or that are assigned as the needs of students and or the school arise. Occupational Therapists report to the Campus Director of Special Education.

This is a 10.5-month position which is exempt and therefore not eligible for overtime pay under

the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Responsibilities:

Evaluation and Consultation

• Evaluate students' abilities and formulate the students' occupational profile 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 participation in the educational environment; directs program development, and guides evidence-based intervention.
• Collaborate with other disciplines to ensure team understanding of student strengths and needs, through evaluation, educational program planning, and service delivery.
• Conduct screenings and evaluations of referred students according to a schedule mutually agreed upon with the Campus Director of Special Education. Adhere to legal timeline requirements for evaluation completion.
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and administration to find effective solutions for meeting learning and behavior needs.
• Meet regularly with the Campus Director of Special Education to coordinate and plan for student needs.

Intervention

• Deliver specialized instruction to caseload students as specified in student IEPs. The OT is expected to start service delivery during the first week of school. Be present, timely, and prepared for instructional periods. Notify teachers in advance if you will not be present for class periods or meetings.
• Develop occupational therapy intervention plans based on student needs and evaluation results.
• Keep daily session notes of work with students. Prepare quarterly progress reports to document progress toward IEP goals.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings to review evaluation results, integrate findings with other disciplines, offer recommendations, and develop individual education plans and intervention plans to achieve IEP goals
• Meet with families to help address their needs and the needs of their children.

Professional Responsibilities

• Based on the schedule determined by the Principal and Campus Director of Special Education, participate in weekly professional development (scheduled for Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.). Contribute to professional development sessions by sharing ideas, student data, and artifacts, offering feedback, and facilitating sessions or discussions, as needed.
• Participate in peer observation using protocols established and agreed upon by staff.
• Participate in August Orientation, based on the agreed-upon schedule.
• Seek out additional opportunities for professional development that will lead to achieving personal and school-wide professional development goals.
• Prepare for IEP meetings by drafting goals in collaboration with the Campus Director of Special Education and assembling assessments and student work samples as documentation of progress.
• Ensure teaching teams are knowledgeable about the needs of students.
• Meet and plan regularly with teaching teams to ensure consistency of approach and programming.
• Meet with families as requested to share information about student progress.
• Contact families immediately when concerns arise about student performance, work completion, or behavior.
• Keep families informed about student progress through ongoing communication and regular updates.
• Support administration of DC-CAPE Assessment in the spring, as needed.

Other Professional Responsibilities

• Two Rivers expects all full-time employees to work a 40-hour work week, in accordance with the hours outlined in their offer letters. School-based employees, including teachers, assistant teachers, counselors, and related service providers must be present at least 15 minutes prior to the arrival of students and must be present at least 15 minutes after the dismissal of students.
• Be on time for sessions, duties, planning sessions, team meetings, and professional development activities.
• Observe proper decorum, including adherence to dress codes and proper courtesies and respect in all dealings with students, parents, guardians, visitors, and fellow employees.
• Attend and participate in school events.
• Check voicemail and email daily and respond promptly to requests from parents, administrators, and colleagues.
• Assist with the monitoring of arrival, dismissal, recess, and lunch according to the agreed-upon schedule.
• Attend all Community Meetings and help to lead and facilitate, as needed.
• Assist with planning and facilitating at least one family event per year.
• Report all suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) and a school administrator. See the Staff Handbook for additional information.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Master's degree or Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy;
• District of Columbia Department of Health license; and
• One year of post-graduate employment as an Occupational Therapist.

Two Rivers is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants without unlawful consideration of race, religion, age, color, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.