Position: Physical Therapist

Reports To: Director of Related Services, Office for Exceptional Children

Salary Schedule / Grade: Refer to DEA Salary Schedule

F.L.S.A Status: Exempt

SUMMARY

Under general supervision of the Director of Related Services, the Physical Therapist is responsible for carrying out the therapeutic provisions of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for students with disabilities. An incumbent in this classification will evaluate, plan, and implement activities to remediate and compensate for difficulties in sensori-motor, fine motor, visual motor, self care, and perceptual skills that interfere with a student’s school performance.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides occupational therapy services to children and young adults between the ages of 3 – 22 years of age.
• Collaborates with other disciplines to ensure team understanding of student occupational performance strengths and needs, through evaluation, educational program planning, and service delivery.
• Evaluates the student’s ability and formulates the student’s occupational profile through a variety of functional, behavioral, and standardized assessments, skilled observation, checklists, histories, and interviews.
• Synthesizes 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.
• Develops a plan of care based on student needs and evaluation results.
• Participates 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.
• Provides targeted, evidence-based therapeutic intervention to facilitate student participation and occupational performance within the school environment.
• Consults with the school-based IEP team to achieve student outcomes.
• Adapts and modifies the environment including assistive technology and training instructional staff to meet individual needs and to help students function as independently as possible.
• Educates students, educational personnel, and family to facilitate skills in areas of occupation as well as health maintenance and safety.
• Monitors and reassess the effects of occupational therapy intervention and the need to continue, modify, or discontinue intervention.
• Document physical therapy services to ensure accountability of service provision and to meet standards for reimbursement of services as appropriate, with the district policy to meet expected deadlines.
• Prioritizes and schedules work tasks independently.
• Manages inventory of therapeutic equipment and assessments, and project needs for budget planning.
• Maintains clinical and administrative records in accordance with professional standards, state guidelines, and school system policy.
• Provides legal and ethical supervision of occupational therapy assistants assuming responsibility for the students served by assistants.
• Adheres to federal and state legislation, regulation, and policies that affect occupational therapy practice.
• Reviews physical therapy services for quality improvement and makes changes as needed to ensure quality of services.
• Teaches, monitors, and collaborates with educational personnel, community agencies, parents, and students to increase understanding of the student’s occupational performance.
• Provides continuing education and in-services for educational personnel, parents, and community based service providers.
• Provides fieldwork education and supervision for physical therapy and physical therapy assistant students.
• Participates in continuing education for professional development to ensure practice consistent with best practice and to meet Ohio Licensure requirements.
• Uses professional literature, evidence based research, and continuing education content to make practice decisions.
• Uses professional Code of Ethics and standards of practice to guide ethical decision making in practice.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a U.S. citizen or have the legal right to work in the U.S.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Physical Therapy or related field
• Appropriate license issued by Ohio OT/PT/AT Board
• Appropriate license issued by Ohio Department of Education

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES/DEMANDS

• Sufficient strength, dexterity, and mobility to perform or assist in performing all assigned PT tasks, including lifting, positioning non-ambulatory children, working from floor, climbing/descending stairs.
• Some activities may require utilization of appropriate restraint techniques, requiring agility and dexterity to apply correctly.

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• Work may include travel between various sites/ locations within the district
• Potential exposure to contagious diseases, blood and other body fluids

The Dayton Public School District provides equal educational and employment opportunities for all people without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, color, age, disability, religion, national origin, creed, sexual orientation, or affiliation with a union or professional organization.