Occupational Therapist / COTA | School-Based

The Work You Do Here Does Not Stay in the Therapy Room.

It shows up when a student picks up a pencil for the first time without frustration. When a child who used to melt down during transitions moves through the school day with confidence. When a kid who struggled to button their coat does it independently and looks up at you like they just conquered something. That is school-based occupational therapy and it is some of the most meaningful clinical work you will ever do.

We are sourcing on behalf of a confidential school-based client in the Washington DC area seeking compassionate, collaborative, and student-centered Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants for school-based roles across multiple settings. Full-time, part-time, and contract opportunities are available depending on your availability and preference.

What You Will Be Doing

You will provide occupational therapy services to students across individual, small group, and classroom-based settings, supporting development in fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, visual motor integration, handwriting, adaptive skills, and functional independence within the school environment.

Day to day your responsibilities will include conducting screenings and evaluations appropriate to your credential level. Developing and implementing individualized treatment plans and therapy goals. Participating in IEP meetings, multidisciplinary team discussions, and eligibility determinations.

Collaborating with teachers, families, administrators, and related service providers to support each student holistically. Recommending and supporting classroom accommodations, adaptive strategies, and assistive tools where appropriate. Maintaining accurate and timely documentation, progress notes, service logs, and reports in compliance with district, state, and federal standards.

Additional responsibilities may include supporting sensory regulation strategies, assisting with adaptive equipment recommendations, providing consultation to educational staff, and supporting activities of daily living and functional independence within school settings.

Who This Is For

For Occupational Therapists You hold a master's or doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy and carry an active state license or eligibility for licensure. NBCOT certification is preferred. School-based experience is a plus but if you are coming from a clinical or pediatric setting and want to bring your skills into an educational environment we want to hear from you.

For Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants You hold an associate's degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant program and carry an active COTA license or certification as required by your state. You are comfortable working under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist and bring school-based or pediatric experience to the table, or a genuine desire to build it here.

Across Both Roles You bring strong communication and collaboration skills, a student-centered and inclusive mindset, and the organizational discipline to stay on top of documentation without letting it overtake your practice. You are flexible enough to adapt across different school settings and resilient enough to meet students where they are, even on the hard days.

What Makes This Opportunity Worth Your Time

You get to choose the structure that works for your life. Full-time, part-time, or contract, the flexibility here is real and intentional. You will work across diverse school partnerships in the Washington DC area, each with its own student population, team culture, and clinical opportunity. The compensation is competitive and reflective of your experience, credentials, and assignment type.

More importantly you will be doing work that actually matters. Not work that feels meaningful in a tagline but work where you can point to a specific student on a specific day and know that your presence in that school changed something for them.

What You Will Not Find Here

You will not find a high pressure billing environment or a caseload that exists to hit a revenue target. This is school-based practice where the measure of success is student progress and your role is to support that with every tool and skill you bring to the table.

Who Should Apply

Licensed Occupational Therapists and COTAs who want flexibility without sacrificing the quality or depth of their clinical work. Clinicians who thrive in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments where the team genuinely works together. Professionals passionate about pediatric and school-based practice who want to work somewhere that values that specialization the way it deserves to be valued.

New graduates with strong foundational skills and a genuine interest in school-based work are encouraged to apply. Mentorship and professional growth opportunities are available.

Apply now. Washington DC students are waiting for someone exactly like you.