PRN Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)

The Occupational Therapy Assistant reports to and receives general supervision from the Director of Rehabilitation; receives clinical supervision from the Occupational Therapist; and is responsible for providing occupational therapy services to assigned residents in compliance with current applicable federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and established policies and procedures to prevent avoidable physical and/or mental deterioration and to assist them in obtaining and maintaining their highest practicable level of functioning and psychosocial well-being.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Schedule: PRN, Weekdays, Day Shifts, 8 Hour Shifts

Implementation

• Assist the Occupational Therapist in implementing treatment plans designed to help residents function independently.
• Contribute to the screening, evaluation, and re-evaluation process by implementing delegated assessments and providing reports of observations and resident capacities to the Occupational Therapist.

Therapeutic Intervention Selection

• Select therapy activities to fit resident’s needs and capabilities. Alter treatment programs as necessary.
• Monitor resident’s performance in therapy activities and provide encouragement.
• Observe and document resident’s progress, attitudes and behavior. Report findings to the Occupational Therapist and/or the Director of Rehabilitation.

Facilitation of Discharge Plan:

• Contribute to the discontinuation or transition plan by providing information and documentation to the Occupational Therapist related to the resident’s needs, goals, performance, and appropriate follow-up resources.
• Instruct residents, families, and caregivers in home programs, basic living skills and the care and use of adaptive equipment.

Complete In-servicing and Training

• In-service staff members and caregivers as needed, as it relates to the delivery of occupational therapy services.

Perform duties in a safe manner in accordance with established policies and procedures.

• Perform all duties in compliance with established safety and infection control policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in fire, safety and disaster preparedness drills.
• Maintain safe working conditions and practices and follow established safety regulations in the use of modalities, equipment and supplies, as directed by the Occupational Therapist.

Timely and accurately record occupational therapy services in an informative and descriptive manner.

• Ensure all occupational therapy documentation conveys specific therapy provided and the resident’s response or lack of response to the therapy provided.
• Perform all therapy services in accordance with the individualized plan of care.
• Honor the resident’s refusal of treatment request. Document and promptly report such requests to the Director of Rehabilitation.
• Record all entries on notes, charts, etc. in an informative and descriptive manner.
• Use only authorized abbreviations established by the facility when recording information.
• Properly document all therapy, responses to therapy, changes in condition, etc. in accordance with established policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate of an associate-level or certificate-level occupational therapy program accredited by ACOTE® or predecessor organizations.
• Must have successfully completed a period of supervised fieldwork experience required by the recognized educational institution where the applicant met the academic requirements.
• Must have passed all examinations for occupational therapy assistants.
• Possess a current and unencumbered license, registration, or certification as required by law or regulation.
• Abide by the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (AOTA, 2000);
• Abide by the AOTA Standards for Continuing Competence (AOTA, 1999) by establishing, maintaining, and updating professional performance, knowledge, and skills.
• Must posses a working knowledge of Occupational Therapy practices, including the ability to recall important and commonly used information in source documents, and an understanding of the application of the pertinent principles in this field.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Must maintain a current license at all times throughout employment.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:

• Must possess adequate vision and hearing to perform essential job duties.
• Must be able to safely lift, transfer, and assist patients as needed, several times per day.
• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time and move freely throughout the facility, both in-doors and out-doors.
• Must be able to carry objects to multiple locations, safely push wheelchairs and patient beds and reach above head level several times per day.
• Must be able to perform tasks requiring mental reasoning, sequencing and discrimination.
• Must be able to perform math calculations.