Occupational Therapist

  • Full-time
  • Hiring Start Time: Immediate Start (SY 20-21)

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a non-profit network of 53 outstanding public charter schools in grades K-12 across New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Our mission is to start and manage outstanding urban public charter schools that close the achievement gap and prepare students from low-income backgrounds for success in college and beyond. We are accomplishing that mission every day, with a college graduation rate that is well above the national average and thousands of stories of our students and alumni achieving their dreams.

Job Description

The Occupational Therapist is primarily responsible for providing research-based therapeutic intervention for students with identified sensory integration deficits, and areas of weakness in written communication and visual perceptual skills and supporting the success of these students in the larger classroom setting. The Occupational Therapist will be an integral member of the child study team and will be responsible for evaluating students. The Occupational Therapist should be committed to continuously improving the fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing, and visual motor and perceptual skills of students through collaboration with teachers, school leaders, and IEP team members.


Responsibilities 

  • Demonstrate a relentless drive to improve the minds, characters & lives of students both in and out of school. 
  • Show unwavering commitment to urban youth achieving greatness. 
  • Create a positive, structured learning environment to ensure that students observe the school’s core values, high expectations, and strict code of conduct. 
  • Exhibit resilience to persevere and turn challenges into opportunities. 
  • Focus constantly on student learning, thinking critically and strategically to respond to student learning needs. 
  • Communicate effectively with students, families, and colleagues. 
  • Engage families in their children’s education. 
  • Commit to continual professional growth. 
  • Will participate in grade level team meetings, faculty meetings, Intervention & Referral Services meetings, and Child Study Team meetings. 
  • Provide consistent rewards and/or consequences for student behavior to ensure that students observe the school’s core values, high expectations, and strict code of conduct. 
  • Implement curricula and activities to meet IEP goals and objectives. 
  • Design and implement assessments that measure progress towards IEP standards. 
  • Use assessment data to refine therapeutic intervention and inform therapy practices. 
  • Be accountable for students’ mastery of IEP standards. 
  • Provide small group and/or individual Occupational therapy for identified students in grades K-8
  • Effectively communicate diagnostic test results, diagnoses, present levels of Occupational therapy functioning and proposed treatment goals in a manner easily understood by students and their families, teachers, and the child study team
  • Use qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, including screenings, standardized tests, and special instruments, to analyze and diagnose the nature and extent of impairments in the areas of fine/gross motor, visual perceptual skills and sensory processing
  • Develop an individualized plan of care, tailored to each student’s needs.  Write present levels of performance and goals and objectives for students’ IEP annual reviews. 
  • Maintain records on the initial evaluation, progress, and discharge of students to identify problems, track progress, and justify treatment. 
  • Produce quarterly progress reports describing progress towards IEP goals and present level of performance. 
  • Collaborate with teachers, special educators, audiologists, school psychologists, related service providers, and parents to develop and implement individual or group programs, provide counseling, and support classroom activities. Engage in one’s learning; seek out and act on feedback regularly. Seek out and engage in continuing professional education to school based occupational therapy certification.

Qualifications

  • Drive to improve the minds and lives of students in and out of the classroom. 
  • Proven track-record of high achievement in the therapeutic setting. 
  • Evidence of self-motivation and willingness to be a team player. 
  • Master’s degree and NJDOE certification for School Occupational Therapist required
  • Minimum of two years experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred.
  • Belief in and alignment with Camden Prep and Uncommon Schools’ core beliefs and educational philosophy non-negotiable.

Additional Information

We offer a generous compensation package which includes a competitive salary and comprehensive health benefits. Aside from extensive professional development, all our staff members are equipped with a laptop computer, email, and all necessary supplies.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for important dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students.  As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.