Job Title: Occupational Therapist
Location: Mountainside (MTN)
Department Name: Occupational Therapy
Req #: 0000267785
Status: Hourly
Shift: Day
Pay Range: $78.36 - $78.36 per hour
Pay Transparency:
The above reflects the anticipated hourly wage range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.
The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.
Occupational Therapist – Children's Specialized Hospital, RWJBarnabas Health
Our Occupational Therapists play an essential role in helping children with disabilities and developmental, physical, perceptual, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges achieve greater independence and participation in daily activities. Working collaboratively with patients, families, physicians, therapists, nurses, and other members of the interdisciplinary team, our Occupational Therapists provide individualized evaluation and treatment designed to support each child’s functional abilities and adaptation to their environment.
Through comprehensive assessment, goal development, therapeutic intervention, family education, care coordination, and discharge planning, our Occupational Therapists help children maximize their potential and improve their ability to participate in meaningful activities at home, at school, and in the community. We view our Occupational Therapists as key members of the care team who bring clinical expertise, creativity, collaboration, and a family-centered approach to every patient interaction.
As an Occupational Therapist, a typical day might include the following:
• Evaluating pediatric patients with disabilities and other functional limitations, considering the child’s abilities, needs, and responses as they relate to functional adaptation to their environment.
• Selecting, administering, and interpreting appropriate assessment tools in accordance with competency expectations, including obtaining patient history, screening, observation, and formal evaluation.
• Identifying and prioritizing functional, measurable, and time-realistic goals focused on remediation, compensation, adaptation, or prevention of functional deficits.
• Developing individualized treatment plans based on the child’s diagnosis, developmental level, functional abilities, family needs, and environmental demands.
• Selecting, utilizing, and evaluating the effectiveness of appropriate occupational therapy treatment methods in accordance with established clinical competencies and standards of practice.
• Applying principles of activity analysis to grade physical, perceptual, cognitive, and psychosocial demands to create an optimal match between the child’s abilities and environmental requirements.
• Providing skilled therapeutic interventions designed to improve functional performance, independence, participation, and quality of life.
• Monitoring patient response to treatment and modifying interventions and treatment plans based on clinical findings, progress, and changing patient needs.
• Communicating effectively with patients, families, and members of the interdisciplinary team through both formal and informal verbal and written communication.
• Establishing collaborative relationships with families and caregivers and providing education regarding therapeutic strategies, functional goals, home programs, and recommendations.
• Communicating effectively with referring physicians and appropriate community contacts to support continuity of care and coordinated services.
• Participating as an active member of the interdisciplinary team and contributing occupational therapy expertise to patient care planning and decision-making.
• Assisting in the training and education of staff, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs), aides, students, and other individuals as designated by competency expectations.
• Providing clinical supervision, guidance, or direction to aides, students, and/or volunteers as appropriate.
• Seeking appropriate supervision, consultation, and guidance regarding clinical performance and patient care when indicated.
• Actively contributing to individual and departmental improvement plans and effectively incorporating feedback into clinical practice.
• Demonstrating knowledge of symptoms, prognosis, and functional limitations associated with a variety of pediatric diagnostic groups.
• Making appropriate discharge recommendations based on the child’s prognosis, expected roles and activities, family needs, functional status, and available community resources.
• Participating in discharge planning and helping patients and families transition effectively to home, school, community, and other appropriate settings.
• Meeting established annual productivity and volume expectations while maintaining quality, safety, and patient-centered care.
• Maintaining clinical competencies and actively pursuing opportunities to enhance professional knowledge and skills.
• Participating in quality improvement initiatives and contributing ideas and solutions that support improved patient outcomes and clinical services.
• Maintaining professional standards, clinical documentation, and communication practices consistent with hospital policies and applicable occupational therapy standards.
• Providing care in accordance with the unique needs of pediatric patients and their families while demonstrating patience, tact, sound judgment, and professionalism.
This Role Might Be For You If:
• You are passionate about pediatric occupational therapy and helping children with disabilities maximize their independence, participation, and quality of life.
• You enjoy working with children and families and understand the importance of a family-centered approach to pediatric care.
• You are interested in the relationship between developmental, physical, perceptual, cognitive, and psychosocial factors and a child’s ability to function within their environment.
• You enjoy using creativity and clinical reasoning to develop individualized therapeutic activities and interventions.
• You excel at identifying functional challenges and developing meaningful goals that address the needs of the child and family.
• You are comfortable working collaboratively with physicians, therapists, nurses, families, caregivers, and other members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• You are an effective communicator who can clearly explain clinical findings, treatment recommendations, prognosis, and functional limitations to patients, families, and healthcare professionals.
• You are comfortable providing education, training, and support to families, caregivers, staff, students, COTAs, and other members of the care team.
• You are committed to continuous learning and actively seek opportunities to strengthen your clinical knowledge and skills.
• You value feedback, supervision, and consultation as important components of professional growth and high-quality clinical practice.
• You are organized and able to manage patient care responsibilities while meeting established productivity and annual volume expectations.
• You demonstrate sound clinical judgment, professionalism, tact, and the ability to work effectively with children, families, and colleagues.
• You are committed to continuous improvement and enjoy contributing ideas that enhance patient care, clinical outcomes, and team performance.
• You are comfortable working in a pediatric healthcare environment that may require physical stamina for lifting, therapeutic handling, positioning, and assisting patients.
• You are available to meet the scheduling needs of the position, including evenings and occasional weekends for inpatient services.
To be considered for this opportunity, you must meet the following criteria:
• Education: Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited Occupational Therapy program.
• Licensure: Current New Jersey Occupational Therapist license. Valid Driver’s License.
• Certification: Successful completion of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination and maintenance of required registration.
• Basic Life Support: Current American Heart Association BLS Provider Certification.
• Pediatric Experience: Completion of a minimum 12-week pediatric affiliation or equivalent pediatric occupational therapy experience.
• Clinical Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of developmental theory and the impact of physical, perceptual, cognitive, and psychosocial disabilities on a child’s functional adaptation to their environment.
• Clinical Skills: Ability to evaluate disruptions in functional performance and develop appropriate treatment strategies to minimize the disabling effects of these conditions.
• Schedule Requirements: Ability to work a per diem schedule based on patient care and departmental needs, including evenings and occasional weekends for inpatient services. This schedule may include weekends, weeknights and holidays.
RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer
