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Occupational Therapist - 2022-2023 Maternity Leave Replacement

Do you have a passion for providing integrated occupational therapy services to preschool through elementary school students with special needs?  Would you like to partner with families, work in a nurturing and supportive environment, and be inspired by staff/students everyday?  Are you seeking supervision and mentorship with an experienced therapeutic team?  If so, the Gillen Brewer School, a private, special education school on the Upper East Side dedicated to the education of children with disabilities, is currently accepting resumes for a maternity leave Occupational Therapist who desires to be a part of an integrated educational/therapeutic team.  A minimum of 2 years of experience is preferred.  The ideal candidate would be available to work from mid-October 2022 through late February 2023, possibly longer.  All applicants will be required to submit a resume, cover letter, and two reference letters. 

Gillen Brewer offers benefits, comprehensive salaries commensurate with experience as well as a comprehensive professional development and supervision program.

Summary

The Occupational Therapist (OT) is a critical part of the child’s learning experience at Gillen Brewer.  The Occupational Therapist reports to the Head of the Occupational Therapy Department who reports to the Assistant Head of the School.  The OT will work as part of an integrated team with Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Psychologists in a therapeutic school setting.  As part of the school community, OTs are encouraged to participate in school community events and create a positive working environment for children, families, and colleagues.  Key traits of an OT at Gillen Brewer include attention to detail, excellent organization skills, and a sense of humor.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Create well thought-out therapy sessions, demonstrating an understanding of the child’s individual needs, driven by informal/formal assessment of the student and their goals 
• Maintain daily session notes as well as write, and edit the classroom team’s Mid-Year and End-of-Year Reports
• Create, follow, and implement goals and track progress on an ongoing basis 
• Provide therapy sessions across settings based on the individual needs of the students (e.g., push-in, pull out)
• Collaborate with team members and actively participate in team meetings
• Maintain parent/caregiver communication as needed, providing ongoing updates on progress as well as sharing strategies and activities for them to implement at home. Communication should facilitate the family’s understanding of their child’s needs/diagnosis and address questions/concerns regarding the child’s overall occupational therapy needs
• Maintain office upkeep and housekeeping (e.g., organize files, update assessment tools)
• Follow through with behavioral interventions and supports as well as recommended visuals and other materials/charts when needed.  Provide feedback on effectiveness 
• Co-treat with other therapists/professionals purposefully
• Coordinate and communicate with outside therapists/professionals as needed
• Support the student’s physical, emotional, sensory, academic, and language needs
• Follow appropriate procedures for handling issues with other staff members
• Maintain an open and honest line of communication with the Department Head and the Assistant Head of School.  Take an active role in supervision, learning, and training.  Actively seek out information and resources appropriate to the school
• Collaborate with teachers/therapists to plan and co-lead group activities in the classroom when within your domain
• Recommend and implement therapeutic programs into the classroom and assist/train staff in how to use them
• When schedule allows, provide classroom staffing support as needed 
• Participate in arrival/dismissal duties as needed
• Present workshops/trainings to staff members as well as caregivers as needed 
• Contribute to schoolwide social media/website as needed 
• Maintain a professional manner with regard to attitude, participation, communication, and interactions with staff, children, and parents
• Understand the school’s policies, procedures, and guidelines as set in the staff handbook

Professional Requirements

• Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy
• Experience providing occupational therapy in a school setting, 2 years preferred
• New York State Occupational Therapy License

Physical Requirements

Employees must have the physical capacity to navigate the classroom and school environments in order to effectively meet the needs of our students.  Such physical requirements include but are not limited to:  walking, standing, sitting, climbing up and down stairs, kneeling, stooping, crawling, bending, pushing, pulling, and lifting.  Employees must be able to sit at a desk and work on a computer for long periods of time to complete necessary paperwork.  Vision, with or without lenses, must be sufficient to read in both paper and digital formats.  Employees must have the ability to hear, read, write, and speak in English.

Professional Development

The school is a community of learners.  In addition to staff development and training at Gillen Brewer, employees are encouraged to pursue educational goals through conferences and various workshops.  Occupational Therapists are required to attend all staff development workshops and staff, team, and supervision meetings.  Staff is encouraged to attend many of the school functions listed on the school calendar.

Supervision and Support

The Head of the OT Department will oversee and analyze all aspects of the department through the use of observation cycles, in-office sessions, team meetings, conversations with staff, lesson planning, curriculum development, student progress, and report writing.  Staff development and support through modeling and coaching will be provided which will include in-house and outside professional opportunities.  Frequency of observations and feedback sessions will be determined by the Department Head, Assistant Head of School, and Head of School.  The Head of the OT Department will conduct two formal evaluations a year using this job description and the OT Evaluation checklist as a guide.  Evidence of effectiveness will be collected through observations, discussions, and products.

Other Requirements

• You must be authorized to work in the United States and be willing to undergo a number of clearances including NYC DOE fingerprinting, a medical health form, and other background checks.  
• Our staff is 100% COVID-19 vaccinated with boosters. New staff are required to be vaccinated as well. Students & Staff wear masks and practice safe & healthy hygiene guidelines including frequent handwashing.

To Apply

All applicants will be required to submit a resume, cover letter, and two reference letters.  It's preferred that you apply on Indeed (see button below), but you have the option to submit materials via email to HR@gillenbrewer.com OR apply on Indeed.  If you submit via email, please indicate your name and the position of interest in the subject line of your email (i.e., Octavia Tilly - Occupational Therapist/Maternity Leave Replacement).

No telephone inquiries or recruiters please. Replies will be sent only to qualified applicants.