Occupational Therapist Assistant - Lamar County School District : Job Details

Position Type: Support Services/Teacher AssistantDate Posted: 3/5/2025Location: Central OfficeDate Available: 07/01/2025Closing Date: 03/12/2025 Job Title: Occupational Therapist Reports to: Josette Sirmon; Director of Special Education Receives Guidance From: Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, District Administrator, District Directors Overtime Status: Compliant with position, salary, and FLSA regulations Job Purpose: Responsible for providing occupational therapy to studentsDuties and Responsibilities:

• Provides occupational therapy services to students as identified through the IEP/504 Plan
• Writes individual student goals and objectives as part of the IEP; maintains progress records; participates in IEP meetings.
• Develops occupational treatment plans and goals for rehabilitative care to improve student functional abilities and enhance their ability to learn.
• Provides students with individual treatment and group therapy sessions to correct specific areas of sensory-motor integrative dysfunction.
• Develops occupational therapy treatment plans based on the educational goals for the eligible students to improve the student's functional abilities with the school and naturalistic settings, in collaboration with the IEP team.
• Monitors therapy programs and consults with educational staff regarding inclusion of appropriate occupational therapy treatment strategies into the educational program; evaluates the efficacy of the established program and makes modifications within the framework of the IEP process as necessary.
• Participates in meetings between staff and families on the appropriate implementation of programs; collaborates and coordinates occupational therapy goals with the educational program.
• Demonstrates educational and developmental strategies to students and families for successful home intervention of perceptual, motor and sensory programs.
• Provides interpretation and summaries of assessment reports to families; recommends appropriate activities and materals designed to support motor goals in the home.
• Adapts equipment to assure proper positioning and to enhance functional performance of the student, addressing the student's neuromuscular deficits and needs. May include design and fabrication of equipment or recommendations for purchse of adaptive equipment as needed.
• Maintain an in depth knowledge of the laws and policies governing Special Education, particularly as they pertain to the delivery of occupational therapy services.
• Consults with other members of the educational team regarding the mandated and best practice roles of occupational therapists.
• Administers occupational therapy programs as needed in terms of budget recommendation, space and equipment recommendations.
• Assume responsibility for own professional growth and development, for keeping current with literature, new research findings, for attending appropriate professional meetings and conferences, and to maintain any credits and/or continued education for maintenance of licensure/qualifications required for the position
• Maintain and accept responsibility for any district owned fixed asset item assigned to employee and ensure appropriate use by following district policies for acceptable use
• Undergo periodic evaluations according to state and board policy procedures
• Maintain confidentiality
• Regular, dependable, in person attendance is an essential function of this position
• Perform such other and not specifically enumerated duties as may be requested by the Board of Education, superintendent, administrator, director or established by district policy
• Read, understand, and abide by Employee Conduct Policy, GAB, all other district, state and federal policies, and procedures and protocols as established by LCSD and the Mississippi Educator Code of Conduct

Qualifications:

• Valid Mississippi Occupational Therapist Assistant License

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms using equipment such as a keyboard and video display panel. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, reach, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Work Environment: The work environment is not a standard office setting; but rather encompasses the entire active school campus both inside and outside the facilities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate and occasionally high. Note: This is not necessarily an all-inclusive or exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions or working conditions associated with the job. The job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. The school district may add to, modify, or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable. Terms of Employment: Salary, days and work year as established by the Lamar County School District Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Lamar County School Board policy on Evaluation of Employees.