Occupational Therapist Job Description Template

Occupational therapists provide treatments and longer term plans to help injured, disabled, or severely ill patients recover the skills and abilities they need for the activities of daily life. Providing a targeted occupational therapist job description and salary information (if available) will help you attract highly qualified candidates to the role.

This occupational therapist job description sample can give your posting a boost; simply customize it with the specifics of your exact duties and responsibilities, and you’ll turn candidates into applicants. You can also look through our occupational therapist job listings to find even more ideas to add to your application.

Occupational Therapist

[Intro paragraph] Companies seeking the highest quality employees often begin the job description with a 2-3 sentence paragraph telling the job seeker a few things that make your company unique and the value you bring to new employees. This is your opportunity to really make your hospital, clinic, or medical facility shine, whether yours is a pediatric occupational therapist job description, mental health occupational therapist job description, or another related field.

Occupational Therapist Job Responsibilities:

  • Facilitates development and rehabilitation of patients with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities by planning and administering medically prescribed occupational therapy.
  • Meets the patient’s goals and needs and provides quality care by assessing and interpreting evaluations and test results and determining occupational therapy treatment plans in consultation with physicians or by prescription.
  • Helps patient develop or regain physical or mental functioning or adjust to disabilities.
  • Implements programs involving manual arts and crafts, practice in functional, pre-vocational, vocational and homemaking skills and fosters activities of daily living.
  • Promotes maximum independence by selecting and constructing therapies according to individual’s physical capacity, intelligence level, and interest.
  • Prepares patient for return to employment by consulting with employers; determining potential employee difficulties; retraining employees; and helping employers understand necessary physical and job accommodations.
  • Evaluates results of occupational therapy by observing, noting, and evaluating patient’s progress and recommending and implementing adjustments and modifications.
  • Completes discharge planning by consulting with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health care workers.
  • Assures continuation of therapeutic plan following discharge by designing and instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise programs; recommending and/or providing assistive equipment and recommending outpatient or home health follow-up programs.
  • Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
  • Maintains patient confidence and protects hospital operations by keeping information confidential.
  • Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
  • Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
  • Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
  • Develops occupational therapy staff by providing information and developing and conducting in-service training programs.
  • Complies with federal, state, and local legal and certification requirements by studying existing and new legislation, anticipating future legislation, enforcing adherence to requirements, and advising management on needed actions.
  • Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

[Work Hours & Benefits] Here This part of your occupational therapist job description is a great place to include details about the working hours and benefits at your business. Tell prospective therapists about flexible hours or work-week structures and any travel requirements. You can also describe benefits unique to your company, like tuition or continuing education credits, paid parental leave, or childcare reimbursement.

Occupational Therapist Qualifications/Skills:

  • Health promotion and maintenance
  • Creating a safe, effective environment
  • Motivating others
  • Legal compliance
  • Bedside manner
  • Medical teamwork
  • Promoting mental health
  • Pain management
  • Listening, analyzing information, and focusing on quality

Occupational Therapy Education, Experience, and Licensing Requirements:

  • Current state occupational therapist license
  • Minimum of one year of recent work experience as an occupational therapist
  • Graduation from an occupational therapy program accredited jointly by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the AMA and the AOTA
  • Current BLS for Healthcare Provider CPR or CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification
  • Certified Occupational Therapist (OT) by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) or Certified Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) by the National Board in Certified Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
  • National Provider Identifier (NPI) and Taxonomy code required at time of hire

[Call to Action] Here is where you turn potential applicants into actual applicants, by letting them know exactly how to apply with a well-crafted call to action. Provide details on application, resume, and supporting documents submission and include any other requirements. Guide them to apply by telling them to send their resume to your HR department, or by simply clicking the application button on the description.

Hire the Right Occupational Therapist With World-Class Assistance

Whether you’re hiring a therapist directly or for your organization, a well-written and targeted occupational therapist job description will usher the right candidates into the door—as long as you put it where people will see it. We can help by offering a free job listing on Monster’s job board.