Occupational Therapist

$3,000 signing bonus.

Job Summary

The VISIONS OT will provide instruction and reinforcement of adaptive daily living skills to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Individuals with other disabilities, injuries, and illnesses can also be addressed within the scope of vision rehabilitation services.

Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of the participant’s home and other environments (e.g., workplace or school). The OT makes recommendations for adaptive equipment, provides training in its use, and offers guidance and education for family members and caregivers.

Occupational therapy practitioners will take a holistic perspective, focusing on adapting the environment to fit the person and viewing the person as an integral part of the therapy team.

Training is provided either in the participant’s home or in an appropriate community setting, as determined by the participant’s needs. Individual or group lessons may include kitchen skills, communication skills, financial management, home management, personal management skills, keyboarding, and Braille. Lessons will incorporate the use of adaptive equipment and residual vision as appropriate.

The OT may also assist the participant in learning how to use low vision aids for tasks.

The OT will also work with children and young adults with severe multiple impairments, and their families, for a minimum of one week every August at VISIONS Center on Blindness in Spring Valley New York.

Key Responsibilities

· Provide instruction in vision rehabilitation training skills, including meal management, home management, financial management, personal management, and communication skills. Training is administered individually or in a group setting.

· Provide instruction in activities of daily living (ADLs), which may include, but are not limited to, bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing, and eating skills; transfers and positioning; and environmental assessments. Establish an activity/exercise program to increase participation in ADLs.

· Address balance and gait issues, including providing instruction in all supportive ambulation devices (walkers, canes, crutches, rollators, and wheelchairs).

· Recommend and order safety equipment, such as tub seats and safety grab bars, as needed.

· Advocate for the procurement, repair, and replacement of durable medical equipment on the participant’s behalf with vendors, when appropriate.

· Provide consultation to vision rehabilitation professionals (VRT/O&M) when a participant’s physical or medical condition is an obstacle to increased independence.

· Create and maintain a schedule of appointments, seeing a minimum of three participants a day, four days a week, or the equivalent.

· Serve VISIONS’ participants at the 500 Greenwich Street office, the West 23rd Street location, VISIONS Center on Blindness in Rockland County, and other locations as assigned.

· Document participant progress through the use of standardized departmental and funder reports. Submit progress reports and case notes within the time frame required by the New York State Commission for the Blind, Medicaid, Medicare, other third-party insurance, or private-pay individuals.

· Complete daily schedules, timesheets, vacation requests, and expense reports in a timely manner.

· Participate in staff in-service training and community conferences to maintain proficiency in the use of methods and equipment to meet participant’s needs. Participate in team meetings and make referrals to other service providers in and outside the organization.

· Serve participants in all five boroughs of New York City and, as needed, Long Island or the Lower Hudson Valley.

· May be required to work occasional evenings and weekend days.

· Provide services for children with multiple impairments during programs at VISIONS Center on Blindness (VCB), as assigned by the Senior Director of Rehabilitation.

Pay: $80,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Travel reimbursement

Work Location: Hybrid remote in New York, NY 10013