OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST – MENTAL HEALTH

Job Specifications

Class Code:	PP8
Analyst:	MM, SC

Date Originated: 1/11

Date Revised: 01/24

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, to provide professional occupational therapy services for individuals experiencing symptoms of serious mental illness, including evaluating, planning and administering occupational therapy treatments; and to do related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Occupational Therapists are assigned to the Mental Health Adult Services program.  Incumbents are responsible for administering the client’s total treatment program and are expected to take initiative in developing, implementing and coordinating client treatment plans.  The Occupational Therapist has comprehensive knowledge of client care in their service area and provides occupational therapy services for clients as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

TYPICAL TASKS

• Administers various evaluations to assess patient’s cognitive and functional levels and develops and implements appropriate treatment plans;
• Collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team to provide comprehensive treatment to client and ensure team understanding of client occupational performance strengths and needs;
• Synthesizes evaluation results into comprehensive written reports that reflect strengths and barriers to client participation in the home and community environment;
• Assists with program development;
• Keeps informed of current trends and developments in occupational therapy and guides evidence-based intervention;
• Develops occupationally based intervention plans based on client needs and evaluation results;
• Participates in multidisciplinary meetings to review evaluation results, integrate findings with other disciplines, offer recommendations, and develop individual treatment plans and goals;
• Educates clients, families and support staff to develop and facilitate skills in areas of occupation as well as health maintenance and safety. 
• Makes home visits as necessary; adapts and modifies the environment to meet individual needs and to help clients function as independently as possible;
• Monitors and reassesses the effects of occupational therapy intervention and the need to continue, modify, or discontinue intervention;
• Documents therapy time for statistical and billing purposes, to ensure accountability of service and to meet standards for reimbursement.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge:

Working knowledge of:

• Cognition and its impacts upon the performance of living skills.
• The influence of disabilities, socio-cultural and socioeconomic factors on clients’ ability to participate in occupations.
• Use of occupational therapy theories, models of practice, principles, and evidence based practices to guide intervention decisions.

Ability To:

• Maintain current reporting, documentation, scheduling, and billing in accordance with professional standards, state and local guidelines, and reimbursement requirements.
• Determine the need for an occupational therapy evaluation; select and administer appropriate assessment tools to evaluate the client.
• Interpret evaluation data and write comprehensive reports that reflect strengths and barriers to clients’ participation and occupational performance.
• Participate collaboratively with clients and multi-disciplinary mental health teams to develop individualized treatment plans.
• Develop and implement occupationally based intervention plans based on evaluation information.
• Prioritize and schedule work tasks independently.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

Training and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Two years of experience in performing occupational therapy with individuals experiencing symptoms of serious mental illness.  Experience in an occupational therapy internship program for psychiatrically disabled adults may be substituted for the required experience on a month for month basis.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession and maintenance of a valid license issued by the California Board of Occupational Therapy to practice as a licensed Occupational Therapist in California
• Possession and maintenance of a valid California Class C Driver License or the incumbent must provide suitable transportation approved by the appointing authority.

Special Working Conditions: Exposure to offensive odors such as unwashed people and clothes, human and animal feces; the possibility of infections which may cause chronic disease or death; hostile or violent individuals; cigarette smoke.

Bargaining Unit:  General Representation Unit
EEOC Job Category:  02
Occupational Group:  60
Worker’s Compensation Code:  0290