Provides occupational therapy services to patients in an institution, hospital setting, rehabilitation center, or residential facility. Serves as the clinical lead of an occupational therapy program or specialty area; or acts as a regional consultant to; performs workplace assessments for the purpose of assisting employers to prevent musculoskeletal injuries or to modify jobs so that they can be safely and comfortably performed by the worker.

Under general direction, independently performs occupational therapy services. . Positions may function to perform workplace consultations to assess musculoskeletal risk factors utilizing ergonomic specialty and medical expertise, researching and interpreting technical and medical data to identify work related ergonomic risk factors. These consultant positions work within an assigned region of the state and independently conduct workplace consultations, deliver presentations, and participate in research/education program development.

Train, assign, provide direction, and check the work of other Occupational Therapists; routinely meet with staff and provide formal objective feedback; assess competency of assigned clinical staff;

Oversee work area clinical education programs; ensure training materials are up-to-date; provide training and mentorship for new clinical instructor; monitor the experience of OT fieldwork students to promote successful skill acquisition;

In collaboration with supervisor or manager, lead area program development and quality improvement efforts;

Assists in directing and coordinating occupational therapy program;

Directs maintenance of orderly and safe environment for effective treatment;

Assists other occupational therapy practitioners in maintaining a progressive treatment program for patients;

Writes evaluative reports;

Under direction, consults with employers and providers regarding Labor and Industries standards; provides training in techniques and methods;

Performs ergonomic analysis, physical capacity assessments, hand evaluations, job analysis and/or job modifications as part of return-to-work process; prepares written reports summarizing findings and makes recommendations to assist return-to-work or for prevention of injury;

Assesses ergonomic problems within organizations to determine actual and potential work-related musculoskeletal risk factors; consults with department ergonomists in certain cases;

Reviews, researches and analyzes ergonomic products, issues in the workplace, and resources such as claims data, scientific studies, and ergonomic research on specific products and work-related potential risk factors;

Quantifies risk factor data utilizing interviews or observations of employers or workers, calibrated instruments, audio-visual equipment, anthropometric data, biomechanical formulae;

Provides training and consultation in ergonomics, job analysis, job modification, and provider program issues;

Independently manage a complex patient caseload;

Ensures procedures and standards are met for services provided in specialty; monitors quality assurance activities;

Develops and submits budget requests for program specialty; complies with budget restrictions;

Participates in clinical studies;

Provides employers with methods to measure effectiveness of consultation services provided;

Participates in the development and presentation of educational ergonomic workshops for employers, employees and other professionals;

Works with committees or task forces to assist in developing recommendations and fact sheets related to the prevention of ergonomic hazards in specific work environments;

Provides return-to-work consultation which may include job modification assistance for purposes of returning injured workers to work at the earliest possible time following an industrial injury;

Performs home and vehicle modification consultations for the purpose of removing physical barriers for catastrophically injured workers;

Consults with other department staff to provide assistance to employers in order to develop a comprehensive and cost-effective loss control program;

Performs duties of Occupational Therapist 2;

Performs related duties as required;

May clinically supervise or direct the work of others.

Knowledge of: skeletal, muscular, and neuroanatomy; mental illness; principles, materials, modalities, and equipment of occupational therapy; various handicrafts; safety precautions; physical and work evaluation methods; state and federal regulations on disability and vocational rehabilitation; evaluative report writing.

Ability to: plan, modify, and schedule patient treatment; evaluate physical disabilities; communicate with employers, claims, vocational, loss control, safety and medical staff concerning industrial injuries and return-to-work issues; perform job analyses and job modifications; prepare for and provide educational presentations; establish and maintain effective working relationships with physicians and other staff.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Licensed by the state of Washington as an Occupational Therapist to practice occupational therapy.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

Graduation from an accredited occupational therapist university AND successful completion of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination for an occupational therapist

New class, consolidates 6144 Occupational Therapist Specialist, 57220 Occupational Therapist 2, 57171 Therapist Consultant 2; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Class plan maintenance to legal requirements and desirable qualifications; salary adjustment; effective July 1, 2023.
Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.
Revised definition, typical work knowledge and abilities, legal requirements, desirable qualifications; base range increase from 56 to 59; adopted June 23, 2025; effective July 1, 2025.