Definition

Provides occupational therapy services to patients in an institution or rehabilitation center, residential facility, or within a specialty service including coordinating clinical activities and fieldwork programs in the specialty; or performs workplace consultations 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.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Under general direction, performs occupational therapy services.  Incumbents may be the only professional Occupational Therapist at a facility with no higher level professional therapy supervisor.  Coordinates a specialty service program in areas such as driver's education, pediatrics, burn or brain injury, developmental disabilities, or mental health; coordinates clinical activities and fieldwork programs in specialty service.  Positions performing workplace consultations 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.

Typical Work

Assists in directing and coordinating occupational therapy program;  

Attends and participates in medical rounds and professional meetings with medical consultants;  

Directs maintenance of orderly and safe environment for effective treatment;  

Assists Occupational Therapists in maintaining a progressive treatment program for patients;  

Introduces new patients to assigned therapists; inspects proposed treatment for accuracy of recording; 

Writes evaluative reports on patients and therapists;

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 work place, 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;  

Performs complex assessments in specialty service and recommends appropriate treatment plans; 

Designs and fabricates complex orthotics equipment; 

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; 

Develops and presents in-services to students and staff in specialty area; 

Participates in clinical studies; 

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

Participates in the development of and presents 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 supervise or direct the work of others.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: skeletal, muscular, and neuro-anatomy; 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 and schedule patient treatment programs; 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 members. 

Legal Requirement(s)

Licensed by the state of Washington as an Occupational Therapist or has a valid probational certificate issued by the State of Washington to practice occupational therapy.

Desirable Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy Program AND successful completion of American Occupational Therapy Association certification examination AND three years of professional occupational therapy experience.  

                                                                            OR 

Equivalent education/experience.

Class Specification History

New class consolidates 6144 Occupational Therapist Specialist, 57220 Occupational Therapist 2, 57171 Therapist Consultant 2; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.