Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Fresno PostAcute Care -

Summary: The Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) works under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) to provide high-quality occupational therapy services. The COTA assists in implementing treatment plans designed to help patients of all ages develop, regain, and maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. This role is vital for helping individuals who have physical, developmental, emotional, or mental challenges achieve greater independence and improved quality of life.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Provides patient care under the direction of a registered occupational therapist.

· Provides comprehensive, appropriate patient treatment in accordance with patient’s individual treatment plan as stipulated by supervising OT.

· Providing clear instruction to patients and families.

· Communicating with supervisor and other health team members regarding patient progress, barriers, and plans.

· Provide caregiver training to patients’ families, caregivers, or nursing staff.

· Demonstrating knowledge of appropriate resources for problem-solving and clinical best practice.

· Writes accurate, complete, and clear documentation in accordance with regulatory, licensing, payor, and accrediting requirements.

· Maintaining a current body of knowledge in areas of clinical expertise through seminars, professional journals, and peers.

· Meeting continuing education requirements of regulatory agencies.

· Contributes to building and maintaining a positive facility culture as a professional member of the staff.

· Demonstrates safe working practices.

· Perform other duties as assigned by Supervisor and/or Manager

The above listing of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive but rather to serve as a description of the range of duties and general nature of the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Education and Work Experience:

· Associate’s degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant program.

· Current Basic Life Support (BLS) or CPR certification.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

· Current certification from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

· Current state licensure as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) in good standing.

Knowledge and Skills:

1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are mandatory.

2. Must be detail oriented and comfortable working in fast-paced and rapidly changing environment.

3. Teamwork collaboration is essential to the organization, so it is critical that the manager communicates and interacts well with other team members and is able to build positive relationships across all levels within the organization.

4. Must possess excellent organizational skills and be extremely flexible to meet customer demands, in addition to being able to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks in a changing environment with a high degree of accuracy.

5. Ability to follow oral and written instructions.

6. Ability to positively interact with personnel, customers, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel and the general public.

7. Interacts with customers, families, visitors, center and the Company’s subsidiary personnel;

8. Carries out other tasks as requested in situations where hands-on intervention/participation may be required.

9. Provide annual verification of negative TB skin test.

Essential Job Functions — Physical & Work Conditions
- Physical demands: frequent standing and walking; occasional sitting. Regular reaching
(including overhead), handling/fingering, feeling, talking/hearing, and seeing. Occasional
stooping, crouching, climbing stairs, balancing, and twisting; kneeling and crawling are
not typically required.
- Patient care and equipment handling: ability to assist with mobility and handle clinic
equipment of approximately 20 lbs (pulling, lifting, carrying, pushing). Assistive devices
and team support are available per protocol.
- Work environment: primarily an indoor clinical setting; occasional travel up to ~5%.
- Environmental factors: typical clinic conditions; no routine exposure to extreme
temperatures, wet/humid environments, fumes, poor ventilation, dusts, gases,
unprotected heights, or moving machinery. Occasional operation of automotive
equipment and use of foot controls may be required. Standard protective equipment
(e.g., gowns, masks, gloves) used per policy.
- Work situations: role involves measurable goals, frequent interaction with patients and
teams, repetitive/continuous tasks, problemsolving, following instructions, and
performing under routine clinical demands