Summary for:
Occupational Therapist Aides
Description:
Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
Sample of reported job titles:
Sample of reported job titles: Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide), Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide), Occupational Therapy Technician (OT Tech), Rehabilitation Services Aide, Rehabilitation Technician (Rehab Tech), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA), Occupational Rehabilitation Aide, Restorative Therapist
Tasks:
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
- Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
- Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.
- Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
- Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.
Knowledge:
| Customer and Personal Service ó Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Education and Training ó Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| Therapy and Counseling ó Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance. |
| English Language ó Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Psychology ó Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. |
| Medicine and Dentistry ó Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures. |
Skills:
| Active Listening ó Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Speaking ó Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Reading Comprehension ó Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Coordination ó Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Active Learning ó Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Critical Thinking ó Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Time Management ó Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Service Orientation ó Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| Instructing ó Teaching others how to do something. |
| Social Perceptiveness ó Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
Abilities:
| Oral Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Speech Clarity ó The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Oral Comprehension ó The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Problem Sensitivity ó The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Speech Recognition ó The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| Static Strength ó The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects. |
| Written Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| Deductive Reasoning ó The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Written Comprehension ó The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Selective Attention ó The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted. |
Work Activities:
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates ó Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Assisting and Caring for Others ó Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Documenting/Recording Information ó Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Performing General Physical Activities ó Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials. |
| Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships ó Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems ó Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work ó Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Handling and Moving Objects ó Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge ó Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Getting Information ó Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
Work Experience:
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.
Work Examples:
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.
Education Requirements:
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Work Style:
| Dependability ó Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Cooperation ó Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Concern for Others ó Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
| Social Orientation ó Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| Initiative ó Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Self Control ó Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Integrity ó Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Attention to Detail ó Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Stress Tolerance ó Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility ó Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
Work Values:
| Relationships ó Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
| Support ó Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Achievement ó Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
Median Wage 2008:
$12.96 hourly, $26,960 annual
Estimated Employment Total 2008:
8,000 employees
Projected Growth 2008:
Much faster than average (21% or higher)
Projected Need 2008:
3,000 additional employees
