Occupational Therapists

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that help restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to disabled persons.

Job Task

• Complete and maintain necessary records.
• Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
• Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
• Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental and physical capabilities.
• Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
• Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
• Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
• Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination and perceptual skills, using computer programs.
• Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.
• Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students and nurses and other medical staff.
• Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
• Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work and school skills and adjust to handicaps.
• Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
• Advise on health risks in the workplace and on health-related transition to retirement.
• Conduct research in occupational therapy.
• Provide patients with assistance in locating and holding jobs.

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