About This Career

Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, performs only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Encourages patients and attends to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
• Reports to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
• Observes patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and records and maintains information in client records.
• Prepares and maintains work area, materials, and equipment and maintains inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
• Transports patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
• Instructs 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.
• Assists occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
• Demonstrates therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
• Manages intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
• Performs clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Weekend work