Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) - Special Education Dept.

$5,000 RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE AVAILABLE

Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Housing Available on a Limited Basis

DATE POSTED: July 10, 2025

BEGINNING DATE: August 1, 2025

Job Description: Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Promotes motor development and the student's participation in everyday routines and activities that are part of the educational program by providing therapeutic interventions. These interventions may be in the areas of self-help skills, foundational fine motor skills, mobility skills, posture and positioning, and age-appropriate play skills.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure/Certification: licensure as an occupational therapy assistant from the New Mexico occupational therapy licensing board or American occupational therapy certification board plus New Mexico Public Education Department Occupational Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant license required.
• Experience: Prior experience in school settings preferred. Pediatric experience and neurodevelopmental training is desired.

Reports to:

• School Principals, Director of Special Education, and Supervising Occupational Therapists

Skills:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good organizational ability.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to maintain high level of professionalism and confidentiality regarding students, staff, parents, and school matters.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist in the early recognition and prevention of educational problems related to fine and gross motor delays.
• Provide therapy to remediate these delays to assist with increased educational growth.
• Conduct fine motor screenings at times to determine need for full occupational therapy evaluation.
• Participate as a team member in IEP meetings for annual IEPs of your students. Have your portion of the IEP completed before the IEP. Participate in the IEP to assist with building the best holistic program for that specific child.
• Monitor student progress and make informed, timely decisions that assist in increasing student's educational performance. Make sure that you ask the OTR/L any questions or concerns about students you are working with. These may be regarding goals, objectives, or student's possible regression or failure to meet goals.
• Provide direct therapy per student's IEP. Provide monitoring services per student's IEP.
• See students on your caseload the amount listed on IEPs. If you miss a therapy, unless a student is absent, you are required to make that time up during the school year. (A sheet to track your missed sessions and when you make them up is included in your packet). When you are providing make-up therapy, make sure that it is not during another pull-out therapy time for student. Also, work with the teacher to find a time that works for both of you.
• Update each student's goal pages every 9 weeks and send to parents. This is non- negotiable.
• Stay current on evidence-based strategies and resources that can be utilized in your therapy.
• Complete current Medicaid billing by the end of each month.
• ACCESS OT personnel will follow the occupational therapy fine motor labs and gross motor labs with the data sheets that are already a portion of the overall ACCESS program. A designated COTA will update the data sheets and materials for the sensory motor lab at ACCESS Roselawn. The equipment and data sheets are also a part of ACCESS program and will be utilized as indicated in the programming.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal relationships with staff and students. Understand your role within the school setting and remain within your discipline's boundaries.
• Establish and maintain a positive climate for learning through appropriate management of students during therapy.
• Ensure that you always follow the policies and procedures of the Artesia Public Schools and APS special education.
• Maintain appropriate records per Artesia Public Schools special education department.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisors.

Physical Requirements:

Understand that this position will entail physical requirements which may include but are not limited to frequent lifting of moderate weight, bending, walking, stooping, kneeling, squatting, reaching, and standing for periods of time. Also requires therapist to move quickly when warranted for emergency situations with students.

WORK SCHEDULE: Full-time Position

HOW TO APPLY: Complete the entire application ONLINE to be considered for this position. Provide complete reference information for each reference including name, address, contact number, and email address. Resume and reference letters are optional.

REQUIREMENTS: The applicant, if selected, MUST undergo a FBI Fingerprint Background Report

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY-Discrimination against an otherwise qualified individual with a disability or any individual by reason of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or national origin is prohibited. Efforts will be made in recruitment and employment to ensure equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons. If due to a disability, you are currently unable to perform any of the job duties identified in this job description, advise the personnel department of that condition. The personnel department will make a determination whether a reasonable accommodation can be made in these job duties and procedures to address that disability.

• REFERENCE'S EMAIL ADDRESSES REQUIRED*