Occupational Therapist III, IV - Central District

Occupational Therapist III, IV - Central District

Description: This posting is being used to fill Occupational Therapist positions that provide services to students at various schools within the Central District as needed and assigned by the Central District Administration Office. The authorized level of the position is Occupational Therapist IV. Applications are being accepted down to the Occupational Therapist III in the event of recruiting difficulties.

Salary Range: All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. However, placement above the initial step of the salary range will be based on special characteristics and critical needs of the position, an applicant's exceptional qualifications, the availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Such appointments require prior approval. Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations.

Occupational Therapist III, SR-20: $5,631.00 - $6,243.00 per month
Occupational Therapist IV, SR-22: $5,965.00 - $6,682.00 per month

Examples of Duties:

• Attends meetings for collaborative planning of educational programs or provision of services;
• Prepares information to teacher and other school personnel on preventive activities to help struggling learners, participates in whole school and/or student specific screenings;
• Prepares reports, treatment plans and other material;
• May supervise a small group of lower-level OTs and para-professionals;
• May assign schedule and review work of subordinates and provide them with guidance and assistance;
• May provide technical assistance to school and/or district staff (resource teachers, district educational specialists, principals, other specialized personnel, etc.);
• Provides advisory and consultative services and program information to parents, family members and volunteer personnel;
• Modifies and designs therapeutic equipment;
• Estimates equipment and therapy supplies, requisitions and maintains inventory of adequate supplies, equipment and materials for program operation;
• Provides fieldwork training experience for occupational therapy students;
• Independently prepares and plans an occupational therapy program that consists of an array of services;
• Attends school focused team meetings to identify curricular expectations, current performance, other relevant information, and determine the areas in which information is needed for a particular student's evaluation;
• Plans, selects and uses a variety of occupational therapy methods and measures to identify the student's performance skills, patterns, contexts, activity demands and student factors in relation to the identified education-related areas;
• Analyzes and interprets results with the IEP team;
• Assists with the determination of goals and objectives, implements treatment plans and monitors progress.

Minimum Qualifications:

Basic Education Requirements: Applicants for all levels must be graduates from an occupational therapy education program approved at the time of graduation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). In addition, applicants must have successfully completed the field work requirements prescribed by the degree-awarding school.

Experience Requirements: Applicants must have progressively responsible work experience of the types and quantities described in the table below:

Class Title Occupational Therapy Experience (Years)
Occupational Therapist III 0
Occupational Therapist IV 1

Occupational Therapy Experience: Professional experience as an OT must have equipped the applicant with a fully professional understanding of the theories, prevention and treatment of disabilities by occupational therapy and their proper application by the use of activities which are appropriate to the patient's physical and psychological condition and utilizing appropriate manual and other physical skills.

For level IV, at least one (1) year of experience must have been comparable to the next lower level in this series. For some positions at the level IV, the applicant may be required to show evidence of ability to supervise others.

Quality of Experience: Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to demonstrate conclusively, the ability to perform the duties of the position for which applicant is being considered.

Certification & License Requirement:

• Applicants must have passed the OT national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT); and
• Applicants must be licensed with the State of Hawaii as an OT at the time of appointment.

Driver's License Requirement: Some positions require a current, valid driver's license.

Lift/Carry Requirement: Some positions require the ability to lift/carry objects weighing up to 40 pounds.

Supplemental Information:

Salary: The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable.

Requirements: Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks. Part-time experience is pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.

Temporary Assignment: Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below:

• A copy of the applicant's TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report;
• A signed letter from the applicant's supervisor that includes the applicant's name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked;
• Copies of the applicant's signed SF-10 Forms.

Documents: Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application. Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023. All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Information about Temporary Positions: Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs. Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities. A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months. Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.

Equal Opportunity: The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, and National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

12-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits:

• Holidays: You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.
• Vacation: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year.
• Sick Leave: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Accumulated (unused) credits may be used toward computing retirement benefits.
• Health Insurance: If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan.
• Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees.
• Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
• Retirement Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits.
• Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA): If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employee-selected investment service provider authorized to provide TSA products.
• Deferred Compensation: The State offers employees a tax deferred (sheltered) retirement investment program. This program is an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several investment options are available.
• Temporary Disability Insurance: Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.
• Social Security: As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account.
• Workers Compensation: If an employee is injured while on the job, benefits covering medical expenses and partial wage support may be available through workers compensation.
• Union & Collective Bargaining: Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining.

The above is intended as a general summary of the benefits offered and is subject to change. This does not constitute a contract or binding agreement. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and collective bargaining agreements.