SENIOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (R23)
Career Family: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
To land Senior Occupational Therapist in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
To be eligible you bring 2 years of relevant experience and a professional license. The FY 2027 range lands between $72,896 and $106,798, and state payroll currently lists 8 people in the title, most of them at Health and Senior Services.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 2 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 2 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Senior Occupational Therapist appears on the State payroll at 2 departments, most of them at Department of Health.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Health | 5 |
| Department of Human Services | 3 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 8 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $90,084. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (5)
- Human Services (3)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under the direction of a supervisory officer in an institution or agency provides training in occupational therapy to residents and may supervise employees assigned to the occupational therapist unit; does other related duties.
Examples of work
- Participates in planning programs of occupational therapy for the treatment for residents who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or physically handicapped.
- Provides instructions and assistance to residents in sewing, mending, embroidery, needlepoint, weaving, knitting, crocheting, basket making, rug making, woodwork, leatherwork, pottery and plastics and other arts and crafts.
- Observes residents at work and maintains records of individual patients' progress and behavior.
- Provides assignments and instructions to volunteers, Therapy Aides, Occupational Therapists, and other employees working in the occupational therapy unit, and supervises the performance of their work.
- Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
- Performs minor adjustments to equipment.
- Requisitions, stores, safeguards, records, and supervises the proper use of supplies.
- Assists and participates in staff in-service training programs.
- Coordinates the programs and activities of the occupational therapy unit with those of the other units of the hospital or institution.
- Assists with arrangements for exhibits and sales of articles made by residents.
- Participates in meetings.
- Participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team in the implementation of various programs designed to train residents to return to the community.
- Discusses the needs and progress of individual residents with the medical and psychiatric staffs and implements prescriptions for courses of occupational therapy.
- Prepares detailed reports and correspondence.
- Maintains records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
- May be required to engage in lifting clients when working in a setting which provides direct services to clients who are non- ambulant, or who are semi-ambulant and/or have severe physical handicaps.
Experience
Two (2) years of experience in occupational therapy.
License
Applicants must possess a license as an Occupational Therapist issued by the Occupational Therapy Advisory Council, Department of Law and Public Safety.
Appointees to position in day training centers and other educational facilities identified by the New Jersey Department of Education will be required to possess the appropriate educational certification issued by the New Jersey Department of Education.
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Special Note:
Ability to physically lift, move and position clients as needed.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the principles, standards, practices, and techniques of occupational therapy.
- Knowledge of the types of developmental disabilities, and of the occupational therapy best suited to each.
- Knowledge of occupational therapy materials and equipment.
- Knowledge of the problems encountered in occupational therapy work.
- Ability to instruct developmentally disabled, physically handicapped and/or mentally ill residents in a variety of occupational therapy activities.
- Ability to provide assignments and instructions to subsidiary employees and supervises their work performance.
- Ability to physically lift, move and position clients as needed.
- Ability to plan, conduct and supervise the course of occupational therapy.
- Ability to observe the progress and reactions of individual residents.
- Ability to prepare reports, and correspondence.
- Ability to maintain records and files.
- Ability to train professional and non-professional employees and volunteer workers.
- Ability to confer and work with other members of the interdisciplinary team and other staff members.
- Ability to implement programs designed to return residents to the community.
- Ability to read and interpret laws, rules and regulations and apply them to specific situations.
- Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.