Early Childhood Center Occupational Therapist

Early Childhood Center Occupational Therapist

Temple Rodef Shalom Early Childhood Center
Occupational Therapist

Employee Status:Part-time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Reports to:ECC Director

Schedule:10-15 hours per week, onsite; days are flexible

Salary/Benefits: $60.00-$75.00 per hour based on experience, access to 403b plan (no employer contributions)

Must hold Professional Liability Insurance

About Us

Temple Rodef Shalom is a Reform Jewish congregation located in the Northern Virginia suburbs, just outside Washington, DC. Since our founding in 1962, we have grown into the largest Jewish congregation in Virginia, serving nearly 1,800 households. We are bustling with activity, serving over 200 families in our Early Childhood Center, nearly 800 students in our Religious School and hundreds of people each week who walk through our doors to pray, sing, learn, connect and mark life cycle moments.

Licensed under the Virginia Department of Education, the Temple Rodef Shalom Early Childhood Center (ECC) provides a strong educational foundation for children ages 2-5, guided by the Reggio Emilio educational philosophy. The ECC Occupational Therapist will work directly with students in our program, in regular consultation with teachers and families. Our support philosophy is based on a push-in model of intervention: using a child’s natural environment and peer group setting to facilitate skills and social development.

The OT is a critical part of this process and a key resource for our entire teaching team.

Individual work with Children

• Perform screenings to identify children who are demonstrating developmental delays or social-emotional challenges
• Create a treatment plan with functional, social, and developmental goals, including benchmarks to measure the child’s progress
• Work closely with teachers, parents and the ECC specialist team to develop a holistic understanding of each student and the full range of factors influencing their development
• Perform initial evaluations, as needed, to establish functional performance, assess baseline standardized scores, and make any additional recommendations or referrals
• Ensure and maintain a safe environment for children

Contributing to the School Environment:

• Be a resource to teachers and administration: problem-solve and share intervention strategies
• Model learning activities to classrooms or small groups in collaboration with the teacher
• Recommend modifications to the classroom or to teaching/materials to enhance a child’s participation
• Offer professional development training sessions on typical and atypical child development, the impact of social emotional health on learning and participation, or other topics deemed necessary in consultation with the ECC Director
• Collaborate with speech therapist on shared students

Core Competencies

You demonstrate the following qualities, which are essential for success:

• Relate well to people of all ages and backgrounds, building effective and meaningful relationships
• Are self-motivated and proactive, willing to take initiative
• Must possess good critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Must display patience, flexibility and tolerance when working with children
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, able to multi-task and keep track of multiple workflows
• Must be flexible in receiving assignments or adapting to changes in the program
• Maintain a positive attitude in a high-expectation culture
• Must exhibit high levels of patience and tolerance when working with children
• Must have a warm, supportive attitude towards children and their families
• Must have strong written and oral communication skills that are clear and thoughtful

Education and Experience

• MA in Occupational Therapy
• 3-5 years of post-qualification experience working with children in a school setting
• Experience with parenting programs or families with young children preferred

Physical Requirements

Must be able to perform the activities of a play-based occupational therapist:

• Standing for extended periods of time
• Bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling
• Sitting on the floor with children

Temple Rodef Shalom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all employees. The Temple does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.