Occupational Therapists

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that help restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to disabled persons.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

1. Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.

2. Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.

3. Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental and physical capabilities.

4. Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.

5. Complete and maintain necessary records.

6. Train caregivers how to provide for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.

7. Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.

8. Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.

9. Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.

10. Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work and school skills and adjust to handicaps.

11. Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces and computer-aided adaptive equipment.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Education: A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Occupational Therapists. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Occupational Therapists, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$47,100 for entry level workers, and $73,930 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 8,370 Occupational Therapists employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 9,550  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 120 job(s) each year, and a total of 120 job openings each year.

Occupational therapists - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Healthcare: Get Into It! - Healthcare: Get Into It! has been created as a way to explore some of the possibilities of health care careers and give you the opportunity to develop a road map to your future. Health care encompasses many disciplines and information is important. The topics include: Interest Assessment Tool, Career Options,Job Shadowing/Mentoring Programs,Career Planning, Education & Training, and Financial Aid.

Summer Scholars 2007 - Summer Scholars 2007 is a health career exploration opportunity that immerses students in a health care setting for six weeks, introducing them to the daily work tasks and responsibilities of a healthcare provider or allied health professional.

LifeWorks: Career Exploration in Health and Medical Science - LifeWorks Web site is a tool for students to help raise their awareness about the broad range of health and medical science career pathways that are available to them and to help them make career decisions.

Physical and Occupational Therapists - Visit this link for information on this career in the military.

Social and Human Service Assistants - Assist professionals from a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, to provide client services, as well as support for families. May assist clients in identifying available benefits and social and community services and help clients obtain them. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or adult daycare.

Directors, Religious Activities and Education - Direct and coordinate activities of a denominational group to meet religious needs of students. Plan, direct, or coordinate church school programs designed to promote religious education among church membership. May provide counseling and guidance relative to marital, health, financial, and religious problems.

Physical Therapists - Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and decrease or prevent deformity of patients suffering from disease or injury.

Recreational Therapists - Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and arts and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.