Early Intervention Occupational Therapist - Per Diem - Union County

Job Title: Occupational Therapist

Location: Mountainside (MTN)

Department Name: Early Intervention Grant

Req #: 0000271150

Status: Hourly

Shift: Day

Pay Range: $78.36 - $78.36 per hour

Pay Transparency

The above reflects the anticipated hourly wage range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.

The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.

Early Intervention Occupational Therapist – Children's Specialized Hospital, RWJBarnabas Health

At Children's Specialized Hospital, part of RWJBarnabas Health, Early Intervention Occupational Therapists play a vital role in helping infants and toddlers with developmental delays reach their fullest potential during the most critical years of growth. As a member of our Early Intervention team, you will partner with families and interdisciplinary professionals to provide family-centered, evidence-based occupational therapy services in children's natural environments, including homes and community settings. You will empower caregivers through coaching and education, helping them incorporate therapeutic strategies into their everyday routines while supporting each child's participation, independence, and overall development. Joining Children's Specialized Hospital means becoming part of an organization committed to clinical excellence, innovation, and providing therapists with opportunities for professional growth while making a meaningful impact on children and families throughout New Jersey. This position provides home-based care throughout Union County.

A typical day for an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist may include:

• Conducting comprehensive developmental evaluations and ongoing assessments in children's natural environments to identify strengths, developmental needs, and functional outcomes.
• Developing, implementing, and updating Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) in collaboration with families, service coordinators, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Providing evidence-based occupational therapy interventions that support fine motor, adaptive, sensory, self-help, and functional developmental skills.
• Coaching parents and caregivers by modeling therapeutic strategies that can be naturally incorporated into daily routines and family activities.
• Collaborating with speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, developmental interventionists, service coordinators, physicians, and other professionals to promote coordinated, family-centered care.
• Utilizing the New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards to support developmentally appropriate intervention planning and family education.
• Participating in multidisciplinary discussions regarding child progress, transition planning, and discharge recommendations as children prepare for preschool or other community services.
• Completing timely and accurate documentation, including evaluations, session notes, progress reports, IFSP documentation, billing records, and other required clinical documentation in accordance with Children's Specialized Hospital and New Jersey Early Intervention Program requirements.
• Maintaining ongoing communication with families, supervisors, and team members through email, telephone, and other communication platforms.
• Participating in continuing education, mandatory training, staff meetings, conference calls, and professional development opportunities while maintaining clinical competencies.
• Assisting in the education and mentoring of colleagues, students, and interdisciplinary team members regarding Early Intervention philosophy and evidence-based pediatric intervention practices.
• Meeting productivity expectations while delivering exceptional, family-centered care with professionalism, compassion, and clinical excellence.
• Traveling throughout assigned service areas to provide therapy services within homes, childcare centers, and other natural environments.

This role might be for you if

• You are passionate about helping infants and toddlers achieve developmental milestones through meaningful, family-centered occupational therapy.
• You enjoy coaching parents and caregivers and empowering families to support their child's development within everyday routines.
• You thrive working independently in community settings while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team.
• You value building strong relationships with families and supporting them throughout their Early Intervention journey.
• You communicate effectively with caregivers, service coordinators, physicians, educators, and other healthcare professionals.
• You are organized, adaptable, and able to independently manage a flexible community-based caseload.
• You enjoy developing creative, evidence-based intervention strategies that improve children's participation and functional independence.
• You are committed to lifelong learning, professional growth, and providing exceptional pediatric occupational therapy services.
• You value compassion, collaboration, and making a lasting difference during a child's earliest years of development.

To Be Considered:

To be considered for this opportunity, you must meet the following criteria:

• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited Occupational Therapy program.
• Licensure: Current and unrestricted New Jersey Occupational Therapist license issued by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Occupational Therapy Advisory Council. Temporary licensure approved under New Jersey Department of Health Early Intervention personnel standards may be considered. New Jersey Driver's License required.
• Experience: Minimum of two (2) years of pediatric occupational therapy experience working with infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities. Therapists performing developmental evaluations must have at least two (2) years of experience evaluating children from birth through age five.
• Skills: Demonstrated knowledge of infant and toddler development, family-centered coaching practices, developmental evaluation techniques, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, evidence-based pediatric occupational therapy interventions, New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards, clinical documentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and caregiver education.
• Requirements: Valid New Jersey driver's license, reliable personal transportation, and automobile insurance with the ability to travel throughout assigned service areas.
• Schedule: Ability to work a per diem schedule and travel to homes, childcare centers, and other natural environments throughout the assigned territory.