Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)

Education, Experience and Licensing

• Licensed and in good standing as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NM Board)
• Certification/degree from an ACOTE 
• accredited program
• New Mexico Public Education Department License (NM PED License)
• School-based experience is preferred, but not required
• Working knowledge of Federal and State laws governing Special Education and adherence to those laws.
• Prior knowledge or be willing to develop knowledge of the requirements set forth in Technical Evaluation and Assessment Manual (NM TEAM 2017) and the NM TEAM Dyslexia Manual

Duties/Responsibilities:

The COTA therapist at LSG is required (but not limited to) the following: 

1. COTA is compliant with Public Education Department requirements, Human Services, Medical Assistance Division (MAD) New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) rules, and other funding source requirements.  
2. Provide services to assigned caseloads. 
   1. Collaborates with supervising OT to determine best practice and approach for clients/students.
   2. Assists Occupational Therapist with assessing students’ fine motor, and development skills (e.g. oral motor, sensory integration, motor planning, developmental function, activities of daily living, fine motor function postural tone, etc.) for the purpose of determining their deficits and developing recommendations.
   3. Prepares written materials (e.g. activity logs, progress notes, reports, memos, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, and/or conveying information at client’s meetings.
   4. Plans, implements and monitors activities that allow students to access and benefit from their specialized instruction. The focus of these services includes, but is not limited to: academic performance, fine and gross motor functioning, positioning, daily living skills, play/leisure skills, work skills, and sensory-motor activities.  
   5. Adapt, fabricate and maintain specialized equipment required for therapy services or student needs and investigate and recommend types of equipment available to meet student needs.
   6. Provides training to special education paraprofessionals, and others as appropriate, in carrying out day-to-day activities designed to enhance the student’s physical, motor and sensory functioning.
   7. Documents screenings, evaluations, therapy plans, progress reports, classroom/home programs and other data, as required.