Outdoor Kids OT is hiring a part-time Nature-Based Occupational Therapist to start in early March 2024

Are you a licensed pediatric occupational therapist who LOVES the outdoors?

At Outdoor Kids OT, nature is our OT “clinic” for kids!

In this position, you’ll work outdoors providing group and individual pediatric OT services in our beautiful Oakland & Berkeley, California parks.

Imagine enjoying fresh air…

moving your body…

Being totally free from strict schedules and productivity quotas...

Having TIME to allow children freedom to play...

AND having a manageable caseload...with PAID TIME for planning and documentation....which you can do at home, on your own schedule!

Sounds great, doesn't it?! Many nature-based pediatric OTs say nature is "magical" in how it facilitates an OT session naturally.

BUT, working outdoors isn’t all sunshine and roses. It can be hard work! So, to apply for this position, you need to be a pediatric OT who:

• Preferably has 3-5 years of experience as a licensed pediatric occupational therapist. Exceptional new grads will be considered.
• Is energetic, positive, and can think on your feet to quickly solve problems.
• Enjoys being outdoors in all kinds of weather. (We don’t cancel services unless there are unsafe outdoor conditions.)
• Ideally, has some experience leading small groups of children.
• Loves thinking creatively and would enjoy planning how to blend nature into therapy activities to address children’s goals.
• Can facilitate children’s development of self-regulation by using a relationship-based, non-punitive approach to behavior.
• Is confident in clearly communicating the value and rationale for your services to parents, caregivers, and other professionals. You need strong clinical reasoning, clear verbal communication, and solid documentation skills for this role because we share notes with parents/caregivers.
• Has a growth mindset and is willing to be honest and admit when you’re wrong and ask questions, viewing failure as an opportunity for growth.
• Has strong organizational systems to manage documentation, timely communication with families and team members, and progress reporting.
• Is unafraid of putting your face and voice on camera to send weekly video updates to parents.
• Has the ability to stay calm amidst chaos (this is the reality of groups sometimes!) :)
• Enjoys mentoring fieldwork students and volunteers (or is truly willing to learn)

In this position, you’ll also be mentored by experts in nature-based pediatric occupational therapy, led by our founder Dr. Laura Park Figueroa, who is a published expert in the field of nature-based occupational therapy. Laura created the ConTiGO (Connection & Transformation in the Great Outdoors) Approach. As an employee at OKOT, you get free access to the ConTiGO online course (a $2,000 value) as part of your onboarding training.

We are hiring a part-time hourly nature-based occupational therapist to start in early March 2024, to lead outdoor small groups on Tues and Thurs afternoons from 3:30-5:00pm in Oakland. This is approximately 8 hours per week with documentation and other duties. Additional hours may be available seeing individual clients, if desired, with potential for increased hours in the fall semester.

Part-time hourly: $50-60/hour. Employees are paid their hourly rate for every minute they work, including documentation, phone calls, etc.

ALL employees receive the following benefits:

• Flexible work schedules
• Worker’s compensation insurance
• Social security and Medicare taxes paid
• State Disability Insurance (Short Term Disability & Paid Family leave)
• CalSavers retirement plan
• Flexibility to work from home to complete paperwork and other tasks outside of direct treatment time.

We will review applications on a rolling basis and reach out to schedule interviews with selected outstanding candidates until our hiring deadline of February 15, 2024. If we find the perfect candidate we will hire before then.