The School District of Philadelphia
Office of Human Resources
440 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Occupational Therapist

Salary

(10-month)	Minimum	Maximum
Bachelor’s degree	$39,914	$59,577
Master’s degree	$41,088	$67,282
Master’s degree +30	$43,658	$73,371
Doctorate	$45,639	$76,304

Summary

Under the general direction of an administrative superior, the Occupational Therapist serves school age children and young adults who require Occupational Therapy programs in order to benefit from special education.  Students who are served may have congenital impairments or may have been disabled by disease or injury.  Therapy is provided in regular classes, special classes or centers, private facilities, or in the residences of homebound students.

The Therapist implements therapeutic prescriptions issued by a physician; evaluates and tests identified students; develops therapeutic goals and objectives which support individual educational programs; facilitates (directly or by consultation with teachers, parents, and support personnel) appropriate therapeutic intervention; collects data and compiles reports to assess student goal attainment; recommends adaptive equipment and trains staff in the classroom use of equipment; and generally acts as a resource person;  and performs related duties as required.

Position Requirements

Examination Entrance Requirements
Each applicant must:

1. present a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.                                                         And 2. present a valid license to practice Occupational Therapy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Hiring Requirement

All Candidates must present, at the time of hiring, A Valid Pennsylvania Criminal Record Check, a completed Pennsylvania Child Abuse Check, FBI Clearance, an approved physical examination, and your original Pennyslvania Occupational Therapy License.  Please refer to our website address for the link to FBI Clearance www.pa.cogentid.com

These documents are valid for one year after the date of issuance. 

Candidates failing to present these documents will not be appointed.

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance in filling out the application should contact the above office.  

Scope of The Examination

Part I:  Written Examination                                                                                                                              Weight:  40%

The written portion of the examination will consist of an essay question designed to measure the candidate's knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, materials and/or techniques used in occupational therapy.                                                    Minimum required score:  70.00.

Part II:  Oral Examination

Weight:  60%

The oral portion of the examination will consist of a series of questions designed to measure the candidate's ability to select, adapt, and apply appropriate materials and methods for therapeutic treatment; to instruct others in dealing with disabilities; to understand and apply standards and regulations; to prepare and maintain records and reports; and to establish effective working relationships with students, parents, school personnel, and community agencies.  Minimum required score:  70.00. 

In the event this position is reannounced or put on continuous filing, candidates who wish to retake the examination may file a new application. However, they will not be allowed to retake the examination until at least 90 days after the date on which they took or had a review of the examination. (We will use the latest date in calculating the 90 days.) 

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance in filling out the application should contact the above office.  

Veterans Preference

The Veterans Preference Act, 51 P.S. § 7101 et seq. provides persons who meet the definition of "soldier" under the Act to preference in hiring.  Pursuant to the Act, five points will be added to the passing scores of qualified candidates.  In order to qualify under the definition of "soldier," the individual must have been honorably discharged and either:

1.  have served in any capacity in the armed forces of the United States since July 27, 1953; or

2.  have served during a war or armed conflict prior to July 27, 1953; or

3.  be the widow or widower of a "soldier"; or

4.  be the spouse of a disabled "soldier."

Candidates who wish to assert Veterans’ Preference should attach a copy of their DD214 or their spouse’s DD214 and supporting documents to their application.  Candidates asserting Veterans Preference must present their original DD214 at the time of hiring.  Failure to do so will result in being denied Veterans Preference.  Persons asserting the preference will still be subject to all other conditions of School District employment.

Eligible List and Appointment

The names of those candidates who receive a final score of 70.00 or better in the examination will be placed on an eligible list for the position in score order.  These names will be merged into any existing or subsequent eligible list for the position in score order.  Candidates will be hired for position vacancies in score order from names on the eligible list at the time of hiring.

If a certificate is required for this position, all candidates must present the original of the required certificate at the time of hiring.  Failure to present any required documents will result in the candidate being passed over for hiring. 

If the hiring of a bilingual candidate best meets the needs of a school or work location, the School District of Philadelphia reserves the right to hire the first such candidate whose name appears on the eligible list established as a result of this examination.  Current School District of Philadelphia needs for bilingual appointments include applicants who speak fluent English and fluent Spanish, Khmer, Vietnamese, Chinese, or Russian.   The hiring of all bilingual candidates will be preceded by the satisfactory completion of a proficiency examination in the qualifying foreign languages.

Application Procedure

Qualified applicants should email a current resume and cover letter detailing the extent to which they meet the above criteria to:

Office of Human Resources—Girna Mendez-Adkins gmendezadkins@philasd.org

If you are invited in for an interview, be prepared to submit the application included below.  You must attach a copy of your degree to your application as well as a copy of the required license to your application.

Please view - Condition of Employment for the School District of Philadelphia.  Download Application

 

Application Deadline

Continuous