Early Years Program Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Riverside Community Care

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Occupational Therapist - Early Years Project

The Occupational Therapist will work within Riverside Early Childhood Services for Cambridge and Somerville, which is home to two programs, Early Intervention, and the Early Years Project.

At Riverside Early Childhood Services, we collaborate with the people we serve and with each other as team members' to create relationships, experiences, and environments which promote positive development, amongst team members and the people we serve. We are committed to clinical excellence, collaboration, and the process of continual learning. We meet all people where they are, recognize and nurture strengths, and attend to challenges. As a staff, we value our differences, flexibility, autonomy, and accountability, and show up for one another with kindness, support and direct communication.

As a member of the Early Years Project Team, the Occupational Therapist provides consultations in licensed center-based and family childcare settings. Consultations are typically for individual children, from infancy through preschool. Service frequency depends on the level of need and our overall caseload. When there are safety concerns, services may be intensive and provided daily. We also provide classroom consultations, director and family support, and create resource materials, including handouts and workshops.

We understand behavior is communication, and we use a neuro-relational, brain-body approach for educators, guardians, and children, with the goal of decreasing stress, and increasing regulation, and social emotional learning. Our work is grounded in cultural humility as we develop relationships with teachers and families, and grow in our understanding of their priorities, pedagogy, values, beliefs, strengths, sources of stress, and intervention needs. We engage in a collaborative process of change with caregivers through a blend of generative questions, reflective practice, modeling, and coaching, while offering frameworks and specific suggestions as appropriate.

The Occupational Therapist works alongside EYP Consultants in a collaborative service delivery model which includes observation, functional and other assessments as needed, direct service with the child, support plans, teacher and parent meetings. The OT will maintain an individual caseload and may lead or support group activities. The Occupational Therapist ensures the delivery of high quality, developmentally sound, and progressive services.

Please include a cover letter when submitting your resume.

Schedule: Fee For Service Part Time Hours Available

Pay Range: $62.74/hour to $71.56/hour depending on years of experience

Why You'll Love Riverside

We make a true difference in people’s lives through rewarding work. Most of our jobs come with great benefits – including healthcare, numerous professional development opportunities, and generous time off - all in a respectful and inclusive environment, perhaps why Riverside was named a Boston Globe Top Workplace and a best-in-state employer by Forbes.

Benefits include:

• Comprehensive, high-quality health, dental, and vision insurance options

• Flexible Spending Accounts – both medical and dependent care

• Eleven paid holidays

• Separate accruals for vacation (increases with tenure), personal, and sick time

• Tax-deferred 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match

• Employee Assistance Plan / Travel Assistance Plan

• Employee bonus for referrals resulting in hiring

• Discounts to movie theaters, sporting, and entertainment events

• Employee YMCA discount: 10% off a YMCA monthly membership and 50% off the joiner’s fee

Learn more about our benefits and culture:

Our Benefits (https://www.riversidecc.org/careers/employee-benefits/)

Our Culture

Hear what employees think about working for Riverside! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh5_qJ-SZ7o)

Required Skills

• Fluency in Spanish preferred

• Demonstrated knowledge of child development principles and familiarity with a variety of concepts, practices and procedures in the field

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to establish a rapport and work collaboratively with a diverse group of co-workers, handle multiple tasks, be flexible, and work independently

• Fluency with computers in order to complete required documentation-Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Shared Calendars, download and upload documents

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle for local travel

Required Experience

• Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited recognized educational institution

• Five years' experience working with children six and under, and their caregivers

• Experience working with children with specific sensory needs that need to be supported, dysregulation, and behavioral challenges, including safety concerns and harm to self and/or others

• Previous experience in coaching childcare staff and providing training to parents and staff preferred

• Experience in having difficult conversations with adults including discussions with caregivers regarding their children and providing feedback and suggestions

Riverside Community Care is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and inclusive organization committed to working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from culturally diverse applicants. We provide equal opportunity for all persons seeking employment without regard to race, age, color, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic as established by law.