Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist

Saint Louis Crisis Nursery
Full-Time | Exempt

About Saint Louis Crisis Nursery

Saint Louis Crisis Nursery provides short-term, emergency care for children whose families are experiencing crisis. Our mission is to keep children safe, strengthen families, and prevent child abuse and neglect. We serve children and families with compassion, respect, and a strength-based approach.

Position Summary

The Occupational Therapist (OT) is responsible for providing therapeutic services to children residing at Saint Louis Crisis Nursery locations. This role supports children’s sensory, emotional, and developmental needs while collaborating closely with Nursery staff to create a nurturing, trauma-informed environment. The Occupational Therapist also contributes to staff training, program development, and accurate documentation for funded programs.

This position reports to the Senior Therapy Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Primary Duties

• Provide clinical assessments and occupational therapy services to approximately 90 children per month across all five Nursery locations or assigned regions.
• Maintain thorough, timely, and accurate documentation for all case files.
• Observe children’s behaviors and offer practical, therapeutically informed recommendations to Nursery staff.
• Provide therapeutic training to staff and practicum students.
• Assess children for additional therapy needs and make referrals as appropriate.
• Communicate concerns and progress to Intake Staff, FEP staff, and the Senior Therapy Manager.
• Develop and deliver oral presentations to families and community groups.
• Develop therapeutic programming for Family Empowerment Program (FEP) groups.
• Maintain regular communication with the Senior Therapy Manager regarding progress and concerns.

Additional Duties

• Provide task instruction and field mentoring to Occupational Therapy students (as assigned).
• Assist staff with treatment plan development as needed.
• Support FEP events as assigned.
• Organize and maintain therapeutic supplies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Licensure

• Master's of Occupational Therapy
• Current Occupational Therapy license and registration (required)

Experience

• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Minimum of two (2) years of verified experience working with children and families

Background & Reference Requirements

• Acceptable results from background record checks
• Child care position reference checks
• Employment reference checks
• Three non-relative character references

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge

• Occupational therapy principles and practices
• Crisis intervention and trauma-informed care
• Indicators of child abuse and neglect
• Assessment and treatment planning
• Strength-based and creative therapeutic interventions
• Sensory integration and environmental supports for children

Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Active listening and rapport-building abilities
• Group facilitation and presentation skills
• Problem-solving and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams
• Organizational and time-management skills

Abilities

• Support therapeutic growth and development of children in crisis
• Provide calm, non-judgmental, and sensitive care to children and families
• Use computer software, including Microsoft Office 365 and database systems
• Deliver presentations to small groups
• Adapt to changing environments and program needs

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person