CLINICAL SUPERVISOR, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

FULL TIME / 40 HOURS/ DAYS/ BWH BOSTON, MA

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Rehabilitation Services, The Clinical Supervisor of Occupational Therapy will be responsible for the day-to-day clinical operations of the Occupational Therapy Service for the in-patient service and clinical content and resource allocation oversight of ambulatory occupational services across the BWH rehab ambulatory clinics. In addition to providing occupational therapy evaluations and interventions that are consistent with accepted Standards of Practice of the profession to appropriately referred patients, the Supervisor is responsible for providing clinical leadership and direction for the occupational therapy service. This includes but is not limited to, supervision of staff, education, development of practice standards, quality improvement activities, competency assurance, regulatory compliance, and program development. The position reports to the Executive Director of Rehabilitation Services.

Clinical Occupational Therapy Areas to oversee:

• Inpatient Acute Care
• Outpatient Ambulatory Care
• Dana Farber Inpatient Hospital within BWH

Inpatient Rehabilitation Services at Brigham and Women's Hospital provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and swallow services, and orthopedic technology services to patients on a consult basis to those on our inpatient floors, ICUs, and the Emergency Department. Brigham and Women's Hospital is a nationally ranked academic medical center located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Ambulatory Rehabilitation Services provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and swallow services across 4 ambulatory clinics for primarily adult based care at 70 Francis Street in Boston, MA, 850 Boylston Street in Chestnut Hill, MA, 1285 Beacon Street, Brookline, and 20 Patriots Place in Foxboro, MA. In addition, occupational therapists are actively seeing patients in the BWH Child Development Clinic at 221 Longwood Ave in Boston, MA.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Professional knowledge and skill:

1. Maintains clinical competence in area of clinical interest and/or expertise.
2. Acts as a clinical resource to the department, physicians, the community, and other health care professionals.
3. Participates in the development, implementation, and oversight of the department's competency assurance activities. Provides oversight and supervision of the training and competency assurance of subordinate staff.
4. Provides occupational therapy care in accordance with State Licensure Statute and Regulations, Professional Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, applicable federal, state, and regulatory agencies' standards and regulations, hospital and departmental policies and procedures.
5. Participates on clinical care, standards of practice and other such departmental and hospital committees as assigned.
6. Develops and/or participates in clinical research, and/or similar clinical projects.

Personal and departmental professional development:

1. Participates in clinical/professional special interest groups and/or similar activities, particularly in area of clinical expertise and/or professional interest.
2. Participates in departmental and interdepartmental Quality Improvement activities.
3. Develops, implements, and evaluates designated departmental clinical programs, and services with focus on effective, cost efficient accessible high quality patient care.
4. Mentors, coaches, and supports staffs' personal professional development and growth.
5. Is recognized as a professional role model.

Education and teaching:

1. Identifies educational and training needs of the department/service, delivers and/or ensures that educational and training opportunities are provided for the department/service. Mentors, coaches, and supports the participation of subordinate staff in educational/training activities.
2. Provides educational/training lectures, workshops like the department/service and/or to other hospital departments/services and/or the community.
3. Oversees and ensures new staff are oriented to the department, and to the assigned service.

Work habits and personal characteristics:

1. Completes assigned tasks, responsibilities, projects, and reports in a timely, thorough, accurate and effective manner.
2. Presents written and oral information in an organized and effective manner. Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills.
3. Establishes effective, collegial, and constructive departmental and interdepartmental relationships and liaisons that ensure effective interdepartmental cooperation.

Operational Responsibilities:

1. Identifies and anticipates opportunities to improve the department's/service's operational processes and support systems. Develops and implements improvements to operational processes and systems to enhance service efficiency. Anticipates, plans for, and avoids operational problems. Ensures that operations and support are consistent with applicable regulatory agency(s) and practice standards, and the Hospital and Departmental mission.
2. Ensures that the environment is conducive to positive customer-services relationships. Manages patient and/or service complaints in a timely and effective manner.
3. Supervises assigned staff, manages staff schedules to ensure that departmental/service demands are met in a timely and cost-efficient manner, evaluates staffs' performance in a supportive, constructive, and timely manner, identifies areas for performance improvement and mentors/coaches' staff to maximize their performance potential.
4. Collaborates with the Executive Director regarding personnel hiring, promotion, termination, and disciplinary matters.
5. Ensures that the environment and equipment are used and maintained in a safe, clean, and operational manner.
6. Participates in budget planning/management and identifies opportunities for cost efficiencies and operational improvement. Ensures that charges are done in a timely, accurate and compliant manner.
7. In the absence of the Executive Director and/or other supervisor(s), assumes their duties and responsibilities.
8. Performs other responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Must have graduated with a bachelor's degree (master's degree preferred) in Occupational Therapy from an accredited program and have an unrestricted license to practice Occupational Therapy from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
2. Must have a minimum of five (5) years clinical experience in physical disabilities, preferably in an acute care environment.
3. Some supervisory experience is preferred.
4. Must possess interpersonal and leadership skills necessary to work effectively and collaboratively in a complex medical environment.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

1. Must possess communication and interpersonal skills sufficient for effective leadership, mentoring and training of assigned personnel and working relationships within the department and the service (up to 90% of the time).
2. Must have strong problem-solving and decision-making skills sufficient to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Occupational Therapy Service.
3. Must possess analytical abilities and sound knowledge in Occupational Therapy to act as an education, clinical resource, and leader to the service to oversee the development and implementation of programs, policies, procedures, and for the orientation and education of new staff therapists (up to 90% of the time).
4. Work requires up to three months orientation to acquire necessary familiarity with the Department and Hospital policies and procedures, and to the standards of care and procedures unique to the Occupational Therapy Service.
5. Must possess effective communication skills (written and verbal) to interact with patients (up to 90% of work time), rehabilitation and medical team, and patients' families.
6. Work requires prolonged walking and standing (up to 90% of the time), lifting, transferring, and positioning of patients and equipment (up to 50% of work time), and the transportation of patients (up to 10% of the time).
7. Work with critically ill patients (up to 70% of work time) produces a high level of stress and mental fatigue.
8. Must be able to work with newborns (up to 10% of the time) to the oldest old (up to 20% of the time). Most patient care (70%) is the 18 to 65-year-old range.
9. The individual in this position must demonstrate appropriate knowledge of the principles of growth and development, which would include neonates to the oldest old. In addition, the therapist must have demonstrated competency in assessment and treatment relative to the age-specific needs for the patient population for which they provide therapy, and as described in the department's practice standards.
10. The individual must be computer literate including word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database software skills.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

1. Works in the hospital environment where there is some exposure to blood/body fluids/hazardous materials, communicable diseases (up to 25% of work time) and unpleasant odors (up to 25% of work time).
2. Work requires physical effort for lifting, transferring, and positioning of patients and/or equipment (up to 50% of work) which may result in musculoskeletal strain or injury, with improper body mechanics.
3. Work requires use of sharp and/or electrical equipment (up to 20 %), which could result in cuts or burns with improper use.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Clinical Supervisor of Occupational Therapy is directly responsible for the Occupational Therapists on both the in-patient service and ambulatory services.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Operational oversight includes attention to cost to ensure the service operates in a cost-effective manner. Collaborates with the Executive Director regarding equipment needs and other operational necessities.

HOSPITAL WIDE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Works within legal, regulatory, accreditation and ethical practice standards relevant to the position and as established by BWH/MGB; follows safe practices required for the position; complies with appropriate BWH and MGB policies and procedures; fulfills any training required by BWH and/or MGB, as appropriate; brings potential matters of non-compliance to the attention of the supervisor or other appropriate hospital staff.

Brigham and Women's Hospital is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.