What You'll Do

  • Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
  • Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
  • Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
  • Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
  • Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
  • Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
  • Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
  • Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.
  • Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
  • Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

Essential Skills

Service Orientation 3.75/5
Speaking 3.62/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.62/5
Active Listening 3.5/5
Coordination 3.38/5
Critical Thinking 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Reading Comprehension 3.12/5
Writing 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.0/5
Learning Strategies 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Cooperation, Concern for Others, Dependability, Adaptability/Flexibility, Integrity

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 3.75/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.75/5
Oral Expression 3.5/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.25/5
Speech Recognition 3.25/5
Speech Clarity 3.25/5
Written Comprehension 3.12/5
Written Expression 3.12/5

Technologies & Tools

Billing software Electronic medical record EMR software MEDITECH software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Scheduling software Word processing software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.74/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.56/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.43/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.42/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA) Direct Service Professional (DSP) Direct Support Professional (DSP) Independent Living Specialist Occupational Rehabilitation Aide Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide) Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide) Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide) Rehabilitation Nursing Technician (Rehab Nursing Tech) Rehabilitation Services Aide Rehabilitation Services Technician (Rehab Services Tech) Rehabilitation Therapy Aide (Rehab Therapy Aide) Rehabilitation Therapy Technician (Rehab Therapy Tech) Restorative Aide