Unique Opportunity to Make a Broad-Scale Impact on Children’s Education through Physical Therapy!
Part-time position; open immediately
Cajal Academy is looking for a licensed physical therapist with pediatric experience, a passion for empowering kids and a desire to join a team that is developing exciting new approaches that expand our understanding of what’s possible for kids. Our small school for intellectually-gifted kids sits at the heart of a research organization dedicated to developing new, neuroscience-based educational approaches.
We have made a break-through for the field of education, with a research-backed approach that is proving effective at reducing or even removing learning differences. This exciting approach connects the dots between children’s physical and neurocognitive development, with physical therapy treatments and understandings at the heart of an effective and neuroscience-based approach to propelling academic and social-emotional growth.
This is a unique opportunity to take a leadership role within an innovative educational model that brings OT and PT learnings into the classroom, and puts it at the core of student growth, without the constraints on practice that are common in most school environments. You will participate in all aspects of assessment, planning and treatment for kids who have high intellectual gifts and a range of motor and musculoskeletal challenges and abilities.
About our School:
Cajal Academy was co-founded by an occupational therapist and a social entrepreneur who is mom to two very bright but neurophysiologically complicated children and with direction from a recognized neuropsychologist. Together, we developed a novel approach that moves beyond accommodation to actually reduce children’s disabilities, by leveraging the connections between children’s neurophysiology and their learning and social-emotional experiences. PT and OT therapies are integrated into academic lessons, and students learn how to understand and leverage the connections between their neurophysiology and their learning and social-emotional experiences.
Our students have a range of motor planning, learning, social-emotional, neurophysiological and/or chronic medical conditions. This includes first-of-their-kind programs for under-served cohorts of high intellect students, including dyspraxia and heritable connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Cajal Academy is not a "behavior management" or ABA school and does not implement ABA approaches. We do not accept students who are physically aggressive towards staff or peers.
Cajal Academy was granted Candidacy status by NEASC in June, 2023 and will strive to achieve full accreditation over the coming year.
Responsibilities of the Position:
For our new lead physical therapist, this presents a unique opportunity to become fully embedded within our academic programming in a small school environment with a mission-based and highly collaborative team that includes other highly-experienced, licensed therapists. You will be engaged in all aspects of identifying and addressing students’ physical therapy needs and contributing to the team’s understandings of how these needs relate to the child’s broader psychoeducational profiles, from the application process through to supporting academic teachers with designing tailored movement instruction into their lesson plans, using our exclusive Body-Informed Learning techniques. On the job training will be provided in these techniques. These are paired with more traditional PT treatment sessions, in 1:1 or small group settings.
Specific responsibilities of the position will include:
- Providing direct services in 1:1 or small group settings, as well as co-treats or push-in to the classrooms, with differentiation based on the individual needs of each student;
- Collaborating with academic teachers and other members of our therapeutic staff to develop an integrated, multi-disciplinary understanding of each child’s learning, physio and social-emotional needs and implementing the recommendations developed there for individual students’ learning, social-emotional and physio development;
- Participating in weekly, all-staff team meetings at which individual student needs are addressed in-depth;
- Implementing Cajal Academy protocols for student services, and supporting children’s growth by prompting students to utilize personalized self-regulation strategies developed in consultation with other members of the clinical team;
- Assessing enrolled students and admissions candidates using appropriate testing instruments and writing summary reports that reflect the results of standardized tests and observations and contain clear recommendations that are understandable to all involved parties;
- Identifying areas of evolving physio challenges for individual students and raising them to our therapeutic team and in our team meetings;
- Keeping parents and team members informed through written and oral communications, and expanding teacher and parent understanding of each child’s development, through our private online portal;
- Assessing and documenting student progress with respect to identified PT needs, keeping therapy notes for each child documenting student progress, and contributing Drafting narrative-style progress reports assessing students’ mastery of both physical therapy goals and growth mindset competencies, aligned to Cajal Academy inter-disciplinary competency-based grading standards;
- Complying with all state regulations concerning renewal of certifications and licenses.
Requirements:
We are looking for a creative problem solver with strong analytical skills who is intellectually curious and passionate about the potential to empower children through physical therapy techniques. The ideal candidate will have neuro-developmental experience will be adept at identifying retained reflexes, dyspraxia and other ways in which physical differences impact student learning and development, although training will also be provided where necessary.
Specific requirements of the position include:
- Master’s or Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy (REQUIRED)
- Active CT Physical Therapist License (REQUIRED)
- Schools experience preferred but not required
- The desire to be a part of a collaborative team with the drive to work together to ensure each child reaches his/her maximum potential.
- Willingness to learn techniques and approaches that you probably were not taught in PT school
- Experience treating individuals having joint hypermobility and/or connective tissue disorders preferred
- Current authorization to work in the United States - Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment
All Cajal Academy team members must be committed to a trauma-informed approach and to collaborating with staff from other academic and therapeutic disciplines. They also must be comfortable reflecting regularly on practice, must seek and respond to feedback, and must demonstrate self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should complete the Employment Application available on the Cajal Academy website, including a resume and 3 references. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Pay: $50.00 - $120.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Professional development assistance
Physical Setting:
Application Question(s):
- Please describe any prior pediatrics experience
License/Certification:
- Physical Therapy License (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
