Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
Atlanta, GA | Full-Time | Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and Long-Term Care (LTC)
Position Summary
Our Nursing and Rehab Center is seeking a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) to join our therapy department in Atlanta, Georgia. You will work under the direction and supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist, carrying out established plans of care for a mixed short-term rehab and long-term care population in our nursing home. Our residents come to us after strokes, hip and knee replacements, cardiac and pulmonary events, falls and fractures, and with progressive conditions such as Parkinson's disease and dementia. The work is hands-on activities of daily living (ADLs) retraining, upper extremity strengthening and fine motor work, adaptive equipment and durable medical equipment (DME) training, splinting and contracture management, and cognitive and perceptual retraining.
This is a busy building, and we are honest about that. Caseloads are full, documentation is due the day the treatment happens, and you will spend most of your shift on your feet moving between resident rooms, the therapy gym, and the dining room. In return, you get a licensed OT on-site rather than by phone, a stocked gym with adaptive equipment and seating and positioning supplies, a scheduling approach that keeps you with the same residents through their stay so you actually see progress, and a supervising therapist who expects to mentor you rather than hand you a list. New graduates are genuinely welcome here.
Key Responsibilities
· Deliver skilled occupational therapy treatment as delegated by the supervising Occupational Therapist, following the established plan of care and the Georgia Occupational Therapy Practice Act scope of practice.
· Retrain residents in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs — dressing, bathing, grooming, toileting, and self-feeding — using graded activity and adaptive technique.
· Train residents and caregivers in adaptive equipment and durable medical equipment (DME), including reachers, sock aids, built-up utensils, tub benches, and transfer equipment.
· Carry out upper extremity strengthening, fine motor and hand function activities, and range of motion (ROM) programs, including contracture management, positioning, and orthotic and splint wear schedules.
· Provide cognitive and perceptual retraining, dementia-capable care approaches, and functional maintenance programs for long-term care residents.
· Teach energy conservation and work simplification to residents with cardiopulmonary limitations, and support restorative dining and self-feeding programs.
· Complete wheelchair seating and positioning assessments in collaboration with the OT, and issue home safety and discharge recommendations with caregiver training.
· Document daily treatment, minutes, and progress in the electronic medical record the day care is provided, meeting PDPM, Medicare Part A and Part B, and managed care requirements.
· Participate in interdisciplinary care plan meetings, weekly rehab rounds, and falls and restorative program reviews with nursing, dietary, and social services.
· Follow infection control, hand hygiene, and personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols, and report changes in resident status or safety concerns immediately.
· Prioritize quality of treatment over volume of minutes — we would rather you treat well than bill high.
Required Qualifications
· Graduate of an occupational therapy assistant program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
· Certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
· Current license, or documented licensure eligibility, from the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy.
· Working knowledge of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Practice Act and the COTA scope of practice under OT supervision.
· Current BLS or CPR certification.
· Competence in electronic medical record documentation and point-of-service charting.
· Ability to safely perform transfers and use mechanical lifts, including Hoyer and sit-to-stand lifts, gait belts, wheelchairs, and assistive devices.
· Successful completion of a criminal background check, fingerprinting, drug screen, TB test, and required immunizations prior to start, as mandated for long-term care employment in Georgia.
Preferred Qualifications
· Prior experience as a certified occupational therapy assistant (also searched as occupational therapist assistant or occupational therapy aide) in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), long-term care (LTC), or subacute rehab setting.
· Familiarity with PDPM, Medicare Part A and Part B billing, and therapy minutes documentation in long-term care.
· Advanced credentials such as Certified Dementia Practitioner, physical agent modalities certification, wheelchair seating and positioning training, LSVT BIG, low vision rehabilitation, or hand therapy coursework.
· Experience with PointClickCare, Casamba, or Net Health.
· Bilingual (Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, or Amharic especially useful in our resident population).
Schedule and Location
This is a full-time, 40 hour per week position on site at our Rehab Center in Atlanta, GA. The therapy department operates between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and your day shift start time is set with your supervising therapist. There are no overnight shifts. Weekend coverage rotates across the department at approximately one weekend per month, with a weekend differential paid for those shifts, and holiday coverage is shared equitably across the team.
Compensation and Benefits
Base pay is up to $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience and credentials, plus a weekend differential for rotating weekend shifts. A $5,000 sign-on bonus is available for this role.
· $5,000 sign-on bonus
· Medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple plan tiers
· Paid time off, paid holidays, and separate sick leave
· 401(k) with employer match
· Employer-paid life insurance and short-term disability, with voluntary buy-up options
· Paid continuing education allowance and in-house CEU programming
· BLS/CPR certification paid by the facility
· Employee assistance program and free on-site parking
Physical Requirements
· Standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and reaching for the majority of an eight to nine hour shift.
· Lifting and supporting up to 50 pounds independently, and assisting with heavier resident transfers using a mechanical Hoyer or sit-to-stand lift and a second staff member.
· Manual dexterity and hand strength sufficient for splint fabrication, fastener and utensil training, and fine motor activity setup.
· Vision and hearing acuity adequate to monitor resident safety, read chart entries and orders, and respond to alarms and call lights.
· Tolerance for extended PPE wear, including gown, gloves, mask, and eye protection, during isolation precautions.
How to Apply
Submit your resume via indeed. The process is a phone screen with the rehab director, then an on-site interview that includes a walk through the therapy gym and time with the supervising Occupational Therapist. New grad COTAs are encouraged to apply — tell us where you completed your Level II fieldwork.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Parkside at Budd Terrace is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring, promotion, compensation, or any other term or condition of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the application and interview process and in the performance of essential job functions; to request an accommodation, contact the facility's human resources office.
Pay: Up to $85,000.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
