RESOURCES/NEWS

New therapists just out of graduate school have many options for career paths, one of which is working with a contract agency in school systems. But many therapists aren’t aware of what this style of work entails. Unfortunately, there are false impressions about contract work that often dissuade graduates from considering this option. It’s time we educated people about what contract agencies like Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services have to offer.

Here’s a look at popular misconceptions about contract work:

• “I won’t get paid on a regular basis.” As a contract therapist with Cobb Pediatric, you will receive a paycheck every two weeks.

• “If the kids are absent I won’t get paid.” If you report for work when and where you are expected to work, you will be paid the maximum for that day, regardless of student absences. Therapists in schools attend to many other tasks outside of actual therapy sessions. If a student is absent or participating in a school-related activity, you’ll be able to fulfill other requirements of your job.

• “Contract companies do not offer benefits.” Cobb Pediatric offers a full benefits package, including medical/dental insurance, life insurance, short-term disability, liability insurance, and much more. In fact, you can tailor your own package to fit your needs.

• “I won’t get paid over the summer.” Cobb Pediatric offers a 12-month option that allows for you to receive paychecks all year long.

• “I will get the worst caseloads.” Contract agencies fill any and all vacancies counties may have. Counties first place therapists directly and then contract. Your placement truly depends on a county’s vacancy needs, not what the caseload looks like.

Here’s the good news: contracting with an agency to work in schools is actually a great option for graduates. In fact, therapy contract work is a rapidly growing field. If you hear differing opinions, talk to a recruiter to find out the facts before making a final decision about your first job.

The transition from grad school to the workplace is an exciting time. As a new therapist, you look forward to your first job, not to mention your first real paycheck! Amid all the excitement, however, you may experience some trepidation. That’s normal; the beginning of a new career can be intimidating at times.

That’s why a good mentor is vital to your first year as a therapist. Having someone to walk with you can help you build confidence in yourself and in your therapy services.

As you begin your job search, be certain to make inquiries about your CF supervisor or mentor. Keep in mind that effective mentors are:

• Available: They answer your phone calls and emails and meet with you as schedules allow.
• Instructive: They explain new processes and procedures you may not yet know, such as IEP writings, meetings, and district-specific procedures.
• Patient: They allow you to make mistakes so you can learn from them.
• Encouraging: They provide positive feedback and constructive criticism in a healthy manner.

The first time you meet with your new mentor, take time to delineate everyone’s expectations. This is one of the best ways to ensure a smooth CF or first year. You’ll want to discuss:

• Duties and responsibilities you feel comfortable doing independently
• Tasks in which you may need more support
• Communication preferences: in-person meetings, emails, phone calls, or a combination

Open discussion between you and your mentor helps avoid many of the pitfalls associated with false expectations. And regular communication is imperative.

Of course, the number one key to a successful mentor relationship is to remain receptive to feedback and guidance throughout this important year. You’ll gain pertinent insight, learn new ways of tackling tasks, and start strong in your therapy career.

In 2009, working as a pediatric speech language pathologist was rated one of the 50 best jobs in the country by CNN. Why? As you might guess, both pay and job growth are on the way up. More than that, though, being a speech therapist for children is a rewarding career, helping assess, diagnose, treat, and prevent speech, language, cognitive, voice and swallowing disorders. An effective speech language pathologist works one-on-one with children to teach them how to make and form sounds and improve oral and written language skills to communicate at school, at home, and in every facet of life. Read the rest of this entry »

As a speech language pathologist myself, I’m aware of the challenges that come with finding the right pediatric therapy staffing company. When you’re first starting out, there may be a few things you haven’t thought to look for or that you may not even be aware of. Throughout your career, you’ll take mental notes of what you need in an employer and in a pediatric therapy position. After spending 25 years working in and observing this field, I’ve discovered what all speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists – from those just starting out to those well into their careers – should look for – and also what they should avoid.

The Right Fit: The Positives

Working for a pediatric therapy company can offer you a level of protection and a variety of positions to choose from; the company will also be able to evaluate your abilities and place you appropriately. The best therapy staffing companies will be able to offer you the following perks:

A competitive total compensation package: Research several pediatric therapy staffing companies to find out what they are like. Ask about their culture to determine if you will be a good fit. Ask about their total compensation package, pay, and benefits. Compare all facets of the pay and benefits to other settings and other positions to determine if it meets your objectives. Consider asking the following questions: What is the pediatric therapy staffing company’s policy on benefits? When do they start? How much is covered? The list could go on and on – just make sure you have an outline prepared for your next interview that covers applicable questions for your particular situation. Job flexibility: If you’re apt to move to or work in different counties or states, you’ll need a pediatric therapy position that gives you a high level of flexibility, giving you the ability to customize the job as you see fit. You have the option to choose your geographical location, making it easier to switch from school to school in different regions around the country. The second part of job flexibility involves being able to customize the amount of time you want to work, as some speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists are looking for full-time work and others may only be able to work on a part-time basis. The third part of job flexibility is choosing which sector of the population you want to work with. For example, some want a school therapy job with a traditional caseload, some prefer caseloads with children who have more moderate to severe needs, some prefer elementary age children, and others prefer middle or high school age children. The options are numerous. The ability to change and evolve: Life is always changing and so should your job! Talk with the interviewer at the next pediatric therapy staffing company you go to – he or she should be able to talk candidly about the pediatric therapy company’s ability to adapt and grow with all the changes in a person’s life. A graduate fresh out of college is entirely different from a parent ten years down the road; however, the individuals in both scenarios should desire challenges, learning new techniques, and ultimately, fulfillment.

Reality Check: Potential Red Flags

In a drastic attempt to lure you over and then hire you, some pediatric therapy staffing companies use tactics that are either unethical or severely limiting on your career advancement. Here are some signs you’ll want to watch for in your next interview. You should avoid therapy staffing companies who follow any of the practices below:

The therapy staffing company asks you to sign a document giving them the sole right to represent you. In the end, this action will effectively prohibit you from pursuing other employment opportunities. The company encourages you to be categorized as an independent contractor or subcontractor instead of an employee. The company may have a hidden agenda here and may be using this as an excuse to pay less tax to the government. This ploy, covered under the guise of a high hourly pay rate, passes the majority of the tax burden from the therapy staffing company onto you. As a result, you must use that additional pay to cover Social Security and Medicare taxes that the therapy staffing company would have covered had you been classified as an employee. In addition, as an independent contractor, it is questionable whether you are covered under the therapy staffing company’s professional liability, workers compensation, and unemployment insurances. The company attempts to partially compensate you with a tax-free housing allowance when you live and work in the same general area. While such an allowance is normal and legal in travel therapy jobs, tax-free housing allowances for people that live and work in the same general area are typically not allowed by the IRS. This tax-free housing allowance is another ploy by unethical therapy staffing companies to lower their own tax bill, but it is presented as something positive to you. If IRS guidelines are not properly followed and an audit is performed, both you and the company will be held liable for back taxes and potential penalties on the tax-free housing amount. The company advertises that it has Early Intervention work available for school-based therapy jobs during summer months or when school is not in session. Oftentimes, the work is not available in your area and may have already been promised to dozens of other therapists. Many therapy staffing companies may have legitimate opportunities for Early Intervention work during the summer, but it’s important to ask specific questions and not accept generic responses like, “Yes, we do Early Intervention.”

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Chances are, if you’re interviewing with the right pediatric therapy staffing company, one that will provide you with the perfect fit, the employees will gladly welcome your questions. Don’t be afraid to speak up – it’s the only way you’ll be able to tell if that particular pediatric therapy company can offer what you need in a position. At the end of the day, however, your happiness with a position at a pediatric therapy staffing company all depends on your career goals – if you feel the fit is right, accept the offer and begin experiencing the joy of working with children each and every day!

About the Author

June Wilder Whitehead, founder and President of Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services (CPTS), graduated with both bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Georgia. CPTS, which focuses on providing pediatric therapy services to school systems, employs dozens of qualified, professional speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Not wanting to take away from her growing family, June created a company built on balancing a love of being a therapist and that of a mom. Her vision has grown, and Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services can now be found across the Southeast and beyond. June, a speech language pathologist for 25 years, continues to be a practicing therapist. To learn more about CPTS, please visit www.cobbpediatric.com.

Working as a pediatric speech language pathologist, you are responsible for molding and shaping young minds. All of the speech therapy jobs at Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services are intended to help you integrate your pediatric speech language pathology expertise into a cohesive blend of inspiring our youth and helping them grow. The benefits of working in pediatric speech therapy are numerous and perhaps not even quantifiable. On a personal level, many pediatric speech language pathology professionals find speech therapy jobs to be rewarding when they watch a child make progress that had previously seemed impossible or when they see evidence of self-esteem that had previously not been there. With every one-on-one experience, therapists are able to integrate different tactics and mix them with emerging, recently acquired methodologies.

More Benefits of Pediatric Speech Language Pathology

The children that therapists work with are the key ingredient however. Many pediatric therapists will tell you they work for one reason only – to nurture and foster the growth of children. Motivating children to dream and seeing their smiling faces on a daily basis is the thing that many pediatric speech language pathology professionals site as the best part of their jobs. We welcome you to apply to Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services to find the right speech therapy jobs and to experience the joy of working with children. Sharing and passing on your knowledge is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow. To learn more about finding the right job and company fit, please see what to look for in a pediatric therapy staffing company.

Occupational therapy for children is concerned with a child’s ability to participate in desired daily life activities or “occupations.” In the school setting, a pediatric occupational therapist uses his or her unique expertise to help children prepare for and perform important learning and school-related activities and to fulfill their role as students. In this setting, occupational therapists (and occupational therapy assistants, under the supervision of the occupational therapist) support academic and non-academic outcomes, including social skills, math, reading and writing (i.e., literacy), behavior management, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, prevocational/vocational participation, and more, for children and students with disabilities, 3 to 21 years of age. Practitioners are particularly skilled in facilitating student access to curricular and extracurricular activities through supports, designing and planning, and other methods. Additionally, they play a critical role in training parents, other staff members, and caregivers regarding educating students with diverse learning needs.

Skills of a School-Based Pediatric Occupational Therapist

A pediatric occupational therapist has specific knowledge and expertise to appropriately address student needs.

An occupational therapist knows how to:

• observe a student engaging in an activity and provide strategies to facilitate the student’s full participation;
• reduce barriers that limit student participation within the school environment;
• use assistive technology to support student success;
• help identify long-term goals for appropriate post-school outcomes;
• help plan relevant instructional activities for ongoing implementation in the classroom

A pediatric occupational therapist collaborates with the education team to address student needs. He or she works with a variety of people such as:

• students to improve their performance in a variety of learning environments (e.g., playgrounds, classrooms, lunchrooms, bathrooms) and optimize their performance with adaptations/accommodations;
• parents to help them support their children’s learning and participation in school;
• educators and other school support staff to plan and develop activities and environments that include all students;
• paraeducators to support child success and promote safety within the school environment (e.g., physical and behavioral assistance needs) and
• administrators to provide training for students, staff, and parents, as well as to recommend equipment for schools and ways to modify existing buildings and curriculum to allow access for all.

He or she must also possess a unique blend of skills and temperament to be successful in a school setting. Today’s pediatric occupational therapist is imbued with a code of ethics that hold him or her to a high standard in order to ensure the highest quality occupational therapy for children that is possible. Contact Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services to learn more about the perks of occupational therapy for children.

Today’s pediatric therapist must possess a range of qualities and characteristics in order to be successful at what he or she does. The hiring specialists at Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services hone in on these skills to find the best possible matches for our school system customers and therapists, whether they be PTs, OTs, or SLPs.

• First and foremost, a pediatric therapist should be fully knowledgeable in all areas of his or her position, well-versed in the latest pediatric therapy techniques and tools, and have a drive to learn more.
• A pediatric therapist should also possess the following characteristics: motivated, caring, creative, driven, eager, thorough, and positive. Having a therapist with these characteristics translates to a positive learning environment for the children.
• And while the qualities of a successful pediatric therapist cannot be fully summed up, he or she should be a consummate professional. You’ll be interacting with students, teachers, parents, and other staff, so having a tactful, yet polite demeanor is essential.

Blending Pediatric Therapy Techniques with Love

At Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services, we are looking for pediatric therapists who fit these criteria. Because we’ve worked in the industry for over twenty years, we understand your professional needs and work to make sure you find the right fit wherever you go. If you are dedicated to using the latest pediatric therapy techniques and are enthusiastic about helping children reach their goals, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our pediatric therapist positions.

School pediatric therapists provide speech and language therapy to students with disabilities or delays who are enrolled in public and private school systems. Whether you decide to follow a career as an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speech language pathologist, pediatric therapy jobs are a rewarding and lucrative opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life. A speech pathologist employed in a school system often works with one school at a time, and works with a dedicated caseload of students. An SLP in this role may work solely with an elementary school with a 5 day/week caseload of PreK – 5 students. In other cases (depending on the size of the school system and the availability of pediatric therapy jobs) school pediatric therapists might travel between schools, working with a smaller amount of students over a larger number of schools. Whatever your role (occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, or physical therapist), pediatric therapy jobs require planning and preparation on the therapist’s part. A school pediatric therapist develops daily schedules, plans activities to target goals, administers evaluations, and participates in IEP meetings. They work with school administrators and support staff to assist and advance a child’s learning, and work with parents to communicate their child’s progress and provide activities for carry over. This work supports both academic and non-academic outcomes in a child’s life.

The Benefits of Pediatric Therapy Jobs

Pediatric therapy jobs are widely regarded as a growing, and stable career. School pediatric therapists are increasingly in-demand, due to school systems’ ever-growing support for students with disabilities and communication deficits. As previously mentioned, pediatric therapists may have the opportunity to work with children across several schools, or may stay at one school to work with a larger population of students. Pediatric therapy jobs also require professional growth of the therapist by participating in continuing education – a lifelong skill that can be easily transferred between schools and provides for a greater amount of flexibility and job security. School pediatric therapists can often choose the level of caseload they elect to take on: some therapists want a full time position working with children with severe disorders, while others may prefer to work part-time with younger children who exhibit mild or moderate disorders. Finally, pediatric therapy jobs offer school pediatric therapists the opportunity to see a real, measurable development in a child’s life based upon their work. Although careers in pediatric therapy may often require additional education, it is this dedication and drive to make a difference that helps pediatric therapists find satisfaction in the work they do.

For aspiring school pediatric therapists, finding school therapy jobs online can initially seem like a daunting task. School speech therapy jobs, occupational therapy jobs, and physical therapy jobs are frequently available within school systems – but how do you start finding them without spending all of your time and energy on dead-ends? Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services is the Southeast’s premier therapy staffing service for school therapist jobs, and works hard to place dedicated professionals within a school therapy job that is the right fit for both the therapist and the school. However, it is a good idea for therapists to first research the types of jobs available to make sure they understand what is being offered, and see if it sounds like the right fit. There are a number of online resources for job seekers, and these can give therapists an idea of the responsibilities, salaries, and expectations required of school therapy jobs.

Resources for School Speech Therapy Jobs

For therapists looking for a job within a school, speech therapy jobs, occupational therapy jobs, and physical therapy jobs all have dedicated online resources for each discipline. School therapy jobs can often be found by conducting internet searches using the keywords, keyphrases, and geographic preferences for your desired location. It is a good idea to utilize social media like Facebook and LinkedIn to see if you have a connection with someone in the industry, request recommendations or testimonials from former teachers or employers, or network with current employees with experience in school speech therapy jobs, school occupational jobs, and school physical therapy jobs. Therapists should also visit the following official sites which offer members access to valuable information about the industry, and provide updated job banks and salary information.