Occupational Therapist, Skilled Nursing & Post-Acute
Hire an Occupational Therapist who can assess function, document the work, and coordinate safe post-acute transitions.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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What does this hire really come down to?
In skilled nursing and post-acute care, the Occupational Therapist turns daily observations into practical therapy plans. They assess bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, upper-extremity use, cognition, and equipment needs. They also document functional change, contribute to Section GG scoring, and speak with nursing, rehab, residents, and families about discharge plans.
A strong candidate can describe a full workday, not just treatment techniques. Ask how they evaluate a new admission, select functional goals, schedule treatment around resident availability, and revise a plan after a change in status. Their answer should show sound clinical judgment and clear documentation habits.
Your resident mix matters. A therapist from a short-stay rehabilitation setting may be used to frequent admissions, goal changes, and discharge teaching. A therapist from long-term care may bring valuable maintenance and adaptive-equipment experience. Neither background is automatically better. We help you compare it with your therapy model, staffing pattern, and expected caseload.
What do we ask candidates about?
- Confirm active NBCOT OTR certification and current state occupational therapy licensure before interviews move forward. We verify what the candidate holds. You complete your own credentialing and clinical assessment before hire.
- Ask the candidate to explain how they gather Section GG information. Listen for direct observation, collaboration with the care team, scoring support, and timely documentation. Do not rely on someone who only knows the term.
- Review ADL training through a specific example. Ask how they would address dressing, toileting, grooming, or bathing when a resident has pain, weakness, low endurance, or limited carryover. Look for a reasoned progression rather than a stock exercise list.
- Probe upper-extremity rehabilitation experience. Ask about positioning, range of motion, splinting experience where applicable, adaptive devices, and functional use after injury or neurologic change. The candidate should know when to communicate a concern rather than work around it alone.
- Discuss PDPM in practical terms. Ask how their evaluations, treatment documentation, diagnosis information, and functional findings support the facility’s payment process. An Occupational Therapist should understand their documentation role without claiming to make payment decisions.
- Request an example of a difficult discharge or unexpected status change. Ask what the therapist documented, whom they contacted, and how they adjusted education or equipment planning. This reveals whether they communicate early when a plan no longer fits.
We discuss experience and qualifications. Your team assesses clinical ability and completes the credential checks before hiring.
Where do we look, and why would they move?
We recruit permanent Occupational Therapists from skilled nursing facilities, post-acute rehabilitation programs, long-term care settings, hospital rehabilitation units, home health, and outpatient rehabilitation backgrounds. Each pool can produce strong candidates, but their daily work may differ from yours.
Some therapists consider a move because they want steadier schedules, a different resident population, stronger team communication, or room to use more functional ADL training. Others may be relocating or seeking a permanent role after contract work. We ask what is changing and whether your opening addresses that reason.
Which mistakes stall the search?
Do not hire solely on general occupational therapy experience. Ask whether the candidate has evaluated function, documented progress, and planned discharges within skilled nursing or post-acute care.
Do not treat Section GG familiarity as a yes-or-no answer. Ask the candidate to describe their own contribution to scoring and how they resolve conflicting observations.
Do not assume a therapist seeking a permanent role wants every schedule or caseload. Discuss weekend rotation, productivity expectations, documentation timing, resident mix, and who handles discharge coordination.
How does your search work?
Tell us who you need
We ask about the job, your team, the requirements and what you can offer.
We find and contact people
We research suitable backgrounds and speak with candidates about their experience and interest.
You meet the strongest candidates
We explain why we recommend each person and arrange introductions for your interviews.
We help you complete the hire
We help with feedback, the offer, notice and practical questions before the start.
Tell us the job, setting and location. We will discuss your requirements and the terms before a search begins.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
The role and the setting
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What do employers ask us?
Must every candidate hold NBCOT OTR certification and a state license?
For this Occupational Therapist role, we screen for active NBCOT OTR certification and current state licensure. You should also confirm your state rules and complete your own credentialing process before a start date.
How do we tell if someone can work with our resident mix?
Ask for recent examples that resemble your work. A short-stay therapist should explain rapid evaluation, ADL goals, caregiver teaching, and discharge planning. A long-term care therapist may better describe maintenance programs, adaptive equipment, and gradual functional decline.
Should we require Section GG experience?
Section GG experience is useful when it reflects direct participation rather than memorized terminology. Ask how the therapist observes self-care and mobility, collaborates on scoring, and documents findings when resident performance varies.
Can you help if we need temporary coverage instead of a permanent hire?
Permanent/direct-hire recruitment is our core service across clinical, operational and leadership roles. If you need a temporary or other arrangement, describe the need so we can discuss whether we can help. Responsibilities and terms must be confirmed separately for that engagement. Your organization retains clinical assessment and credentialing responsibility. Per diem placement means adding a clinician to your own pool, not filling isolated shifts.
How do your fees and replacement terms work?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What should you send us about this role?
Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.
Tell us about your resident mix, therapy structure, schedule, and discharge workload. We will screen Occupational Therapists against the work your team needs covered.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.