Occupational Therapist

The Road Accident Fund’s mission is to provide appropriate cover to all road users within the borders of South Africa; to rehabilitate and compensate persons injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents in a timely and caring manner; and to actively promote safe use of our roads.

Purpose of the Job: Reporting to the Manager: Treatment and Protocols, the successful incumbent is accountable for the implementation of occupational therapy programs or undertaking of specified client care activities in line with the scope of practice for occupational therapist..

Key Performance Areas

Review. Align and Update Existing OT related Tariffs including In-Built Rules Applicable to OT Profession

• Review and identify gaps in the existing OT tariffs.
• Align the updated tariff to the developed evidence-based treatment protocols.
• Develop in-built rules and align them with the updated tariff.

Define and Develop Evidence Based Treatment Protocols in Respect of the Categories Injuries

• Define Treatment protocol framework comprising of clinical policies, processes and guidelines.
• Ensure that associated treatment protocols are identified for each case.
• Develop associated treatment plan templates which accommodates the following codes: ICD10 codes, CPT codes and NAPPI codes (cross walks).
• Organise for review of the protocols, guidelines and tariffs by relevant specialist in the field
• Ensure that treatment protocols are designed to assist patients to get back to their maximum potential in both work and sport, including adaptation to permanent disabilities.
• Develop processes for implementation for assessing clinical functions to:

• Conduct assessments to measure physical and functional abilities.
• Plan and directs specific therapeutic/rehabilitative programs.
• Select and designs a variety of activities that assist an affected movement or function.
• Assist patients to gain or regain skills in social, leisure and work environments through graded individual and group therapy and activity programs.
• Monitor the progress of patients and adjust treatment programme where required.

Draft Clinical Guidelines and Processes

• Draft concrete and specific guidelines to assist the medical/ rehabilitation staff on what type of care that should be provided.
• Visit work employees work places and homes to plan rehabilitation and re-intergration.
• Work as a member of a holistic rehabilitation team.
• Devise procedures and standards for treatment and exercise programs.
• Provide guidelines for need for appropriate orthopaedic assistive devices.
• Research, benchmark best practice for vocational rehabilitation.
• Draft guidelines for vocational rehabilitation and return to work.

Policy Review and Implementation

• Contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policy, procedures and processes.
• Keep up to date with effective policy and practice execution strategies.

Stakeholder Management

• Consult with relevant stakeholders (Professional Bodies) on a regular basis to keep up with industry updates, eg. OTASA
• Ensure stakeholder awareness and buy-in on the new protocols being developed.
• Develop reports/ procedures and guide the process through the alignment of the documents to the overall RAF’s Strategy.
• Develop functional reporting systems, for management, projects or performance reporting.
• Prepare proposals, briefings, presentations, reports, and other documentation and provide management information both verbally and in report format.

Reporting

• Collect patient statistics to inform future decisions
• Compile monthly reports
• Develop & implement health education programs for claimants and relevant stakeholders
• Ensure processes are in place to have accurate and timeous patient data and information.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree/ Advanced Diploma in Occupational Therapy related qualification.
• Valid registration with the HPCSA as an Occupational Therapist.
• A qualification in evidence-based medicine and/or treatment protocol development will be advantageous.
• Relevant 5 - 7 years’ experience in the field of Occupational Therapy.
• Experience in Vocational Rehabilitation and Return to work guidelines.
• Experience in defining and developing evidence-based treatment protocols of Occupational Therapy-related treatment protocols
• With experience working with ICD 10 codes, CPT codes, NAPPI codes Experience in Functional Capacity Evaluation and associated reports and tariffs applicable.
• Experience in Vocational Rehabilitation, Community or Home-based Occupational Therapy, with a good understanding of issues of access, affordable and reasonable Home Modifications necessary for people living with disabilities.

Technical and Behavioral Competencies Required

• Resilience.
• Network and alliance.
• Employee engagement.
• Ethics and values.
• Change management.
• Critical and innovative thinking
• Policy conceptualisation and formulation.
• Risk Management.
• Stakeholder development and relations.
• Reporting.
• Computer literacy.
• Display a basic understanding of evidence-based medicine (rehabilitation)
• Knowledge of standards within the health industry
• Knowledge and understanding of systems and process requirements for efficient medical claims processing that are used in the medical aid or other funding industries
• Knowledge and understanding of rehabilitation principles
• Knowledge of the legislation governing RAF, policies and procedures
• Knowledge and understanding of the RABS Bill and its benefits
• Knowledge of Medical Disability Guidelines applicable to trauma and MVA related conditions.
• Knowledge of Medical Billing, Tariffs and Coding applicable to Occupational Therapy intervention and rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of modalities of treatment for musculo-skeletal, neurological and other conditions associated with trauma or motor vehicle accidents.
• Knowledge of the National Health Act, RAF Act, and other health related legislation such as the Medical Scheme’s Act, etc.
• Knowledge of general rules governing the tariffs for occupational therapy.
• Knowledge of modifiers applicable to Occupational Therapy tariffs
• Knowledge of evaluation procedures, measurements, assistive devices, treatment or rehabilitation procedures or therapy applicable to Occupational Therapy profession.

NB: “RAF offers Total Employment Cost packages with no additional contributions from the Employer, successful candidates are required to structure their packages in a manner that will suit their needs”.

The Road Accident Fund subscribes to the principles of employment equity and preference will be given to People with Disabilities.

Applicants who have not received any correspondence from us within six weeks from the closing date can consider themselves unsuccessful

Security Vetting shall be conducted on all prospective employees

It is the applicants’ responsibility to have foreign qualification evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and to provide proof of such evaluation.