The benefits of occupational therapy services for children in the home and school—from assistance with handwriting to increased concentration to motor skills—are gradually becoming more widely recognized, especially in New York City. According to an article by The New York Times, New York City public schools referred nearly 42,000 students to occupational therapists for services over the past four years—a whopping 30% increase from prior years. As a result, there are more pediatric opportunities than ever for occupational therapists, making it a great time for those actively looking in the job market to find work.

In fact, school-based occupational therapists are currently amongst the highest needs Bridge Travel Healthcare, a division of The Execu|Search Group dedicated to staffing travel and local therapists, nurses, and allied health professionals, is currently experiencing. As the primary vendor for the Department of Education, Bridge Travel Healthcare staffs occupational therapists throughout numerous New York City school districts, including all districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn. These professionals help children excel in their studies to ensure they aren’t left behind in a time of increasingly rigorous curriculums and growing numbers of special-needs children.

Of course, providing these services and playing a direct role in the child’s growth and development is rewarding for the therapy professional in and of itself, but there are numerous other benefits to taking on an assignment in a school. Occupational therapists looking for more flexible scheduling, for example, have a world of opportunities through pediatric work and can build their schedules case-by-case. “Each child has their own Independent Education Plan, or IEP, and their own mandates,” says Jason Niad, Managing Director of Bridge Travel Healthcare. “So each case is different, allowing therapists to work with what best fits into their schedule. A therapist could potentially take on just one assignment for a few hours twice per week, or a full 40-hour, 5-day work schedule.”

Cases can range from several months, such as semester-long assignments in which a therapist is covering for another’s leave of absence, to long-term. The Department of Education funds services for students aged 3 through 21, so if a therapist and a patient work particularly well together, that relationship could potentially last several years. Occupational therapists working with school-age children also have the opportunity to treat children in the school, in the home, or a combination of both.

When specifically working through Bridge Travel Healthcare, occupational therapists get exposure to opportunities as they open. As the primary vendor for the DOE, the group gets cases for many New York City-based children first, then passes the cases off to other agencies if the need cannot be filled. “We’re looking to successfully place as many of these assignments as possible,” says Jason. “42,000 children is a great improvement, but there are many more in need of services who aren’t receiving them. We’re working to connect children in need with talented, licensed professionals as quickly as possible, with the goal of cutting down on the number of underserved children in schools in New York City and beyond.”