The Occupational Therapy Assistant provides hands-on occupational therapy treatment under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist, focusing on supporting patients with self-care, mobility, and activities of daily living. Responsibilities also include implementing care plans, documenting progress accurately, and communicating effectively with the healthcare team to meet patient outcomes.
Requirements summary
Candidates must possess an active Tennessee Occupational Therapy Assistant license and are preferred to have experience in home health, acute care, or rehabilitation settings. Strong skills in communication, organization, time management, and a commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care are essential.
associate degreeCommunicationDocumentationPatient CarePatient EducationPatient SafetyInterdisciplinary Team CollaborationEvidence-Based InterventionsMobilityHome HealthRehabilitationOccupational TherapyCare Plan ImplementationActivities of Daily LivingSelf-CareTreatment ImplementationFunctional Recovery
Job description
Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
Organization
VHCS
Clinical -
Therapy
Job
Summary: Provides services to patients who have impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function and health status resulting from injury, disease or other causes under the direction of an Occupational Therapist. Actively collaborates with the health care/educational team to meet patient care, outcomes and system improvement objectives. . COTA (Occupational Therapy Assistant) – Home Health Nashville, TN | Rutherford County | Middle Tennessee Vanderbilt Home Health Full-Time | 32 Hours per Week | Weekdays Only Occupational Therapy Assistant – Home Health (COTA) Vanderbilt Home Care Services is hiring a full-time Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) to provide home health occupational therapy services to patients across Nashville, Rutherford County, and the greater Middle Tennessee area. This weekday role offers one-on-one patient care in the home setting and the opportunity to work within Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a nationally respected academic medical center. This position offers strong interdisciplinary support, predictable weekday scheduling, and the stability of working within one of the nation’s leading academic health systems. Why Join Vanderbilt Home Health?
Part of Vanderbilt Health
Supportive, interdisciplinary home health care team
Full-time weekday schedule with no weekends and no holidays
Competitive hourly pay (not pay-per-visit)
Mileage reimbursement
Benefits available Day One
Professional development and access to Vanderbilt training and education resources
Benefits
Mileage reimbursement
Competitive compensation
Career development
Benefits available Day One
Access to Vanderbilt training and education resources
Long-term career growth within a nationally recognized health system Occupational Therapy Assistant – Home Health Job Details
Position: Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
Schedule: Monday–Friday
Hours: Full-time, 32 hours per week
Setting: Home Health
Care
Model: One-on-one patient care in the community
Service
Area: Nashville, Rutherford County, and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities Home Health Occupational Therapy Assistant Responsibilities
Provide hands-on occupational therapy services in patients’ homes under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist
Support patients with self-care, mobility, and activities of daily living
Implement individualized care plans and document patient progress accurately and timely
Communicate effectively with Occupational Therapists, nurses, and the interdisciplinary care team
Promote patient safety, functional recovery, and independence in the home environment
Deliver compassionate, patient-centered care tailored to each patient’s goals Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) Qualifications
Active Tennessee Occupational Therapy Assistant license
Home health, acute care, or rehabilitation experience preferred
Strong communication, organization, and time-management skills
Ability to work independently while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team
Commitment to patient-centered, compassionate care
Benefits
Competitive compensation
Mileage reimbursement
Benefits available Day One
Career development and continuing education opportunities through Vanderbilt About Vanderbilt Home Care Services For four decades, Vanderbilt Home Care Services has delivered high-quality care where patients feel safest—their homes. Founded in 1985, the program now serves more than 650 patients each day through a team of 175 licensed professionals. From short-term recovery to chronic care management, the team travels nearly 900,000 miles annually across Middle Tennessee, helping patients recover, manage complex conditions, and remain safely at home. Ready to Make a Difference? Apply today for this Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) – Home Health position in Nashville, TN, and join Vanderbilt Health—where your skills are valued, your schedule is respected, and your professional growth is supported. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Applies appropriate, evidence-based interventions to ensure effective outcomes based on the treatment plan of the primary clinician. Provides education and employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments. The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES Rehabilitation Patient Education (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Able to assist the therapist in planning for the discharge needs of the patient. Will adapt communication to needs/levels of understanding of audience and share appropriate information and literature. Participates in providing educational experiences and professional development activities. May supervise, educate and train students from professional programs of physical therapist assistant / occupational therapy assistant that have a contractual agreement with VUMC. May plan and present educational programs to assist team/ department with identified need. Treatment Implementation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Able to modify treatment plan as needed to demonstrate provision of skilled therapy services including progression of treatment throughout course of care, and revision of treatment interventions of goals not met. May supervise and direct certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students. Selects and follows correct protocol for care and utilize evidence based treatments. Has completed at least one year of clinical experience in treatment implementation. Rehab PTA/COTA Patient Documentation (Novice): Demonstrates sufficient proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Considers the communication needs/level of understanding of audience and may share appropriate information/literature. Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings. These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South. Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion. Core Accountabilities:
Organizational Impact: Performs clearly defines tasks and methods described in detail to achieve standardized solutions that impact own performance with regular guidance.
Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Follows a well established process to solve routine problems where solutions are clearly prescribed.
Breadth of Knowledge: Has basic job knowledge of systems and procedures that are common to own job.
Team Interaction: Individually contributes to the team. Core Capabilities : Delivering Excellent Services : Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service. Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns in a timely manner. Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality : Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards. Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond. Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively: Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation :Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them. - Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work. Position Qualifications: Responsibilities: Certifications: LIC-Occupational Therapy Assistant - Licensure-Others Work Experience: Relevant Work Experience Experience Level : 1 year Education: Associate's This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth. Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled. PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health. Our mission: personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. Making Health Care Personal. We’re looking for like-minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At VUMC, we place a priority on designing with and for our patients and families. We value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and discovery, and seek to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and expanding footprint in towns and communities across the region. We employ more than 28,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and graduate medical education as well as critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fund-raising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many more. Our growing health system has more than 1,700 licensed hospital beds at: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital It’s also home to hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region. We serve our community with many unique and specialized services including the Level 1 Trauma Center, a highly experienced Transplant Center that does the most heart transplants in the world, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lung Institute, Burn Center and many more. World-leading academic departments and centers make scientific discoveries, advance clinical care and train the next generation of health care professionals. Our robust research enterprise consistently ranks among the highest in the country as measured by peer-reviewed grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals, including being nationally ranked in multiple medical specialties for treating the most complex conditions in adults and children by US News and World Report. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the southeast in 2024. We support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at VUMC for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Join us in Making Health Care Personal.