Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Young & Well
Washington, DC

We're hiring for the 2026-2027 School Year with a September 1, 2026 start date. Please go to our website and upload your resume and complete our initial application here: https://www.theyoungandwell.com/joinus


For passionate school-based occupational therapists (please consider the pay range is based on a 10-Month Position* so pay scale can be compared to a 12-month at $84,000 to $102,000 per year) who refuse to choose between career growth and meaningful impact, Young & Well provides a connection-centered environment where your practice transforms your life and the lives around you, your ambition is celebrated, and your work becomes the change you want to see in the world. We know everyone says that, but it's true here, and you can find out for yourself when you meet our staff at your site visit day!


Join a Team of Changemakers

Young & Well is seeking an extraordinary Occupational Therapist to join our pediatric therapy practice and extraordinary therapy team. This isn't just another job but it's an opportunity to revolutionize how therapy is delivered to children in school environments and beyond, and we are recruiting someone who is up for that kind of setup for their career and growth. And you can hear it first from all of the school-based OTs on our team who switched from large local districts to Young & Well and never looked back! They're earning more at their choice of caseload versus earning less and insane caseloads that prevent the most meaningful work we are here to do.


What Sets Us Apart

Unlike traditional staffing companies, we're fully integrated into our partner Charter Schools' Special Education programs. As a small, local company, we've eliminated the bureaucracy that prevents great therapists from doing great work:

  • No red tape that delays student needs
  • Direct advocacy support from leadership
  • Immediate access to necessary resources and supplies
  • Caseloads that enable meaningful interventions and match therapist experience
  • Employee earning based on the work-life balance that is best for them
  • Self-Reflective model of self-awareness to build your highest capacity as a pediatric therapist using our proprietary approach


The Young & Well Difference

Our practice is founded on a single, powerful evidence-based, counter-culture approach: relationship. Coercive methods aren’t allowed in our culture, in favor of building strong relationships with children, and ourselves, an approach grounded in neuroscience and proven to create powerful outcomes all rooted in human connection. You learned everything about the child in OT school or in the field, but at Young & Well, we focus on everything about the therapist; being aware of you, so you can be present and most effective for them.


We implement the Responsive Therapy™ Model, which recognizes that meaningful play and emotional affect are critical for forming authentic connections with children that allow for the intervention they need to flow easily. We focus on ourselves and understanding the child. By prioritizing affect and attunement in our therapeutic relationships, we create environments where children feel safe, seen, and excited to engage because they are cared for and their competence is presumed. This play-based, relationship-focused approach enables more effective interventions and lasting developmental progress.


You’ll find us where children need us most, which means endless opportunities as your career shifts:

  • Schools
  • Our outpatient clinic
  • Nature settings
  • Community environments
  • Aquatic settings


Your Impact & Growth

This position offers ambitious, out-of-the-ordinary occupational therapists the chance to:

  • Design interventions that extend far beyond traditional handwriting exercises
  • Build capacity in young people through diverse therapeutic approaches
  • Establish effective relationships with teachers and school staff
  • Join leadership conversations about compensation, growth, and learning
  • Be trusted and "feel" as though you are working on your own, but with your team just a quick message or connection away


What We're Looking For

Qualifications:

  • Licensed and board-certified school-based Occupational Therapist with evaluation experience
  • MD and DC license (or ability to obtain)
  • Technology proficiency (Google Workspace) will be evaluated through technology interview and the interview is a requirement to pass as part of employment process
  • Ideally 3 years of experience (exceptional new graduates with prior school-based rotation considered and endorsed by multiple references) as a high level of regulation and autonomy is expected in this role
  • Availability for at least 3 full days per week
  • This is a 10-month position. *Opportunities for summer hours on hourly basis; when calculating pay expectations, please prorate what you expect to make in 12 months on a 10-month basis, i.e. this job will pay for 10 months of work, or 83% of the calendar year.

Character & Mindset:

  • Seeking longevity and awareness that career growth and development isn’t tied to changing jobs and getting titles; if you like to change jobs every two or three years, this wouldn’t be the right match
  • Problem-solver with above-and-beyond organizational skills
  • Self-directed professional who thrives without micromanagement because they know their values and trust their employer, who also trusts them
  • Growth-oriented clinician who values collaboration for commitment to lifelong learning
  • Positive energy and genuine passion for occupational therapy
  • Trauma-sensitive approach with capacity for self-reflection
  • Creative thinker who can develop diverse intervention strategies

What You Receive

  • Collaborative, non-toxic work environment with like-minded professionals
  • Opportunities that will change your career so that you are the best possible therapist to the children you serve
  • Partnerships with schools that respect and value occupational therapy
  • Professional development support aligned with your OT passions
  • Three different healthcare plans to choose from, 401K, Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
  • Creative compensation structure with bonus potential based on your caseload design
  • Excellent base salary

Join Our Mission

At Young & Well, we believe anything is possible—for our staff, our clients, our students, and our network of schools, families, and programs. If you're ready to work in an environment where passion for your career is celebrated, not shamed, we want to hear from you. We believe that loving what you do and being driven to excel professionally because you are committed to growth and learning is something to be proud of; it's how we collectively change the world through meaningful work. Here, your expertise isn't just valued, it's the catalyst for transformation in this critical work we do every day.

Our Process

We wouldn't have our reputation if we didn't have a process that sets both us and you apart from all the rest.

1. Apply: you can apply through this ad, but we prefer you fill out our form on our website: https://www.theyoungandwell.com/join-our-team (please don't use AI for your answers-- authenticity starts from showing up in your truest form)

2. Phone Call with Clinical Director: you'll have a brief call with our clinical director to flesh out the deal breakers on both sides-- location, hours, (you need a car!), etc. AKA the "vibe" check for both!

3. Virtual Meeting & Conversation: You'll meet with our Clinical Director, and our Assistant Director of Schools to really get to know who we are, who you are, our work with children, their families, and their schools.

4. Compensation Conversation: We will discuss compensation at Young & Well, educate you on our creative ways of compensation, and your numbers for making a change.

5. Site Visit: We'll invite you to join someone else on our team in the field.

6*. Technology Interview: *We'll get on Zoom, and ask you to complete a set of common tasks needed at Young & Well, including use of our proprietary software to manage school-based practice. Having a technology sense is a critical part of the job.

7. Final loose ties: We can tie up any remaining parts, and get to a formal offer. Young & Well does not make a formal offer unless everything else is agreed on and verbally there is an agreement. Receiving the written offer means we're ready to make it official in writing!

Only complete applications will receive a response.

*This is a 10-month position. *Opportunities for summer hours on hourly basis; when calculating pay expectations, please prorate what you expect to make in 12 months on a 10-month basis, i.e. this job will pay for 10 months of work, or 83% of the calendar year.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time


Benefits:

  • 401(k)
  • Continuing education credits
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee assistance program
  • Flexible schedule
  • Flexible spending account
  • Health insurance
  • Health savings account
  • License reimbursement
  • Life insurance
  • Mileage reimbursement
  • Paid time off
  • Professional development assistance
  • Relocation assistance
  • Retirement plan
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Vision insurance


License/Certification:

  • OTR (must have)
  • COTA (must have)

Work Location: On the road, tons of freedom and autonomy with the protection of a W2 employment position

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