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Ernest Health
Mishawaka, Indiana

Occupational Therapist - Student Loan Assistance

Occupational TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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Job Description

Occupational Therapist - Full Time - Mishawaka, Indiana (South Bend area)

New Student Loan Contribution Plan

Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Indiana in Mishawaka, Indiana (South Bend area) is a cutting-edge inpatient rehabilitation facility focused on helping patients reclaim their lives after serious injuries or illnesses.

We provide intensive rehab care for stroke survivors, individuals with brain or spinal cord injuries, multiple trauma, and other debilitating conditions.

Our hospital’s expert team – including board-certified rehabilitation physicians (physiatrists), therapists, and nurses – work together to deliver personalized therapy programs aimed at restoring mobility, communication, and daily living skills.

With a state-of-the-art therapy gym and a compassionate approach to care, we offer an ideal setting for healing and improvement.

Fully accredited and consistently praised for our patient outcomes, Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Indiana proudly serves patients across the region with high-quality, individualized rehabilitative care.

Mishawaka blends small-town warmth with big-city potential, making it an ideal place to live and work. Enjoy a lower cost of living than the national average while taking advantage of the city’s scenic Riverwalk along the St. Joseph River—recognized as one of Indiana’s best for walking, jogging, or cycling.

Explore newly renovated parks, golf courses, and vibrant downtown filled with local shops, eateries, and cultural events. Located just an hour from Lake Michigan and two hours from Chicago, Mishawaka offers both peaceful charm and easy access to major attractions.

With nearby access to the University of Notre Dame, the city pulses with spirited collegiate energy year-round.

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus to enhance the employees’ work experience, recognize, and celebrate achievements.

We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

Our hospital offers comprehensive benefits, designed to support your health and financial well-being.

Benefits

  • PPO and High Deductible Medical Plan options
  • Flexible and Health Saving account options available
  • Dental and Vision coverage
  • 401K with employer matching
  • Life insurance
  • Short-and-long term disability

Competitive Compensation

As part of our commitment to supporting your financial wellness, full-time therapists are eligible to receive a monthly student loan relief contribution payment to help reduce outstanding student loan debt.

Wellness & Work Life Balance

Employee Assistance Program

  • Wellness Program with quarterly wellness challenges with participation incentives.
  • Earned Time Off - Start accruing vacation time on start date.

Professional Growth

  • Clinical Career Ladder Bonus Program
  • Therapy Preceptor Bonus Program

What You Bring

A passion for patient care, a team player, motivating and collaborating therapist to assist patients to reach the best outcome.

  • Graduate Degree from an accredited program in Occupational Therapy.
  • Current State Occupational Therapist License.
  • Current CPR

Qualifications

Required Skills

Current licensure as an Occupational Therapist required

Basic Life Support/CPR Card Required

One year of experience in the care of patients in rehabilitation hospital setting preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.
  • Demonstrates competency in the provision of care according to established standards
  • Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Leadership skills in delegating, organizing, and educating coworkers and staff.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Evaluates patients and helps them improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate for permanent loss of function by teaching them to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments.

These patients may have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. May also assist patients in selecting appropriate adaptive equipment and assistive devices. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

BLSBoard Certification

Key Skills

Patient EvaluationMotor Function Improvement

Occupational Therapist Career Context

Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 6% are remote, 50% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Indiana is 93.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.4% of Indiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 31 employers

15
<$110k
10
$110k-130k
5
$130k-150k
5
$150k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 31 employers

401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
56%
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
31% this job
Relocation assistance
16%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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Luna Physical Therapy · Chicago, Illinois

$68-$75/hr
#2

School Occupational Therapist (OT) - ManhattanContract

Knowledge Road · Manhattan, New York

$75 an hour
#3

School Occupational Therapist (OT) - Brooklyn

$75 an hour
#4

Occupational Therapist (OT)

$65-$75/hr
+ 36 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,123 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Mishawaka

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$228k
Typical market rent
$1,234/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.9
State income tax
Up to 3.1%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

PPO and High Deductible Medical Plan options
Flexible and Health Saving account options
Dental and Vision coverage
401K with employer matching
Life insurance
Short-and-long term disability
Student loan relief contribution
Employee Assistance Program