Grow your Career through the Junior Leadership Program at Reach

Reach for the Top is a non-profit organization and the only therapy clinic in the Dover, NH, area offering interdisciplinary trauma-informed and neurodiverse-affirming therapies through a family-centered model.  Based on the uniqueness of their service delivery to meet the needs of children and families, they are committed to contributing to the education of the next generation of therapists and leaders.

Through a Junior Leadership Program, therapists with the desire to take on greater challenges outside of typical therapy-based growth and development, are able to interview for additional roles that collectively make it possible to provide the many specialty services available at Reach to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. These additional responsibilities directly support the organization’s commitment to connecting with the community, being informed by their needs, while also building upon the employee’s skillset, inspiring voices and ideas internally and externally that ultimately grow the organization.

Employees in Junior Leadership roles excel at and further strengthen their time management, organization, interpersonal skills, prioritization, and goal-directed persistence through these roles.

The organization also provides a six-week mentorship program for all employees on-boarding that allows each therapist to build a caseload while learning more about Reach‘s core values and therapeutic standards, including best practices in documentation, while also learning about and accessing the vast array of education and mentor-based learning opportunities available. The opportunities for education include sponsored continuing education, weekly lunch-and-learns, case care coordination, and weekly team time to maintain the positive and connected culture Reach has worked hard to develop over this last year.  Reach is committed to supporting each employee by coaching and recognizing individual performance while giving them the tools to optimize their growth.  This supports the employee while meeting the organization’s mission to provide high-quality care.  The current team has shown the highest levels of cohesiveness, inclusiveness, collaboration and professionalism that the organization has ever seen.  Continuing that growth in culture is a priority for Reach in 2023.

In addition to mentorship and junior leadership opportunities, the organization also hosts 4-8 student fieldwork/externships, observation hour placements, and/or CFY placements throughout the calendar year.  Sharing our experience with the next generation of future therapists and learning from each student that passes through and/or joins the team following graduation.

Work on your passions while gaining leadership and communication skills

With hiring and team expansion as another top priority for 2023, the organization has growth opportunities for more experienced professionals and opportunities for new therapists as well.  Over the last year, several therapists at Reach have implemented passion projects, where staff pitch their ideas to the leadership team for program development.  The leadership team then assists in co-creating a roadmap to turn their ideas and passion into a reality, expanding the opportunities for specialty services for both staff and the exceptional children and families we serve.

Rachel Babcock is the Community & Client Services Coordinator and a Speech-Language Pathologist at Reach. Beginning in social media and outreach for the organization, she was afforded the opportunity to expand upon an idea around enriched thematic group activities. After COVID hit, she found that “families communicated worries about their child’s socialization due to limited playgroups or community outings. Many families also wanted a place to meet and collaborate with other parents about their child’s therapies.” Through Rachel’s observations, impeccable organization skills, ability to connect with others, and with the support of the leadership team around her, another specialty therapy service was created.

“Reach’s leadership team is always looking for ways for employees to grow their skills and expand on their interests and passions. I am grateful to work for a team that supports my ideas and passion projects. Some of the highlights of Reach’s leadership style emphasize strong communication skills with employees, always looking for feedback and ways to improve, and an openness to all communication and learning styles.” – Rachel Babcock

Katie McGrath is the Development and Fundraising Coordinator and an Occupational Therapist at Reach. In April 2022, as a new graduate, following 8 months of consistently demonstrating dedication, exceptional communication skills, and a natural ability to engage others, Katie entered the Junior Leadership position as the Development and Fundraising Coordinator. Her tasks include finding donors, researching and reaching out to foundations, drafting grant applications, collaborating with sponsors, and developing other fundraising opportunities, like our upcoming Art Auction this summer. Katie spoke of her experience:

“I believe so deeply in Reach’s mission and I find it so rewarding to work directly with kids, supporting them as they work so hard to reach their goals. On top of that, I’m in a position, with this leadership role, to connect with the community beyond our patients and families, raising awareness about this amazing mission we have here. As a non-profit organization, we do rely on philanthropy to help fill in gaps in funding, so we can continue to expand our services, therapist training, and access to care for the families that we serve.” – Katie McGrath

Robyn Thomas is now the Director of Clinical Services and an Occupational Therapist. Passionate about her work, Robyn has worked for Reach for almost 7 years as an Occupational Therapist.  Under new leadership, Robyn’s skills and passions, including her exceptional attention to detail, were recognized in her first Junior Leadership role as the Quality Assurance Manager in 2022.  Showing many strengths in that role, when the role of Director of Clinical Services was developed, she capitalized on her strengths and put many hours into developing areas of growth, asking questions, improving processes, and showing tremendous growth.  She excels at finding the win-win to support staff and clients with their needs.  Currently, she plays a large role in onboarding new team members, making sure that they feel supported by their mentor, and supporting the mentor in identifying strengths and weaknesses, then tailoring support needed based on communication and learning styles.  She says that mentorship is a “great opportunity for new staff, but also for current staff who are able to support newcomers. They are able to guide and help them, share their knowledge, help them manage workflow while giving the mentor leadership experience and building their confidence.”

Grow in your career as a Student Site Coordinator at Reach

Currently, Reach is seeking a Student Fieldwork Site Coordinator: The ideal applicant is an experienced physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, or occupational therapist. This position involves oversight of the student program and requires close collaboration with the 8 colleges and universities currently contracted for internships. 

Other requirements include:

• Experience supervising students

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including giving constructive feedback

• The ability to match staff with students

• Availability to supervise and provide support to staff members

Stay tuned, because Reach has plans to expand opportunities for additional junior leadership positions later this year.

Learn more about Reach for the Top Therapy Services by listening to the New Hampshire Children’s Trust podcast, New Hampshire Family Now, featuring an interview with Executive Director, Amy Rich Crane: Click to listen.