Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Career Description

Occupational therapy is a health care profession that focuses on helping people – The practice of occupational therapy means the therapeutic use of everyday life activities - or “occupations” - with individuals or groups for the purpose of participation in roles and situations in home, school, work place, community, and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life (AOTA Practice Framework definition). OTAs must complete a 2-year associate's degree and are licensed health care providers.

Occupational therapy is a health care profession that focuses on helping people of all ages regain, develop, or master everyday skills in order to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. For a more complete description of careers in occupational therapy, refer to the website of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Program Overview

BPCC's OTA Program consists of a Pre-OTA component (qualification courses) and a program component. Students may work at any pace (part time/full time) to complete the OTA qualification courses and other requirements. When courses have been completed (with a “C” or better), students apply for admission to the program component. Applications for the OTA program component are taken each spring, with a new OTA class beginning in third summer session. The program is designed so that a student may complete the OTA qualification course component in 1 year and the program component in 14 months.

Admission to the Program

The selection process for the OTA Program component begins each spring. Students should be aware of the following requirements and procedures regarding program selection:

Students must submit a completed OTA Program Application Packet by the application deadline of April 15th.
Pre-program (qualification) courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester in the application year. In some situations, however, up to 3 credit hours may be completed in the first summer session (June session/session B) when available and with prior approval of the academic advisor.
Cumulative GPA must be a 2.0 or higher and 2.5 or higher in all pre-program (qualification) courses. Students must earn a “C” or better in all courses to be eligible for application.
Students must complete a minimum of 20 hours of observation, volunteer or work experience in two different occupational therapy settings under the supervision of two different licensed occupational therapy providers by the application deadline.
Interviews are conducted in May of each year. The top scoring 50 qualified applicants will be notified by mail of their scheduled interview day/time.
20 students per year are selected for the OTA program. Selection is based on scores on Clinical Observation Forms (required as a component of the application packet), grade point average, essay, and interview scores.

Special Requirements

Students who are selected for the OTA program must be available for daytime, evening and occasional weekend classes.
OTA program students must be prepared to complete one or more full-time fieldwork rotation assignments (each rotation is 8 weeks in duration) in an out of town facility. These rotations must be completed within 16 months of completion of didactic coursework.
Students selected for the OTA program must adhere to the OTA Clinical Requirements related to additional tests/immunizations required, documentation submission and policies/procedures of the division/program.
Students selected for the OTA program pay a clinical fee, in addition to regular tuition, each program semester.

Accreditation

The BPCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The certifying agency is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. After successful completion of the NBCOT exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
4720 Montgomery Lane,
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
301-652-AOTA (2684)
www.aota.org
www.acoteonline.org

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
1-800-SAY-AOTA Ext. 2911 or 301-652-AOTA (2682)
www.aota.org

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, INC. (NBCOT)
12 South Summit Avenue
Suite 100
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
301-990-7979
Fax 301-869-8492
www.nbcot.org

After completion of the program, OTA Program graduates must take and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination (NBCOT) to be eligible to apply for a license to practice as an OTA in the state of Louisiana (www.lsbme.org). A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification or attain state licensure. Therefore, it is the responsibility of a student with a felony conviction to contact the state licensing board and NBCOT prior to the application process to the program to determine eligibility status.

Student Outcomes for Academic Years 2009-2011

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc., (NBCOT) test score pass rate* report:

Year	# of Program Graduates	# of First Time Test Takers	# of First Time Test Takers Who Passed	% of First Time Test Takers Who Passed	National average of First Time Test Takers Who Passed
2011	15	13	11	85%	81%

*Data reflects graduation of first cohort in December 2011.

Bossier Parish Community College