Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree

Occupational Therapy Assistant Overview

Students who enroll in the Rhodes State OTA program will be trained to help people develop, recover, and/or maintain the skills needed to participate in occupation (everyday activities) with meaning and satisfaction. They will learn to help people function in all of their environments (ie. home, work, school and community) with interventions, adaptive equipment and/or techniques, education and guidance to family members and caregivers, and/or prevention. They will work under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist (OT) on a health care team which may include physicians, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, and speech / language pathologists in a variety of settings.

The OTA program will provide innovative classroom and fieldwork experiences to equip students with tools necessary to practice passionately and successfully. The program admits one cohort of students each year with a summer semester start date and requires a separate application process.

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Scholarship Opportunity

Rhodes State has been awarded a Choose Ohio First (COF) Scholarship grant by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The grant provides scholarships to students majoring in disciplines that significantly strengthen Ohio’s competitiveness in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) education and industry.

Choose Ohio First

Occupational Therapy Assistant Highlights

Partnerships with Occupational Therapy Programs: collaborative skills needed in the clinic are built through projects with OT students.
Level I Fieldwork and Community Service: regular clinical experiences allow students to apply skills learned in the lab to real-world clinical settings.
Interprofessional Retreats: Health Science students learn how to treat a patient as a team member.
Student Activities: Participation in local, state and national Occupational Therapy organizations allows students to interact with others in the field.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Briefing

Our program briefings are designed to introduce students to the profession, job opportunities, program requirements, and other important information needed to get started.

Career Opportunities

A credentialed OTA will work with the health care team in a variety of settings including: hospitals, school systems, community mental health centers, nursing homes, home health agencies and private practice.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow due to the increased demand for rehabilitation and long-term care services.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has identified many programs throughout the Unites States as “bridge programs” for OTAs seeking OT degrees. These are listed on the AOTA website.

additional info about the career

Additional Resources

Occupational Therapy Assistant Plan of Study

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Professional Licensure Information

After successfully completing this accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a COTA.

NBCOT
One Bank Street
Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
Phone: (301) 990-7979
Email: info@nbcot.org
Website: www.nbcot.org

After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).
NOTE: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for this exam and attain state licensure.

Licensing

Most states including Ohio require licensure to practice; however, Ohio and most other state licenses are based on passing of the NBCOT exam. It is the assistant’s responsibility to obtain and maintain all appropriate licenses in order to actively practice occupational therapy. The State of Ohio does require applicants to pass a written exam upon initial licensure. After achieving licensure, the individual will be a COTA/L. In the State of Ohio, the credential agency’s address is as follows:

OHIO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, & ATHLETIC TRAINERS BOARD
Occupational Therapy Section
77 South High Street, 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
Phone: (614) 466-3774
Email: board@otptat.ohio.gov
Website: www.otptat.ohio.gov