Occupational Therapy

Chair of the Department: Susan Noyes

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Director: Sarah Grinder

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Elizabeth Palmer

Professor: Noyes; Assistant Professor: Larouche; Clinical Associate Faculty: Bickmore; Clinical Assistant Faculty: Palmer; Senior Lecturers: Grinder, Kroon; Lecturer: Krasnavage

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a health and human services profession that recognizes humans as occupational beings. People define who they are by what they do, or by the occupations in which they engage. Occupational therapists use meaningful occupation or activities as intervention to help people of all ages maximize wellness and perform the skills they need to participate as fully as possible in society. OTs intervene with people who are experiencing varying degrees of activity impairment as a result of developmental, physical, psychological, cognitive, or environmental dysfunction. They assist people in developing, compensating for, or regaining the skills necessary for participation in meaningful life roles and skills of self-care, work, and leisure.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA-B) at USM develops entry-level OTA practitioners with skills in clinical reasoning, intervention, documentation, and the use of evidence-based practice. Coursework and fieldwork training prepare you for work in diverse settings including mental health, physical disability, pediatrics, management, and more. The course of study includes a baccalaureate project and culminates in a bachelor’s degree and eligibility to sit for the national OTA board exam. Students complete 120 credits.

The baccalaureate-degree-level occupational therapy assistant program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for 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 Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.