Occupational Therapy

Chair of the Department: Julie Larouche

Program Director of Masters of Occupational Therapy: Julie Larouche

Program Director of Entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy: Mary Anderson

Doctoral Capstone Coordinator: Tammy Bickmore

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Elizabeth Palmer

Associate Professor: Noyes; Assistant Professors: Anderson, Larouche; Clinical Assistant Professor: Bickmore, Palmer; Lecturers: Grinder, Kroon, McCall

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.

Graduate entry-level occupational therapy education builds upon the previous education and experience of the study by providing sequential courses of professional study that stresses active, independent inquiry, critical thinking, strong communication skills (oral, nonverbal, written, and electronic), problem solving, clinical reasoning, and professional behaviors. Realizing that consumers may receive occupational therapy services in a wide variety of settings, students are exposed to practice in hospitals, other health institutions, schools, community agencies and centers, and other facilities where potential clients may be served.

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers two entry level programs as well as one post professional doctoral degree.

The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is built on an occupation-based curriculum with a student-centered approach. Students will complete 80 credits consisting of 7 semesters of coursework, including 6 months of full time fieldwork.

The entry level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program focuses on advanced skill development, with emphasis on competency in practice, research, and program development, producing ethical, evidence-based practitioners and leaders within the field. Students will complete 114 credits consisting of 9 semesters of coursework, including 6 months of full time fieldwork.

The post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is designed for occupational therapy clinicians who want to enhance their careers and serve as leaders in their profession. Students in the program will complete 36 credits of coursework.

ACOTE and NBCOT:

The Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Southern Maine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree 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 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. The telephone number for ACOTE is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The entry level doctorate program must undergo a pre-accreditation 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 therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a candidate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure.