Occupational Therapy Assistant, AAS

B&SC Code: OTAP
CIP Code: 51.0803
New York Hegis Code: 5210

Program: OTAP

"Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent-or live better with-injury, illness, or disability." American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

The profession of occupational therapy is centered on helping individuals to live life to the fullest. Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help enable people of all ages, regardless of the presence of disability, injury, or health condition, to participate in their daily activities or "occupations." Occupations are things people want and need to do in their daily lives that provide dignity, purpose, and meaning to the individual. These occupations define who we are, organize our daily lives, and enable us to successfully fulfill our important life roles.

Essentially, occupational therapy practitioners use everyday activities as therapy to help clients maintain or improve physical, mental, and emotional skills necessary to function and thrive in life roles. "This is done by modifying environments, tasks, and tools of everyday life to increase successful participation in, and access to occupations."

The demand for occupational therapy services has increased in recent years and is expected to continue to increase significantly.  This is, in part, due to an expanding healthcare system, an increased emphasis on wellness and prevention, and a growing elderly population.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant curriculum at Bryant & Stratton College is student-centered and prepares graduates to work in contemporary healthcare and community settings. Settings include but are not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, schools, skilled nursing facilities, mental health facilities, and day treatment centers. The program provides instruction and hands-on training in theory, evidence-based practice, assessment skills, client-centered intervention planning, and implementation, as well as documentation of services. Classroom and lab skills are enhanced and reinforced through multiple fieldwork experiences in a variety of settings.

Accreditation: The Hybrid Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (with lab locations in Greece, NY, Solon, OH, Virginia Beach, VA, and Wauwatosa, WI) and the in-person Syracuse, NY program, are accredited 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- 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the hybrid, and Syracuse programs 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). All states require licensure or authorization, in addition to passing the NBCOT exam, in order to practice.

Note, that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure or authorization.

Hybrid Occupational Therapy Assistant Program:  Students enrolling in the Hybrid Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (with lab locations at the College's Greece, NY, Solon, OH, Virginia Beach, VA, and Wauwatosa, WI, campuses) will be provided a program handbook specific to this hybrid program and its requirements.  Hybrid delivery of this program includes a combination of synchronous and asynchronous distance instruction, as well as in-person instruction.  Students in the hybrid program will be required to complete their lab intensives in person, at their designated campus each term.  These intensives will be completed over four (4) weekends every term. Students who are unable to complete the required in-person components of this program will not be able to fully satisfy program requirements. Students in this program must ensure they meet the College's Computer Technology Standards.

Notes:

• The Syracuse program offers  and  in an online format only.
• The hybrid program offers   in an online format only.
• The last semester for all OTA students requires 16 full-time weeks of day fieldwork participation.

Graduates of this degree plan will achieve the following program and institutional outcomes:

• Demonstrate therapeutic use of self by effectively advocating for clients, occupational therapy services, and the profession across all contexts and environments.
• Apply occupational therapy principles and theories in assessment and intervention planning, implementing evidence-based practices to achieve client-centered, functional outcomes
• Demonstrate awareness of the distinct roles and responsibilities of the occupational therapy assistant in various healthcare settings, showcasing effective collaboration with clients, care partners, and inter/intra disciplinary care teams.
• Identify professional behaviors aligned with the AOTA Code of Ethics, ethical decision-making, and values consistent with occupational therapy standards.
• Apply critical thinking skills to complex clinical scenarios, demonstrating proficiency in safety procedures and appropriate responses to emergency situations. 
• Develop a personalized plan for lifelong learning that incorporates current research and evidence-based practices to support effective, contemporary occupational therapy service delivery.
• Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.*
• Transfer knowledge, skills and behaviors acquired through formal and informal learning and life experiences to new situations.*
• Employ strategies for reflection on learning and practice in order to adjust learning processes for continual improvement.*
• Follow established methods of inquiry and mathematical reasoning to form conclusions and make decisions.*
• Participate in social, academic, and professional communities for individual growth and to function as a citizen of a multicultural world.*

* Institutional Outcomes