Occupational Therapy Assistant

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Mission and Vision

The mission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is to provide progressive and innovative educational experiences to develop exemplary Occupational Therapy Assistants.  The vision is to be a premier leader of innovation OTA education.  

Program Outcomes

Students who graduate with an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant become: 

• Highly skilled entry-level generalist clinicians
• Ethical servant leaders
• Effective communicators
• Professional lifelong learners
• Dedicated advocates for clients and the profession.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant will be able to:

• Utilize the foundational knowledge and clinical competencies across the life span for entry level practice as a generalist in current practice settings and emerging practice areas.
• Practice client-centered, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive therapeutic intervention.
• Display the professional behaviors and communication skills required for successful client and inter-professional collaboration.
• Employ ethical behavior, values, and attitudes that uphold the American Occupational Therapy Associations Code of Ethics and professional standards.
• Identify the importance of lifelong learning.
• Apply knowledge of Occupational Therapy Core Curriculum by passing the Occupational Therapy Assistant examination on the first sitting.
• Meet the national and state requirements for entry into clinical practice.

The conceptual framework for the organization and progression of the curriculum consists of the following themes:

• The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process, 3rd Ed.
• Holistic, Client Centered, Occupational & Evidence Based Interventions
• Professional Behaviors for Occupational Therapy Practice
• OTR and COTA Role Delineation
• Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving
• Documentation and Quality Assurance
• Active and Life-long Learning Processes

The concepts listed above are interwoven throughout the curriculum design in a progressive nature through which students gain new knowledge, skills, and attitudes that promote and encourage professional behaviors and develop clinical reasoning skills.

Accreditation and Certification

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Cabarrus College is accredited by:

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD, 20852-4929
AOTA phone number: 301-652-AOTA
Website

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be credentialed as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice. State licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination, as well as character references and criminal record checks. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Student Graduate & Certification Data

GRADUATION RATE: The total number of students who graduated from a program within 150% of the published length of the program, divided by the number of students on the roster who started in the program. The total number of graduates from Cabarrus College of Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the 3-year period of 2017-2019 was 84 with an overall graduation rate of 83%.

Graduates are not required to take the certification examination within the year that they graduate.  Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.      

Estimated Tuition and Fees

Estimated tuition and fees for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program:

Resources

• American Occupational Therapy Association
• American Occupational Therapy Association - Student Pages
• North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association (NCOTA)
• North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (NCBOT)
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
• Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA)