Find answers to frequently asked questions for occupational therapist assistants. You can ask the community new questions in the comments below.
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Have a new question? Then ask our community in the comments below.
My name is Mathew Hill and I am an American living and working in Alberta, Canada. I am working as an OTA and PTA (2 jobs) in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and am a graduate of Medicine Hat College’s Therapy Assistant’s program with a 2-year OTA/PTA Diploma. The MHC TA program is nationally accredited.
I am looking to return to the US in about 2 years and would like to find out if there is reciprocity between California and accredited Canadian colleges or if I am able to challenge the (California) National Board of Occupational Therapist (NBCOT) COTA Exam in order to gain TA-licensure in California?
I also have a Bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University, an Associates in Paralegal Studies from Arizona College (no longer in establishment) and an MBA from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California.
Nest,
Mathew Hill
Hi Mathew,
That is a great question and I would recommend that you contact the California Board of OT directly for the best answer. I’m pasting some contact info below for you.
CALIFORNIA BOARD OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 2250
Sacramento, CA 95815
Tel: (916) 263-2294
cbot@dca.ca.gov
How much supervision does a COTA need from an OTR? Does the OTR have to be present when COTA is seeing patients?
Hi LaDonna,
Each state has its own scope of practice for the Occupational Therapy Field. This scope governs how much supervision is required and what exactly COTA are allowed to do in each state.
You can select your state here to learn more about the scope of practice laws in it.
Have an Associates of Applied Science Degree from Cuyahoga Community College in Parma Ohio looking to relocate to Baldwin County Alabama in 2019. How would I go about getting relicensed in Alabama as my license expired in Ohio due to me not working in the OTA field since 2014.
Hi Ronald,
You can find more information, steps, application forms, and fees for COTA licensing in Alabama. For your situation, I would contact them and ask about transferring your expired license from out of state to make sure you get all the info and requirements you need.
Are there any accredited OTA programs online? I have seen a lot of programs but I’m not sure if they are accredited.
Hi Zach,
Here is a list of accredited online OTA programs: https://occupational-therapy-assistant.org/online-ota-programs/#List
There is complete info in the list, but in short, these are local accredited programs that offer a portion of the coursework online.
I have a choice to go to COTA school or Entry Level Masters for OT. I am unsure which one to do? I would prefer more patient care over paper work.
It sounds like you would prefer working as a COTA, who will be more hands-on directly working with patients.
I’d recommend reading our guide to bridge programs that compares OTA to OT education and career paths: https://occupational-therapy-assistant.org/ota-to-ot-bridge-programs-how-to-become-an-otr/
Please update your website. Brenau University in Georgia no longer offers a bridge program for applicants without a bachelor’s degree. COTA’s are welcomed to any of Brenau’s 3 program tracks but must have a completed BS or BA degree for admission.