Occupational Therapists
An occupational therapist is a person who has graduated from an entry-level occupational therapy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations, or approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), or an equivalent international occupational therapy education program; has successfully completed a period of supervised fieldwork experience required by the occupational therapy program; has passed a nationally recognized entry-level examination for occupational therapists, and fulfills state requirements for licensure, certification, or registration. An occupational therapist provides interventions based on evaluation and which emphasize the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (i.e., occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of facilitating participation in roles and situations and in home, school, workplace, community and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and are provided to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapists address the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of occupational performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life. *Specialization: Mental Health
Occupational therapists provide treatment for people recovering from a mental or physical illness to regain their independence and stability and to engage in normal daily occupations (work, home, family life, school, leisure). Occupational therapists provide particular emphasis on interventions that result in improved quality of life and decrease hospitalization. *** Source: The Guide to Occupational Therapy Practice, 2nd edition. Bethesda: American Occupational Therapy Association, 2007. [7/1/2008: new] Additional Resources: The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) does offer voluntary board certification for a Mental Health Occupational Therapist if the applicant meets the following requirements: <ul> <li>Professional degree or equivalent in occupational therapy. <li>Certified or licensed by and in good standing with an AOTA recognized credentialing or regulatory body. <li>Minimum of 5 years of practice as an occupational therapist. <li>Minimum of 5,000 hours of experience as an occupational therapist in the certification area in the last 7 calendar years. <li>Minimum of 500 hours of experience delivering occupational therapy services in the certification area to clients (individuals, groups, or populations) in the last 5 calendar years. Service delivery may be paid or voluntary. <li>Verification of employment. </ul>AOTA Fact Sheets: Partial Hospitalization Programs and Consumer
** Source: The Guide to Occupational Therapy Practice, 2nd edition. Bethesda: American Occupational Therapy Association, 2007. [7/1/2008: new] Additional Resources: The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) does offer voluntary board certification for a Mental Health Occupational Therapist if the applicant meets the following requirements: <ul> <li>Professional degree or equivalent in occupational therapy. <li>Certified or licensed by and in good standing with an AOTA recognized credentialing or regulatory body. <li>Minimum of 5 years of practice as an occupational therapist. <li>Minimum of 5,000 hours of experience as an occupational therapist in the certification area in the last 7 calendar years. <li>Minimum of 500 hours of experience delivering occupational therapy services in the certification area to clients (individuals, groups, or populations) in the last 5 calendar years. Service delivery may be paid or voluntary. <li>Verification of employment. </ul>AOTA Fact Sheets: Partial Hospitalization Programs and Consumer