Occupational Therapists

Welcome!

The Oklahoma Occupational Therapists Committee is happy to welcome you to their new website. We hope you find much useful information. We are grateful to the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision for the support of this site.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our main office at 405-962-1400.

In order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, to protect the public from being misled by incompetent and unauthorized persons, to assure the highest degree of professional conduct on the part of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, and to assure the availability of occupational therapy services of high quality to persons in need of such services, it is the purpose of this act to provide for the regulation of persons offering occupational therapy services to the public.

888.3. Definitions As used in this act: 1. "Occupational therapy" is a health profession for which practitioners provide assessment, treatment, and consultation through the use of purposeful activity with individuals who are limited by or at risk of physical illness or injury, psycho-social dysfunction, developmental or learning disabilities, poverty and cultural differences or the aging process, in order to maximize independence, prevent disability, and maintain health.

Specific occupational therapy services include but are not limited to:

1. the use of media and methods such as instruction in daily living skills and cognitive retraining,
2. facilitating self-maintenance, work and leisure skills, using standardized or adapted techniques,
3. designing, fabricating, and applying selected orthotic equipment or selective adaptive equipment with instructions,
4. using therapeutically applied creative activities, exercise, and other media to enhance and restore functional performance,
5. administering and interpreting tests which may include sensorimotor evaluation, psycho-social assessments, standardized or nonstandardized tests,
6. improving developmental skills, perceptual motor skills, and sensory integrative function,
7. adapting the environment for the handicapped.

These services are provided individually, in groups, or through social systems.

Agendas & Minutes

Forms & Resources

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Laws

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Rules

Policies

Guidelines

Continuing Education Requirements

Cycle ends October 31 every even year

Continuing education is due October 31 every even year. You must obtain twenty (20) hours of approved continuing education every two (2) years (i.e. from November 1, 2014 to October 31, 2016, etc.). No hours may be carried over from the previous reporting period.

435:30-1-5. License renewal; late fees; continuing education; re-entry guidelines

(b) Continuing education for renewal.

(1) Continuing education for renewal of licensure has been established to require therapists’ involvement in activities which keep their skills and knowledge of current practice up to date. A point is the equivalent of 1 contact hour. Twenty contact hours every 2 years will be required.

(2) A Sub-Committee, composed of Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants, may review all points submitted. The Sub-Committee will forward recommendations to the Occupational Therapy Advisory Committee for approval or denial. Reasons for denial will be given to each therapist. Should any individual therapist have questions as to the appropriateness of a program, the therapist could consult the Committee. The Committee would have the authority to decide on any type of program not listed and assign appropriate hours. The responsibility for showing how a particular activity is relevant to maintaining skills as an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant will be with the therapist applying for approval. The Committee will automatically accept programs offered or approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association or the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association as proved courses.

(3) The Committee recognizes the role that ongoing practice plays in maintaining competence as an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant. Continuing education requirements are designed to update knowledge and skills. Synthesis takes place when the therapist has the opportunity to apply this knowledge and these skills to their practice. Therefore, therapists will be asked to provide information about their practice of occupational therapy at the time of renewal.

(4) Traditional method of points/value/documentation:

(A) Traditional methods of points:

(i) Workshops

(ii) Inservices (6 point maximum per compliance period)

(iii) Seminars

(iv) Conferences

(v) Programs offered by or approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association or the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association or the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

(vi) Programs at Special Interest Section meetings

(vii) Occupational Therapy Education Council of Oklahoma workshops (points as assigned on request from Committee)

(B) Assigned Value: 1 point per hour of participation.

(C) Documentation: Verification of attendance and copies of supporting documentation such as program brochure, syllabus, etc. If unable to verify attendance, use Form B Verification of Conference Attendance, attach a copy of receipt for conference fee and statement of relevancy to practice of Occupational Therapy if not obvious from the program materials.

(5) Alternative methods of points:

(A) Presentations of occupational therapy programs

(i) Presentations at workshops, seminars, conferences

(ii) Presentations as guest lecturer at accredited occupational therapy curriculum

(iii) Presentations as guest lecturer at other programs on topics related to occupational therapy department inservices

(iv) Assigned Value: 2 points per hour for first presentation of original material. No additional points for subsequent presentations.

(v) Documentation: Copies of supporting documentation such as brochures, programs, or syllabus and a statement of objectives of presentation.

(B) Clinical Instruction of Occupational Therapist students or Occupational Therapy Assistant students.

(i) Assigned Value: 1 point per week of continuous direct supervision.

(ii) Documentation: Copy of letter of verification of fieldwork from educational program.

(C) Publications (published or accepted for publication)

(i) Authorship or co-authorship of a book relating to occupational therapy:

(I) Maximum of 20 points.

(II) Documentation: Copy of Title page.

(ii) Authorship of a chapter in a book or journal article appearing in a professional journal:

(I) Maximum of 10 points.

(II) Documentation: Copy of table of contents and first page of chapter or article.

(iii) Authorship of an article, book review or abstract in a newsletter (such as OOTA Newsletter, OT Newsweek, SIS Newsletter, or other related newsletters):

(I) Maximum of 10 points per compliance period.

(II) Documentation: Copy of article, book review or abstract evidencing title of newsletter and date of publication.

(iv) Alternative media such as video tapes, slide/tape presentations, etc., that would be available for general viewing. Media or description of media to be submitted to Committee for approval and assignment of points as appropriate.

(I) Assigned Value: 10-20 points per publication or finished product

(II) Documentation: Copy of approval letter from Committee.

(D) Research

(i) Principal or co-investigator, project director or research assistant. Research proposal and final results submitted to Committee for approval:

(I) 10 points

(II) Documentation: Statement of participation and abstract of proposal and results.

(ii) Quality assurance studies completed and published in journal or newsletter:

(I) 5 points Assigned Value: 5-10 points per project

(II) Documentation: Manuscript acknowledgment or copy of article.

(E) Formal Coursework

(i) College and university coursework courses directly relating to improvement, advancement, or extension of one's skills as an Occupational Therapist. One credit course would be 10 points, 2-credit course 20 points, and 3-credit course would be 30 points. Assigned Value: 10-30 points as approved.

(ii) College or university courses which are indirectly related, yet support skills and knowledge will be evaluated individually and assigned value accordingly.

(iii) Documentation: Course description with statement of relevance to Occupational Therapy and transcript or other documentation of passing grade.

(F) Self-Study: (Independent Learning Projects). A combination of activities which may include, but are not limited to a combination of reading, observing other therapists, viewing video tapes and quality assurance studies and related professional activities which enhance knowledge and skill in a specific area. A Report of Professional Self-Study should be submitted to Committee for approval (Form C). Points will be assigned by the Committee based on the relevance to practice and complexity. Documentation: Copy of approval letter from OT Advisory Committee.

(G) Specialty Certification. Achievement of a specialty certification by a recognized body such as Neuro Developmental Techniques, Sensory Integration, American Society of Hand Therapists will be awarded 20 points one time only. Credit will be granted for Certification obtained within the compliance period in which certification was granted or the next subsequent compliance period only.

(H) Professional Activities

(i) American Occupational Therapy Association membership: 2 points Documentation: Copy of current AOTA membership card.

(ii) Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association or American Occupational Therapy Association elected office (up to 8 points per year). Documentation: Copy of annual report submitted to OOTA or AOTA listing activities of office.

(iii) AOTA or OOTA Committee chair - points awarded based on the extent to which activities are relative to maintaining involvement in the profession as evidenced by their annual report (up to 8 points per year). Documentation: Copy of approval letter from OT Advisory Committee.

(iv) Member of Committee - based on evidence of involvement in appropriate activities (up to 4 points per year). Documentation: Copy of approval letter from OT Advisory Committee.

(v) Active involvement in related organizations and committee upon approval by the Committee (up to 4 points per year). Documentation: List of dates of activities and types of activities, signed by committee chair, with a statement of relevance of the organization or committee to the practice of occupational therapy.

Newsletters

Licensing Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I obtain written verification of a license?
   Please use our Online Bill-Pay site to order your license verification letter or you may send a written request with the fee of $25. Verifications that are accompanied by the appropriate fee are processed and mailed daily.
2. When will I get a renewal notice?
   Although there is no statutory requirement to give notice, the Board does mail renewal notice postcards to your mailing address on file and several emails to email on file starting approximately sixty (60) and thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of a license. Please keep the Board informed of your current mailing and email address at all times. If you did not receive a notice, contact the Board office and a duplicate will be sent. Any renewal post-marked after the expiration date is considered late and the late fee will be required. Not receiving a renewal notice is not grounds for waiving the late fee.
3. How do I renew my license and update my personal/practice profile to include my address and emails?
   Go to the Licensee/Applicant Login page to see if your profession can renew online. If your profession is not listed please contact the Board immediately.
4. When and How can I get a new wallet card?
   Go to Print/Download your Wallet Card and login with the same credentials you used to renew online. If you did not renew online and/or your profession is not listed as one that can renew online please contact the Board to obtain your PIN number. You will have access to your current wallet card and your license profile page 24/7. We stopped printing and mailing wallet cards since early 2018.