OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PROGRAM CAREER TALK. 2015/2016 Academic Year

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

ASSISTANT PROGRAM

CAREER TALK

What is Occupational

Therapy??

It Takes OT:

Occupational therapy answers the question,

"What do

you want to do right now that you can't?

"

by addressing meaningful issues dealing with disability

and disease in well and at-risk populations and by

improving functional skills in the occupations of work,

play, and leisure while

focusing on improving overall

well-being.

-December Hughes, COTA/L, Rebecca McIntyre, and Rob Shoener

General OT Info

• Occupational therapy is a challenging and rewarding

profession.

• Occupational therapists (OTRs) and occupational therapy

assistants (OTAs) provide direct care to individuals who experience temporary or permanent disability due to pain, injury, disease or birth defects.

• Patients may range in age from birth to 100+ years old

with conditions such as stroke, broken bones, strains and sprains, paralysis or muscle weakness, cerebral palsy, burns, cancer, and other infectious or debilitating illnesses.

• The OTR initially evaluates each patient and develops a

plan of care. Then the OTA, who works under the

supervision of the OTR, implements the plan of care and treats the patient.

• The OTR and OTA work closely together to progress the

patient toward his/her goals and help each patient reach his/her maximum level of function.

Hands on Profession

• Occupational therapy is a “hands-on”

profession

• OTAs are in daily physical contact with a

diverse group of people and a variety of types of machines and technology.

• The work requires frequent standing,

bending, walking and occasional heavy lifting.

Employment

Some examples of where OTAs may be employed are listed below:

• H

ospitals

•

Nursing homes

•

Outpatient offices

•

Rehabilitation clinics, hand clinics

•

Schools

•

Home health care settings

•

Health promotion, wellness and injury prevention

are emerging areas of practice for an increasing

number of OTAs.

Required Skill Set for OTAs

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

decisions.

• Read and comprehend relevant information in textbooks,

medical records and professional literature.

• Identify cause/effect relationships in the provision of health

care.

• Identify patient problems and adjust patient goals and

interventions appropriately within the health care team plan of care.

• Respond calmly and effectively to emergencies.

• Know when and how to apply universal precautions.

Sensory Abilities

OTA students must demonstrate the ability to:

sufficient auditory, visual and tactile acuity.

• Visual – (corrected as necessary) recognize and interpret facial expressions and body language and patient posture, identify normal and abnormal patterns of movement, discriminate color changes and interpret and assess the environment.

• Auditory – (corrected as necessary) recognize and respond to soft voices or voices under protective garb, auditory timers, equipment/emergency alarms, and effectively use devices for the

measurement of vital signs and breath sounds. Be able to hear patients and respond to patient

critical needs when not in direct line of site. • Tactile –palpate a pulse and detect changes or

abnormalities of surface texture, skin

temperature, body segment contour, muscle tone and joint movement.

Professionalism

OTA students must demonstrate the ability to

• Demonstrate unselfish, honest, moral

and ethical behavior in all academic and professional settings.

• Take initiative, be creative, prepared,

flexible, enthusiastic, cooperative, tolerant, respectful of authority, and industrious in all academic, clinical and professional settings.

• Demonstrate time management skills

that promote punctual attendance to class, labs and clinics as required.

• Demonstrate a work ethic consistent

Knowledge of Anatomy and Kinesiology

•

Knowledge of human anatomy

and how the body moves and

functions, an understanding of

the impact that various diseases

and conditions have on an

individual’s ability to participate

in meaningful and purposeful

activities, and an interest in

helping people regain functional

independence in order to

improve the quality of their lives

are required for a person to be a

successful OTR or OTA

Degrees in Occupational Therapy

OTD:

Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

OT:

Master’s in Occupational Therapy

OTA:

Associates Applied Science,

Occupational Therapy Assistant

offered here at GTC

.

Several weekend/distance education programs (bridging from OTA degree to Master’s in OT degree) are offered across the country.

How much do OTAs earn?

Take a look at the report below:

•

Our Mission

The mission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, in conjunction with Greenville Technical College’s mission, is to offer a quality post-secondary program that is

accessible and drives personal and economic growth through learning.

The program faculty is committed to assisting students from diverse backgrounds in achievement of the skills, knowledge, and professional behaviors necessary for successful

employment as an occupational therapy assistant in a variety of healthcare settings. Greenville Technical College’s OTA program strives to graduate competent individuals who

are able to perform as entry-level, state licensed and nationally Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, while upholding the ethical

What you need to know:

• The OTA Program is a 1 plus 1 program….

•

This means phase I courses can be taken at other

institutions or Greenville Technical College;

however the

student is responsible for ensuring the courses will

transfer from other institutions.

•

All Phase I courses

MUST

be completed prior to

Students wishing to be considered for admission

into Phase I of the OTA Program

must:

• Submit previous college transcripts. Students may be

admitted to Greenville Tech with transfer courses from other approved colleges. Additional placement tests may be needed depending on transfer of approved courses. Greenville Technical College has articulating agreements with the following colleges that will allow you to take

Phase I courses at these institutions and transfer them to Greenville Tech:

• Blue Ridge Community College in Hendersonville, N.C. • Isothermal Community College in Rutherfordton, N.C. • Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, S.C.

•

Students wishing to be considered for

admission into Greenville Tech should refer

to

http://gvltec.edu/enrollment_steps/

for

steps to enrollment.

•

As a Phase I student, it is encouraged that you meet

with a Health and Wellness advisor at either the

Benson Campus or at articulating College.

•

Benson Campus OTA Advisor for Phase I

Students:

•

Brian Petruska – 864-250-3008

Brian.Petruska@gvltec.edu

•

If you have questions that an articulating advisor

cannot answer, you can call the Phase I OTA

REQUIRED PHASE I COURSES-2016 Summer

AHS 102 Medical Terminology 3

*BIO 210 Anatomy & Physiology I 4

*BIO 211 Anatomy & Physiology II 4 Humanities Elective 3 ENG 101 English Composition I 3 MAT 109/110 College Algebra/CA with Modeling

or MAT 120 Probability & Statistics 3 PSY 201 General Psychology 3

PSY 203 Human Growth and Dev. 3

PSY 212 Abnormal Psychology 3

SPC 205 Public Speaking

or SPC 209 Interpersonal Communications 3

Students

must

complete the following to be considered

for admission into Phase II of the OTA program:

•

Attendance at a Career Talk required.

•

Once you have completed the equivalent of one semester of

required coursework, you will be assigned an advisor in the

OTA program.

•

Completion of all Phase I required courses by the end of the

Spring Semester with a “C” or better and an overall minimum

Phase I GPA of 2.5. Students who make a “D” or an “F” or a

“W” in any course the second time become ineligible to

continue in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.

Phase II Admissions

• Completion of application to Greenville Tech, including receipt of all official

college transcripts and any other necessary documentation.

Mail to: OTA Program

Greenville Technical College P.O. Box 5616, MS3011

Greenville, SC 29606

• Completion of weighted admissions form.

• Documentation of work or volunteer experience should be submitted on

company letterhead for Phase II Weighted Admission Scoring.

• Work experience must be 6 consecutive months within the past 5

years. Certifications must be current to receive weighted admissions points.

• Volunteer Hours under 50 hours will not be given weighted

Weighted Enrollment Forms- Summer 2016

• Once the weighted admission application window is closed,

OTA Faculty and Advisors will score and determine accuracy of student’s using the OTA Program Weighted Admissions Form. Courses completed in the Spring can not be calculated into the final weighted admissions score for summer admission

• ALL transcripts, volunteer hours, copies of degrees, etc. must

be turned in with the weighted enrollment form to receive weighted admissions points.

• TEAS test will be required for Summer of 2016 seating, and

points will be added to the weighted admissions form based on the score. Bonus classes will no longer be counted in the admissions process. You will receive weighted admissions

points based on your score. Costs: $55 at GTC. A fee of $27 is charged to transfer scores from another testing center.

• The time period for turning in weighted enrollment forms is

from Jan 15 to Feb 28. Letters will be mailed out in March with classes starting in May. OTA 200, OTA 103 and OTA 163 will be completed in the initial summer.

Greenville Technical College

Health and Wellness Division

Criminal Background Check Policy

Students will have a criminal background check prior to or upon entering Greenville Technical College Health and Wellness courses. A multi-state record check will be conducted for all students for at least seven years prior to admission.

• This criminal background report must indicate that a student has NO

CONVICTION on record to remain enrolled in the OTA program.

• Students are required to disclose any prior criminal record by accurately answering the following question in the OTA Phase II Admission Intent Packet and on the authorization for criminal background check release form:

• Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation? (Circle one) YES NO

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and Driving Under Suspension (DUS)

are NOT considered minor traffic violations. Failure to disclose may result in withdrawal from the program of study.

Criminal Background Check

• Students are required to disclose if they have lived in one state less than 12 months

consecutively or worked in another state other than South Carolina in the past 12 months. Each state that a student has lived in or worked in the past 12 months must have a criminal search. If the student cannot verify residency for 12 months in a

consecutive state, then an FBI fingerprinting is required. Failure to report may result in withdrawal from the program of study.

• Convictions of, pleas of guilty, pleas of nolo contendere (no contest), or any pending

criminal charges during the past seven years are grounds for dismissal from a clinical course of study. Any crimes involving violence against the person including but not limited to: murder, manslaughter, use of deadly force, assault and battery (other than simple), sex crimes, abuse of children or the elderly, abduction, or robbery at any time prohibit a student from a clinical course of study.

• Any student who does not stay continuously enrolled at Greenville Technical College

or changes programs will be required to submit a new South Carolina criminal background check upon re-entry to the Health and Wellness Division.

***IMPORTANT: The seven year check is a Greenville Technical College requirement. Licensing(state) and Certifying(national) boards may not follow the same guidelines. It is possible for a student to be allowed to continue in the GTC OTA program, BUT not be allowed to take the national and/or state exams. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that one is eligible, based on CBC, for the national and state boards.

Greenville Technical College

Student Drug Use Policy

Initial Drug Screening

• In order to provide competent health care workers and be in compliance with clinical

agency contracts, Greenville Technical College Health and Wellness Division students are strictly prohibited from being under the influence of alcohol or any

drug/medication which alters behavior or appearance of capability while engaged in any portion of their formal educational experience. To ensure compliance, each student will be required to submit to drug screening prior to attending clinical programs. A variety of specimen collection methods may be utilized some of which may include but are not limited to: blood, urine, hair, saliva and breath.

Positive Findings

• It is unacceptable for students to have detectable levels of illegal drugs in their

system, to be under the influence of alcohol, and to have detectable levels of legal drugs which are not disclosed and/or for which no prescription can be produced. Positive findings on a drug screen or refusal to submit to a requested drug screen will result in immediate administrative withdrawal from the program of study. Any

student with a positive drug screen who desires to have the sample retested and confirmed must do so at his or her own expense.

Greenville Technical College

Student Drug Use Policy

Random Drug Screening

• Random drug screening may be required of a student at any time throughout the course of clinical study.

Drug Screening with Reasonable Suspicion

• Students are subject to drug testing at times in which student actions constitute reasonable suspicion. Factors which may indicate reasonable suspicion for drug testing include but are not limited to

• Contributing to a clinical or lab accident • Possession of drug paraphernalia

• Unexplained abnormal or erratic behavior • Arrest or conviction for drug related offenses • Observance of drug or alcohol use

• Odor of alcohol beverages

• Other behavior that gives reasonable suspicion

Students who display reasonable suspicion will immediately be removed from the education experience and required to submit to an immediate drug

screening. The instructor will communicate immediately with the dean, assistant dean and/or program director in facilitating the screening process.

Reapplication after Removal from Program of Study

•

Students removed from

any program of study for

drug-related issues are

not eligible to recycle

and

may not reapply to

any Health and Wellness

Division for 12 months

and must provide

documentation of

substance abuse

rehabilitation.

Prior to enrollment in Phase II classes, students must

submit documentation of the following

:

• Immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella or a titer x 2 • Chicken pox (history of or vaccinations x 2) or titer

• Tetanus (T-dap required) within 10 years

• Hepatitis 3 shot immunization series is strongly recommended • TB (a two-step TB test is required)

• CPR certificate (adult, child and infant - Healthcare Providers) • Personal Liability Insurance

Flu vaccination is required yearly and should begin in

September or as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary. While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later.

These must be submitted to the AFWC before the student can be enrolled in Phase II coursework.

PHASE II

•

The OTA Program admits students into Phase II

only admits one class annually

. One class of 22-30

will be admitted to the Benson Campus.

•

You

must

work with your Phase I advisor to ensure

you have met all requirements for entrance into

Phase II.

•

Students complete Phase II in a cohort.

•

There are only 2 program course tracts:

fulltime (5 semesters), and part-time (7

semesters).

•

These must be completed as laid out by the OTA

PHASE II OF THE OTA PROGRAM

•

The curriculum is very intense and

challenging and requires a strong

commitment of time and effort for the

student to be successful.

•

Students are

not excused

from class or lab

PHASE II

•

Phase II consists of 14 required courses.

•

Twenty-one weeks in Phase II are spent in full-time

fieldwork affiliations

•

Fieldwork assignments are

arranged

for each student

based upon the type of fieldwork experience needed,

the student’s interest, performance level and the

availability of fieldwork sites.

•

Attempts will be made to place students as close to

home as possible. However, placement is at the

discretion of Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

Adequate transportation and travel expenses are the

responsibility of the student. Students may be asked to

travel up to 2 hours away for up to 9 weeks at a time.

OTA PHASE II

•

Students

cannot

schedule their own fieldwork

experiences due to liability purposes.

•

Please note that students

are responsible

for housing

and transportation costs/arrangements for all fieldwork

affiliations

.

•

Regardless of full time/part time classroom status, all

fieldwork, observations and affiliations must be

completed on a full time basis due to limitations of the

facilities

.

PHASE II REQUIRED COURSES

Course Code Course Name Type Credit Hours

OTA 103 Introduction to Occupational Therapy Online 2

OTA 130 Therapeutic Media I Lab 1

OTA 131 Occupational Performance I Lec/Lab(hybrid) 3

OTA 135 Therapeutic Media II Lab 1

OTA 136 Occupational Performance II Lec/Lab(hybrid) 3

OTA 140 Clinical Introduction Level I FW 1

OTA 153 Clinical Applications I Lec/Lab/obs 5

OTA 200 Introduction into Kinesiology Online 3

OTA 163 Psycho-Social Aspects in OT Lec/Lab 2

OTA 203 Kinesiology Lec/Lab 3

OTA 245 OT Departmental Management Online 2

OTA 253 Clinical Applications II Lec/Lab/FW 5

OTA 260 Clinical V Level II FW 7

OTA 268 Clinical VI Level II FW 7

Phase II total credit hours 45

ACCREDITATION

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by:

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) c/o Accreditation Department

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200

Bethesda, MD 20814-3449 (301) 652-AOTA (or 2682)

www.aota.org FAX: 803-896-4719

• Graduates of the OTA program are able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in

Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) www.nbcot.org.

• After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).

• Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

What happens after I

graduate from the

Certification and Licensure information

www.nbcot.org

National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/OccupationalTherapy/

SC Department of Labor, Licensure and Regulation www.aota.org

American Occupational Therapy Association www.scota.net

South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Where to Find Information about the Program

::

Greenville Technical College

OTA Program

P.O. Box 5616, MS 3011

Greenville, S.C. 29606-5616

FAX: (864) 848-2038

Program Administrative Assistant: (864) 250-3031

http://www.gvltec.edu/OTA

The policies in this Career Talk presentation, including tuition and fees, are based on present conditions and are subject to change without notice.

Greenville Technical College provides equal opportunity and affirmative action in education and employment for all qualified

persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

The college complies with the provisions of Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Higher Education Amendments of

1986; Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the South Carolina Human Affairs Law of 1972; and with the

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, students should contact Sharon Bellwood in the Student Disability Services office which coordinates Section 504 and Title IX at

(864) 250-8408 v/TTY.

Others should contact the ADA coordinator, Director of Human Resources, at (864) 250-8191.

Program Contact Information

OTA Program

Greenville Technical College P.O. Box 5616, MS 3011

Greenville, SC 29606-5616 FAX: 864-848-2038

PHONE: 864-250-3031

Phase I OTA Advisor

Brian Petruska 864-250-3008

Brian.Petruska@gvltec.edu

Program Director

Beth Todd, MHSA, OTR/L 864-250-3033

Beth.Todd@gvltec.edu

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

Aimee Perry, COTA/L 864-250-3028 Aimee.Perry@gvltec.edu Administrative Assistant Kathy Sams 864-250-3031 Kathy.Sams@gvltec.edu