Program: AS-5530

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is committed to provide the people of Polk County quality-driven instruction, opportunities to develop interpersonal/clinical skills, and promotion of lifelong learning within an environment of excellence to ensure a successful career in healthcare.

Occupational Therapy is a vital health care service whose practitioners use “occupation” (purposeful activity) as a means of preventing, reducing, or overcoming physical, social, and emotional disabilities in people of all ages. Some of the responsibilities of the occupational therapy assistants include carrying out treatment interventions designed by the occupational therapist, adapting the environment for individuals with psychosocial and physical dysfunctions to maximize independent function, teaching the use of adaptive equipment, and teaching compensatory techniques to facilitate performance of daily activities.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is a limited admission 70-credit hour AS or AAS degree program. Each OTA applicant must first be admitted to the College and meet pre-admission requirements. Then, eighteen applicants are selected each year by the selection committee for the spring semester. The College reserves the right to change the requirements of the OTA program.

The program is offered on the Winter Haven campus. Most courses are offered Monday through Thursday, during the day hours. The program requires full time commitment throughout the year, including the summer. The program contains 14 credit hours of clinical fieldwork (Level I and II), which are completed at local facilities.

Accreditation

The OTA Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): 4720 Montgomery Lane, P. O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, 301-652-2682.

Admission Criteria

The following are minimum requirements for application:

1. Prospective students must gain acceptance to Polk State College (PSC) as degree-seeking students with all required admission documents received by the Registrar’s Office.
2. Students must complete any required college preparatory courses before application to the program.
3. Students must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher at the time of application and admission.
4. The following prerequisite course work must be in progress (or completed) at the time of application, and a grade of “C” or better in each course:
   
   
   BSC 2085C Human Anatomy and Physiology I
    
   
   PSY 2012 General Psychology
    
   
   ENC 1101 College Composition I
    
    
5. Students must complete 20 hours of observation in an occupational therapy department with direct supervision of an Occupational Therapist or an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Observation Hours Forms may be obtained by calling the OTA Program at 863-297-1010, Ext.5753, or by visiting the program webpage at www.polk.edu/ota.
6. Students must submit a complete and accurate “Application for Acceptance Allied Health Programs Form” to the OTA Program Director.

Students may apply for admission into the OTA program anytime during the academic year (rolling admission). Admission is on a first-come-first-qualified basis for applicants who meet all admission criteria.

Additional Program Requirements

The following requirements are to be completed by students admitted into the program, before the first fieldwork rotation in summer.

1. Physical examination
2. Immunization and communicable disease screenings
3. Current CPR certification
4. AIDS/HIV certification
5. Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) background checks
6. Drug screening (10 panel)

Information regarding the completion of these additional admission requirements is provided by the OTA Program Director during the orientation meeting held in December.

Work Sites

Typical work sites for the OTA are rehabilitation units/centers, nursing homes, psychiatric units, mental health agencies, forensic facilities, community-based agencies, developmental disabilities agencies, pediatric agencies, schools, higher education (community colleges), and industrial settings.

Program Cost

The program’s cost is approximately $5,000. This cost estimate includes tuition, books, lab fees, uniforms, name tag, Certification Exam, Florida Licensure, and CPR/AIDS certification.

Potential Earnings

OTA positions may be salaried or hourly (usually 40 hours per week). In Polk County, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) may earn an average of $43,000 a year with benefits if employed full time.

Certification Examination

Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, administered by the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), 800 S Frederick Ave., Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150, 301-990-7979. The examination is offered throughout the year, with a cost of $485 if taken within the United States. After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT exam and the ability to obtain a state license.

Florida Licensure

Graduates need to apply for Florida licensure upon successful completion of the certification exam. Graduates must contact the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy licensing board to obtain the application documents for licensure. The current fee for Florida licensure is $180. A felony conviction may affect graduate’s ability to attain state licensure.