OT 101 - Introduction to OT

• educate consumers, employers, third party payers, other professionals, service providers and the general public regarding the nature and value of Occupational Therapy, including descriptions of the varied roles of the OTA in care coordination, case management, and transition services in traditional and emerging practice areas, as well as roles such as practitioner, educator, research assistant, contracted OT Practitioner and advocate for changes in service delivery systems;
• discuss the role of the OTR and COTA and the delineation of professional responsibilities, including the concept of service competency, the rationale for supervision, professional responsibilities, strategies for professionalism/professional development and the collaborative relationship between  the OT and the OTA as well as the collaborative relationship with other professionals, the client, caregivers, families and significant others  regarding therapeutic interventions;
• explain and give examples of how the role of OT professional is enhanced by knowledge of and involvement in international, national, state, and local OT associations and related professional associations including professional advocacy through participation in activities that promote the OT profession;
• discuss the importance of professional research and literature, and the continued development of the profession’s theories and models as applicable to evidence-based practice as well as how scholarly activities can be used to evaluate professional practice, service delivery, and professional issues;   
• describe the difference in education and curricular content to prepare OT and OTA students as well as the purpose of fieldwork education, the criteria for becoming a fieldwork educator, and the ongoing professional duty to provide fieldwork education once qualified to do so;
• describe legal issues related to OT practice including: national certification/requirements for NYS licensure, competency based legal and ethical OT supervision of  non-professional personnel, professional responsibilities related to malpractice and liability issues under current models of service provision, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)/ Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), mandated reporting, and impact of state and federal laws on OT practice as well as how OT practitioners can influence legislation;
• discuss how the various practice settings (medical, community, and school-system) and service continuum (acute, sub acute and long-term) affect management, delivery and practice of occupational therapy and identify strategies to assist the consumer in gaining access to occupational therapy services;
• describe how the AOTA Code of Ethics, AOTA Standards of Practice, as well as informal and formal governing systems can be used as a guide for ethical decision making (including reporting of elder abuse/neglect) and resolving disputes at personal, professional and organizational levels;
• use sound judgment in regard to safety of self and others and adhere to safety regulations (standard precautions and infection control) throughout the occupational therapy process as appropriate to the setting and scope of practice; and
• describe the use of documentation in OT including the need and rationale for OT services, accountability of service provision, common terminology, appropriateness to context of service delivery, quality improvement processes, and in maintaining compliance with Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA)/Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).