What Do COTAs Do?
Their duties and responsibilities of a certified occupational therapy assistant and the occupational therapist are very much alike. The only difference is that certified occupational therapy assistants are supervised by the OTs, which means they must report everything to the OTs. OTAs and OTs work hand in hand in rehabilitating patients who have difficulty in performing daily activities, and if the law permits, OTAs can also develop a treatment plan for the patients. Aside from that, they also maintain the tidiness of office treatment areas, equipment, and supply inventory.
What Are the Requirements?
For all interested applicants, you must comply with the following prerequisites:
- Must have an associates degree from an occupational therapy assistant program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
- Passer of the COTA Exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
- High school diploma
- On-the-job training completion certificate
- Basic computer skills
- Current state occupational therapy assistant license
- Basic computer skills
- Licensed by the National Board in Certified Occupational Therapy
- California Law Exam Passer
- Must be compassionate
- Must have attention to detail
- Must be physically strong
- Must observe patient confidentiality