The 20-month program will provide students the opportunity to earn an Associate's degree of Occupational Science and become an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Occupational therapy is a growing field in health care; in fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of positions for Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) will grow by 43 percent nationally by 2022. American Career College (ACC) has launched a new program at the Orange County campus, where a student can become an OTA in just 20 months. ACC is currently accepting applications to this new program.
OTA's help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. OTA's collaborate with occupational therapists to develop and carry out a treatment plan for each patient.
"Throughout the curriculum, OTA students are exposed to traditional areas of practice where occupational therapy professionals deliver their services," said OTA Program Director, Dr. Martha Hartgraves, OTR/L. "The students will also have direct exposure to emerging practice areas, specifically to the driver rehabilitation program, where OTA's help patients with the desire to recover from injury or physical limitations that impact their ability to drive."
Other areas of OTA practice include working with children and youth in clinical inpatient and clinical outpatient services; working with adults in clinical inpatient and clinical outpatient services; working with older adults in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and in day care centers; and working with adults with mental health and behavioral challenges who receive OT services in behavioral clinics, acute care community hospitals, and state hospitals.
Learn more about ACC's all-new Occupational Therapy Assistant program
The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at American Career College has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, (301) 652-2682, http://acoteonline.org. Once accreditation of the program has been granted, its graduates will be eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
