Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate in Science Degree

The Associate in Science Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant program is designed to prepare students for employment as competent, socially responsive entry level occupational therapy assistants who serve the complex and culturally diverse population of Clovis and its surrounding communities. 

Students completing the Occupational Therapy Assistant courses will have a unique understanding of all human beings, and their physical, cognitive, developmental, psychosocial problems that prevent them from participating independently in activities of daily living. 

As occupational therapy assistants, they may work in a wide variety of settings including, but not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, school systems, psychiatric hospitals, private practice out patient clinics, as well as innovative emerging areas of practice. 

Please refer to program requirements for required courses.  An annual cohort of 25 students is acceptedduring the Fall semester.  Students arerequired to complete supervised clinicalfieldwork experiences as a corequisite to academic courses.  All fieldwork requires completion of aphysical examination, immunizations, TB test, current CPR certifica­tion forhealth personnel, background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening.  For fieldwork level I, students are requiredto complete a total of 100 hours of fieldwork (with 50 hours on-campusseminar).

Aftercompleting and passing core classroom courses, students are able to enter into fieldwork level II, an unpaid full-timeexternship for a minimum of 16 weeks for 40 hours each week.  (ACOTE standard C.1.10).  Students are requiredto complete a total of 640 hours of fieldwork (with 80 hours of on-campusseminar).

Clovis Community College has applied to the AccreditationCouncil of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) for the opportunity todevelop an Occupational Therapy Assistant program, with a projected date forgranted candidacy status in the Fall of 2020. The contact information for the Accreditation Council forOccupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational TherapyAssociation (AOTA) is 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449.ACOTE’s phone number, via AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA, and their web address iswww.acoteonline.org.

ACOTE has projected candidacy for the OccupationalTherapy Assistant program at Clovis Community College for March 2020, firstclass start in August 2020, initial report on self-study due March 2021, pre-accreditationdecision on August 2021, initial on-site evaluation on October/November 2021,and accreditation decision on December 2021. 

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program must begranted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit forthe national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistantadministered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy(NBCOT).  The contact information for the NBCOT is 12 South Summit Avenue,Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150. NBCOT’s phone number is (301) 990-7979,and their web address is www.nbcot.org.After successful completion and passing of this exam, the individual will be aCertified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).

Uponsuccessful completion of the NBCOT exami­nation, graduates intending topractice in California are required to be licensed by the California Board ofOccupational Therapy (CBOT), located at 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 2050,Sacramento, CA 95815. Additional information about these practice regulationscan be found at www.bot.ca.gov or by contacting the Board at 916-263-2294.

Individuals considering entering the Occupational TherapyAssistant Program who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime mayinfluence the eligibility for taking the national certificationexam and/or state licensure.  Applicants with any issues that may flag the backgroundcheck and/or drug screening should contact the CTE Dean for confidentialadvisement and planning prior to applying to the program.

Each cohort will start inthe Fall semester – Year 1.  Requiredcourses will be completed during Fall semester – Year 1, Spring semester – Year1, and Summer semester – Year 1.  Corecourses will be completed during Fall semester – Year 2, Spring semester - Year2, and Summer semester – Year 2.  Fieldworkwill be completed during Fall semester – Year 3.  Students will graduate at the end of Fallsemester – Year 3.  The planned annual cohortsize will be 25 students.

Based upon the UnitedStates Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics, in California,Occupational Therapy Assistants’ employment outlook is expected to grow by 32% by 2022, earning $59,010annually ($28-$29 an hour).  In Fresno,California, Occupational Therapy Assistants’ annual wages is higher than theCalifornia median wage, earning $70,040 annually ($33-34 an hour) [refer to“OTA Employment DATA 2012-2022,” page 2-3]

Program Goals:

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to

1. Demonstrate skills appropriate to employment as a competent, socially responsive entry level occupational therapy assistant who serves the complex and culturally diverse population of Clovis and its surrounding communities. 

2. Demonstrate understanding of human beings and their physical, cognitive, developmental, psychosocial problems that prevent them from participating independently in activities of daily living. 

3. Demonstrate skills appropriate to work as a generalist in a wide variety of settings including, but not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, school systems, psychiatric hospitals, private practice outpatient clinics, as well as innovative emerging areas of practice.

4. Work in collaboration with an Occupational Therapist.

 Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Students demonstrate ability to respond and reactappropriately in various Occupational Therapy practice environmentswhere Occupational Therapy could be utilized, to prepare them to obtain anentry-level position as an Occupational Therapy Assistant

2. Students willdemonstrate ability to utilize preparatory, purposeful,and occupation-based activities to maximize independence for all age groups,disabilities and occupational roles

3. Student willbe eligible to take the National Registration Examination for OccupationalTherapy Assistants

 The Associate of Science inOccupational Therapy Assistant program is classified as “Other – Designed to Meet Community Needs.”  The Associate of Science in OccupationalTherapy Assistant program is classified under Career and Technical Education(CTE), whose programs goals and objectives are to prepare students forworkforce preparation.  The vocationalTOP code is classified under 1201.00 –Health Occupations, General.   This certificate is designed to meet communityneeds in accordance with the community college mission. 

1. We embrace diversity and serve all students of the community;

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant programis designed to train students to become occupational therapy assistants who areemployed in facilities that serve the complex and culturally diverse populationin the Fresno area.

     2. We believe education is based on integrity, generosity, and accountability;

     3. We foster critical, creative, and engaged thinking;

     4. We support student success by preparing students for their futures and for the community’s future through career/technical certificates, degrees, and transfer programs;

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram is designed for students to learn and practice the skills to obtainemployment as a generalist occupational therapy assistant.

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram is part of a stackable degree.  Studentsmay initially gain experience and employment in Occupational Therapy bycompleting the Certificate of Achievement in Rehabilitation Aide, in whichgraduates could be employed as an occupational therapy aide.  As an occupational therapy aide, if they meetthe required courses, students may apply to the associate program, in whichgraduates will be eligible to work as an occupational therapy assistant.  As an occupational therapy assistant, if theymeet the prerequisites, students may apply to the doctorate program offered ata university.

       5. We cultivate community partnerships to enhance student learning and success;

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram has a fieldwork component, required by the Accreditation Council onOccupational Therapy Education, in which students practice skills learned inthe classroom in the current clinical climate [refer to “ACOTE2018-Standards-and-Interpretive-Guide,”pages 33-38].  Our community partnershipstaking our externship students will complete the training of our students andoffer these partnerships the opportunity to hire our students.

      6. We engage in reflective, data-driven cycle of research and innovation focused on learning and student outcomes.

 As a CTE program at ClovisCommunity College, the Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram also fits into the State Center Community College District’s (SCCCD) Missionand Strategic Planning [refer to “SCCCD_Strategic_Plan_2017-2020”].

DISTRICT VISION: Empoweringthrough Educational Excellence

DISTRICT MISSION: State CenterCommunity College District is committed to empowering our colleges in theirefforts to promote exemplary educational opportunities and to provide safe,inclusive, and supportive learning environments leading to student success andglobal competitiveness which will transform our region.

• As part of the Clovis Community College program inventory, theAssociate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant program provideseducational opportunities for our students to learn in an inclusive andsupportive environment, earning an associate degree that will allow them entryinto our regional workforce, and opportunities to expand and be competitive inthe healthcare arena. 

  MASTER STRATEGIC PLAN –OVERARCHING GOALS:

1. Excellence in Education: SCCCD is committed to empowering ourcolleges to cultivate excellence in educational programs and student supportservices.

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram was initiated by college leaders to create CTE programs that would bebased upon the employment needs of the community and provide academicexcellence for our students.

       2. Institutional Effectiveness: SCCCD is committed todata-informed but people-driven continuous quality improvement of processes andresources.

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram was developed based upon data-informed and people-driven input of localindustry business leaders to determine the curriculum design.

      3. Leader in Higher Education and Community Collaboration: SCCCDis committed to being a force for positive change by expanding partnerships ineducation and workforce development

• The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram incorporated a fieldwork component to the program to expand uponpartnerships within the community and mold the educational learning of our students.

The Associate of Science inOccupational Therapy Assistant program embodies a pattern of learningexperiences that are focused on specific capabilities or knowledge areas.  Student learning outcomes are developed frominput by the Occupational Therapy Assistant advisory board members, who inpart, are current industry professionals who know of specific capabilities andknowledge areas needed to be employed as an Occupational Therapy Assistantspecific to the Central Valley area. Also, the fieldwork component of this program allows students topractice current skills under the supervision of industry professionals.

 Clovis Community College isdeveloping more CTE programs to meet the needs of the community and businessesin the surrounding Fresno area.  The Associateof Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant program will be the secondhealth-related CTE program at Clovis Community College, which is a stackabledegree to the Certificate of Achievement in Rehabilitation Aide, building uponthe college’s existing program inventory of offering programs that focus oncommunity building, diversity, and innovation.

Student Selection and Fees:  Theprogram is open to enrollment and there is a selection process for admission tothe program, in compliance with provisions of Title 5, sections 55201 and58106.  The mandatory fees would include physical examination, immunizations, TB test, current CPRcertifica­tion for health personnel, background check, fingerprinting, drugscreening, uniforms for lab, insurance, and travel expenses to fieldworklevel I and II sites that students will incur, for the program as a whole orany of its constituent courses, aside from the ordinary course enrollment feeprescribed in Education Code section 76300. Students are required to participate as an unpaid extern full-time duringfieldwork II at a site for 16 weeks, for 40 hours each week after completingand passing core classroom courses.

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