OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PROGRAM

IMPORTANT CORONAVIRUS UPDATE RE: 5/22/20

OTA PROGRAM OFFICE IS PHYSICALLY CLOSED -

Communicate via e -mail to the

OTA Health Specialist  denise.gilbert@gcccd.edu

or
OTA Program Director christi.vicino@gcccd.edu 

***UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES APPLICATION PACKETS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ONLINE - transcripts - once the physical office is open again, you will be given an opportunity to hand deliver your transcripts to the OTA Office.
The waitlist date will be back dated once we are back on campus and transcripts can be verified. All business is being done remotely and the division is moving forward with business as usual.  There may be a few hiccups that we will all work through together.  Please take care and reach out to denise.gilbert@gcccd.edu  with any questions.  

UPDATED 5/22/20: Summer 2020 New Class has been seated.  If you are on the waitlist, please keep your e-mail address current and check often in case there is a drop between now and June 22 when the first course starts.  Please contact denise.gilbert@gcccd.edu with any questions.

OTA PROGRAM PREVIEW INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS

NEXT MEETING HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED - Please check back

**Bring $2 for parking, plan for extra time to find parking, and plan to arrive on time for meeting**

 WE ACCEPT APPLICATIONS ALL YEAR - WE HAVE SEATED THE SUMMER 2020 COHORT BUT IF THERE IS A DROP, WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THE NEXT ON THE LIST TO FILL THE SPOT WITH A SHORT RESPONSE TIME SO PLEASE KEEP LOOKING IN YOUR SPAM AND E-MAIL THROUGOUT THE DAY IN THESE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE SUMMER SEMESTER WHICH STARTS JUNE 22........FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL DENISE GILBERT TO CHECK IN AS WELL.

Teaching the Art of Independence

PICTURE to left: Occupational therapy personnel using a therapy ball for upper extremity strengthening exercises.

Occupational Therapy is a skilled treatment that focuses on helping people of all ages regain, develop, or master everyday skills in order to live independent, productive and satisfying lives. Whether the individual is young or old, they engage in "occupations" such as learning, playing, working, or managing a home. Occupational Therapy provides services to those individuals with physical, emotional, or other challenges who are unable to carry out their daily living tasks.

Occupational therapists assess clients with physical and mental challenges in order to develop activities of daily living (ADL) that work best for those clients. For a client with a physical disability, the first focus is on performing critical daily routines, such as dressing, grooming, bathing, and eating. Once these skills are mastered, a program is then built around the skills needed to perform tasks such as participating in education, caring for a home and family, or seeking and maintaining employment.

For a client with mental illness, the goals are also based on the ability to function independently. In treating mental or emotional challenges, the occupational therapy program focuses on areas such as managing time, working productively with others, and enjoying leisure.

Occupational Therapy Practitioners work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, schools, long-term care facilities, mental health centers, rehabilitation facilities, private homes and more. Delivery of occupational therapy services involves several levels of personnel including the occupational therapist, the occupational therapy assistant and aides.

ACCREDITATION

Grossmont College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges, the Community College League of California, and the National Commission on Accrediting. Appropriate courses are fully accepted on transfer by the University of California, The California State College system, and by private four-year colleges and universities.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education; (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4949 and the phone number is 301-652-6611.  www.acoteonline.org is the link to their website.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).  After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).  In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.  Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) is the link to their website. 

Students in default of a student loan may be ineligible to obtain a license to practice occupational therapy.  Be sure to check with the state licensing board CBOT at cbot@dca.ca.gov in the state youwish to practice prior to applying to the OTA Program.

Individuals considering entering or currently enrolled in the OTA Program at Grossmont College who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime are urged to contact NBCOT at (301) 990-7979 for advisement and planning prior to continuing in the program. Persons on active probation are not eligible to apply, be accepted, or maintain a seat in the OTA Program.  Failure to pass either or both the background check or drug screening procedures may interfere with clinical placements and may influence eligibility for licensure and/or NBCOT testing and/or employment.   **Even if you have passed a prior background check, LiveScan often shows additional items from the past including expunged issues. Graduates are sometimes surprised that they are having difficulty obtaining employment due to not clearing a LiveScan for employment after clearing all the background requirements for the program clinicals, NBCOT testing, and CBOT licensing.**

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at : https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx

COST OF OTA PROGRAM - RESIDENT CORE ONLY (assuming you have completed GE)

COST OF OTA PROGRAM - RESIDENT CORE AND GE

COST OF OTA PROGRAM - INTERNATIONAL/NON-RESIDENT CORE AND GE

*Based on the # of graduates who were offered OTA employment out of the # of graduates who chose to seek employment as an OTA after graduation.**Complete data is not available until closer to August 2020.

OTA Program - 619-644-7304