Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market

Degree and Program Requirements

70-71 credit hours are required for successful completion of the OTA program (variation occurs due to differences in college courses)

Fieldwork experience I and fieldwork experience II must be completed within 18 months of completion of the academic coursework.

IMPACT OF A FELONY CONVICTION ON CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE

A felony conviction could make you ineligible to take the national certification examination to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant or for licensure to practice in the State of Illinois and other states.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination application contains several statements regarding felony convictions.  These statements, in essence, will read:

I have been convicted of a felony – yes or no

I have been charged with a felony and:

(a) the charge has yet to be dismissed – yes or no

(b)  pleads guilty to or has been convicted of a lesser charge – yes or no

Answering “yes” to one of the above felony questions on the examination application triggers a set of procedures by NBCOT.  This includes a Qualifications and Compliance Review Committee review of the qualifications of examination candidates who have been convicted of or charged with a felony.

The NBCOT Qualifications and Compliance Review Committee will consider each case on an individual basis and decide if the circumstances of an individual’s crime may be such to indicate an inability to safely, ethically, and proficiently engage in the practice of occupational therapy.

The NBCOT Qualifications and Compliance Review Committee may decide to deny the individual the opportunity to take the certification examination.  This denial would ultimately prevent the graduate from working as an occupational therapy assistant even though he or she has graduated from an accredited educational program.  Almost all state licensing bureaus (including Illinois) require the graduate to pass the national competency examination before issuing initial licensure.

The NBCOT Qualifications and Compliance Review Committee will give an individual (such as a person considering entering an educational program or a person who has just entered an educational program) a preliminary determination for approval to take the certification examination.  A favorable determination will be made only upon receiving information that indicates the candidate has not violated the Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct and is likely to engage in safe, ethical, and proficient practice of occupational therapy.  Information on this process of character review, the code, fees, and materials required can be found at:

 http://www.nbcot.org  (candidate information/character review)

The Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, through the Occupational Therapy Board, has a similar process to determine of a person convicted of a felony will be issued a license to practice in the state of Illinois.  The OT Board makes its determination at the point of application and does not have a procedure for preliminary determination.  Application for Illinois licensure as an occupational therapy assistant can only be made after graduation from an accredited two-year program.  The State of Illinois may or may not follow the NBCOT decision.  Other states also have conduct and character regulation.

For further information contact:

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.

Regulatory Affairs Department

800 S. Frederick Avenue, Suite 200

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

(301) 990-7979           http://www.nbcot.org

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation

Division of Professional Regulation

320 West Washington

Springfield, IL 62786

(217) 785-0800           http://www.idfpr.com