Upcoming Webinars

Site Updates

Disclaimer

The analysis of any legal or medical billing is dependent on numerous specific facts — including the factual situations present related to the patients, the practice, the professionals and the medical services and advice. Additionally, laws and regulations and insurance and payer policies are subject to change. The information that has been accurate previously can be particularly dependent on changes in time or circumstances. The information contained in this web site is intended as general information only. It is not intended to serve as medical, health, legal or financial advice or as a substitute for professional advice of a medical coding professional, healthcare consultant, physician or medical professional, legal counsel, accountant or financial advisor. If you have a question about a specific matter, you should contact a professional advisor directly. CPT copyright American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

Menu
Log in


Log in

New York OT Continuing Education 

How many continuing education hours are required during a reporting period?

Occupational Therapists: OTs licensed in New York must complete thirty-six (36) hours of continuing education every three (3) years.  

New Licensees: Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing competency requirement for the triennial registration period during which they are first licensed.  

New Registrants: Any occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant whose first registration date following the effective date of this section occurs less than three years from such effective date but on or after January first, two thousand thirteen, shall complete continuing competency hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one-half hour per month for the period beginning January first, 2013 up to the first registration date.

OTAs: COTAs licensed in New York must complete thirty-six (36) hours of continuing education every three (3) years.

Can CE credits be carried over into the next reporting period?

With the exception of continuing education hours taken during the registration period immediately preceding the effective date of this section, continuing education hours taken during one triennium may not be transferred to a subsequent triennium.

Are there any specific requirements for continuing education?

N/A

Are there limitations on the types of courses that can be taken?

At least twenty-four (24) hours shall be in areas of study pertinent to the scope of practice of occupational therapy.

What types of activities can be used for the continuing education requirements?

Acceptable learning activities may include coursework or training offered by an approved which may include but need not be limited to the following types of offerings by such approved sponsors:

  • Formal continuing education courses or workshops;
  • Formal academic study offered as part of a registered program
  • An equivalent program that is accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency;
  • In-service training programs offered by an employer to its employees;
  • Self-study, provided that no more than two-thirds of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through self-study.

Independent Study

Acceptable learning activities may include independent study.  A licensee who completes independent study to meet the mandatory continuing competency requirement shall prepare a narrative account of what was learned and an overall written evaluation of the learning activity.

Documentation

Such licensee shall maintain a copy of the narrative account and written evaluation for six (6) years after completion of this learning activity. Study in conjunction with supervision of fieldwork education conducted as part of a program of study or in conjunction with supervised experience may be considered independent study. A licensee who completes study in conjunction with such fieldwork supervision or supervised experience shall prepare and retain a narrative account of the preparation associated with the supervision in addition to the other requirements and shall retain a letter of verification or certificate from the program that includes the dates of fieldwork.

Credit Earned

Three (3) clock hours of independent study shall equal one (1) continuing competency hour.

Maximum

No more than one-third of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through independent study.

Mentorship

The mentoring shall be a one-to-one relationship between a mentor and a mentee. The mentorship shall provide a minimum of fifteen (15) clock hours of direct contact between the mentor and the mentee.

Mentor Qualifications

The mentor shall be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, or in another profession and have at least five (5) years of post-licensure experience in the subject of the mentoring. The mentee shall be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.

  • The mentor and the mentee shall develop written mentee goals that shall be met during the mentorship by the mentee.
  • The mentor shall develop a written teaching plan that shall guide the mentorship and shall provide for the formal evaluation of the mentee in writing.
  • The mentee shall prepare a narrative account of what was learned in the mentorship and an overall evaluation of the mentorship.

Credit Earned

A licensee who is either a mentor or mentee who completes a mentorship shall receive up to ten (10) continuing competency hours of credit for each mentoring relationship, except that no more than one-half of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through either mentoring or receiving mentoring as a mentee, and the mentor or mentee shall not receive credit for activity that is conducted as part of their professional employment.

Documentation

Each licensee who meets a portion of his or her continuing competency requirement through participation in a mentorship either as a mentor or as a mentee shall maintain the following records for a period of six (6) years from the date of the completion of this activity: name of the mentor and mentee, mentee goals, the teaching plan of the mentor, the evaluation of the mentee by the mentor, the narrative account of the mentee of what was learned, and the evaluation of the mentorship by the mentee or mentor, as applicable.

Publications

Acceptable learning activities may include publication of a written work by the licensee during the registration period in accordance with the requirements of this clause.

A licensee may receive up to ten (10) continuing competency hours of credit for publishing, as primary or co-author, an article, the subject of which shall be a professional subject in a professional journal that is peer reviewed, or a chapter in a text book. 

A licensee shall receive up to five (5) continuing competency hours of credit for publishing, as primary or co-author, an article in a professional journal that is not peer reviewed or in a non-professional journal.  

A licensee may receive up to 10 continuing competency hours of credit  as primary or co-primary investigator in research activities conducted by a registered educational program or an equivalent program that is accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency, or up to five (5) continuing competency hours of credit for developing instructional materials, including but not limited to training manuals, multimedia or software programs, except that no more than one-half of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through such publication.

A licensee may receive up to five (5) continuing competency hours of credit for the peer review of an article in a professional journal, or a chapter in a professional text book except that no more than one-half of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through such peer review.

Presentation at a Professional Conference

Acceptable learning activities may include a presentation by the licensee at a professional conference sponsored by a bona-fide organization that has an established record of sponsoring conferences for a licensed profession. A licensee who makes one or more such presentations during the registration period shall receive up to five (5) continuing competency hours in total for this learning activity, except that no more than one-sixth of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through such a presentation.

Chairing a Professional Practice Committee

Acceptable learning activities may include chairing a professional practice committee of an international, national, state or local professional association that has an established record of providing support and guidance for the practice of occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.  A licensee who serves as such chair for at least one year during the registration period shall receive up to five continuing competency hours in total for this learning activity, except that no more than one-sixth of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through such activity. Such activity shall be considered a learning activity in a related subject as defined in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of this section, and may only be credited as such in meeting the mandatory continuing competency requirement.

Participation in a professional study group. Acceptable learning activities may include participation in a professional study group in accordance with the requirements of this clause.

    • The professional study group shall be composed of three or more licensed occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.
    • The study group shall have written goals for what it expects to accomplish and a written study plan to meet these goals. The study group shall evaluate the learning activity in writing when the group has met its study goals.
    • The study group shall maintain attendance records and meeting notes for what transpired at each meeting of the study group.
    • Each licensee who meets a portion of the continuing competency requirement through participation in a study group shall maintain the following records for a period of six years from the date of the completion of this activity: a list of participants, an attendance record, goals of the group, study plan, notes of meetings, and the evaluation of the learning activity.
    • Two clock hours of participation in a study group pursuant to this clause shall equal one continuing competency hour. No more than one-half of the mandatory continuing competency requirement may be completed through participation in a study group.

What type of approval is needed for the courses?

The Department shall deem approved as a sponsor of coursework or training offered to licensed occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants to meet the continuing competency requirement:

A sponsor of coursework or training that is approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association, the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, the New York State Occupational Therapy Association, the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, or an equivalent organization determined by the Department to have adequate standards for approving sponsors of continuing education for professionals; or

    • Postsecondary institutions, provided that such approval is limited only to the offering of courses in programs that are registered by the Department pursuant to Part 52 of this Title, or in equivalent programs that are accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency; or
    • Postsecondary institutions, or a consortium of such institutions, that offer programs that are registered pursuant to Part 52 of this Title as leading to licensure in occupational therapy or authorization to practice as an occupational therapy assistant or postsecondary institutions that offer equivalent professional education programs accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency, for credit and noncredit offerings.

What are the reporting requirements?

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants shall maintain adequate documentation of completion of:

    • A learning plan that shall record current and anticipated roles and responsibilities but shall not require the records of peer review or self-assessment of competencies, and
    • Acceptable continuing competency learning activities and shall provide such documentation at the request of the department. 

Licensee Records

Each licensee subject to the requirements of this section shall maintain, and ensure access by the Department to, the following records:

    • A learning plan for continuing competency that shall record current and anticipated goals; and
    • A comprehensive list of acceptable learning activities completed, which includes for each learning activity:
      • The sponsor's name, if any, and any identifying number;
      • A written verification of attendance, if attendance was required;
      • The date and location of the learning activity; and
      • The number of continuing competency hours completed.

In addition to meeting the recordkeeping requirement each licensee who meets a portion of his or her continuing competency requirement through independent study, participation in a mentorship either as a mentor or as a mentee, or participation in a professional study group, shall meet the recordkeeping requirements applicable to that learning activity.

How long must continuing education records be retained?

Records shall be retained for at least six (6) years from the date of completion of the activity and shall be available for review by the Department in the administration of the requirements of this section.

Exemptions

A licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant not engaged in practice, as determined by the department, shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing competency requirement upon the filing of a statement with the department declaring such status. Any licensee who returns to the practice of occupational therapy during the triennial registration period shall notify the department prior to reentering the profession and shall meet such mandatory continuing competency requirements as shall be prescribed by regulations of the commissioner.

Continuing Competency Fee

The mandatory continuing competency fee shall be forty-five ($45) dollars for occupational therapists and twenty-five ($25) dollars for occupational therapy assistants, shall be payable on or before the first day of each triennial registration period, and shall be paid in addition to the triennial registration fee required by section seventy-nine hundred four of this article.

Reference

NYCCR § 7908


About Us

Therapy Comply is a healthcare compliance firm that seeks to bring high quality web-based compliance guidance and one-on-one consulting services to small and medium size physical, occupational, and speech therapy practices.

Learn More 

Join Us

Join today as either a monthly or a yearly member and enjoy full access to the site and a significant discount to our live and recorded webinars.  Members also have access to compliance and billing support.

Join Today 

Find Us


Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software