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Tennessee OT Assistants
Definition of a OTA
Any person who has met the qualifications for licensed occupational therapy assistant and holds a current, unsuspended or unrevoked, license which has been lawfully issued by the Board. Such person assists and works under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist.
What are OTAs allowed to do?
The Occupational Therapy Assistant can implement and coordinate intervention plan under the supervision of the licensed Occupational Therapist.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant can provide direct services that follow a documented routine and accepted procedure under the supervision of the Occupational Therapist.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant can adapt activities, media, environment according to the needs to the patient/client, under the supervision of the licensed Occupational Therapist.
What are the responsibilities of the OT when delegating to a OTA?
It is the responsibility of the occupational therapist and the occupational therapy assistant to seek the appropriate quality and frequency of supervision that ensures safe and effective occupational therapy service delivery. This decision is based on client’s level of care, OTA caseload, experience and demonstrated performance competency.
What type of therapist supervision is required?
Supervision is a collaborative process that requires both the licensed occupational therapist and the licensed occupational therapy assistant to share responsibility. Appropriate supervision will include consideration given to factors such as level of skill, the establishment of service competency (the ability to use the identified intervention in a safe and effective manner), experience and work setting demands, as well as the complexity and stability of the client population to be treated.
Supervision of an Occupational Therapy Assistant with permanent licensure means initial direction and inspection of the service delivery and provision of relevant in-service training, according to the level of supervision the occupational therapy assistant requires.
Documentation
Therapists must maintain documentation of each supervisory visit and must identify a plan for continued supervision. Records must include, at a minimum, the following information:
1. Location of visit; a method of identifying clients discussed
2. Current plan for supervision (daily, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, other)
3. Type of supervision provided. These include but are not limited to
4. Identification of type(s) of interventions observed. These include but are not limited to:
5. Other supervisory actions. These include but are not limited to:
6. An agreement statement signed and dated by both parties, that the supervisory visit did occur and met the needs of the supervisor and supervisee.
7. It is the responsibility of the supervising occupational therapist to provide and the occupational therapy assistant to seek a quality and frequency of supervision that ensures safe and effective occupational therapy service delivery. Both parties (supervisor and supervisee) must keep copies of the supervisory records. Visit records must be maintained for three (3) years and must be provided to the Board and/or its representative, upon request.
Supervision Related to Skill Level
Supervision of occupational therapy services provided by a licensed occupational therapy assistant is recommended as follows:
Citations
Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-13-103
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-02-.01
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-02-.10
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