How is occupational therapy defined in Tennessee?

“Occupational therapy practice” means the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) for the purpose of enabling individuals or groups to participate in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community and other settings. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in occupations that affect health, well-being and quality of life.

What is included in the practice of occupational therapy?

The screening, evaluation, assessment, planning, implementation and discharge planning of an occupational therapy program or services in consultation with the client, family members, caregivers and other appropriate persons.

Selection and administration of standardized and non standardized tests and measurements to evaluate factors affecting activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, education, work, play, leisure and social participation, including:

• Body functions and body structures;
• Habits, routines, roles and behavior patterns;
• Cultural, physical, environmental, social and spiritual context and activity demands that affect performance; and
• Performance skills, including motor, process and communication/interaction skills.

Methods or strategies selected to direct the process of interventions, such as:

• Modification or adaptation of an activity or the environment to enhance performance;
• Establishment, remediation or restoration of a skill or ability that has not yet developed or is impaired;
• Maintenance and enhancement of capabilities without which performance in occupations would decline;
• Health promotion and wellness to enable or enhance performance and safety of occupations; and
• Prevention of barriers to performance, including disability prevention.

Interventions and procedures to promote or enhance safety and performance in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, education, work, play, leisure and social participation, including:

• Therapeutic use of occupations, exercises and activities;
• Training in self-care, self-management, home management and community/work reintegration;
• Development, remediation or compensation of physical, cognitive, neuromuscular and sensory functions and behavioral skills;
• Therapeutic use of self, including an individual's personality, insights, perceptions and judgments as part of the therapeutic process;
• Education and training of individuals, family members, caregivers and others;
• Care coordination, case management, discharge planning and transition services;
• Consulting services to groups, programs, organizations or communities;
• Assessment, recommendations and training in techniques and equipment to enhance functional mobility, including wheelchair management;
• Driver rehabilitation and community mobility; and
• Management of feeding and eating skills to enable feeding and eating performance.

Occupational Therapy Services

Management of occupational therapy services, including the planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, directing or controlling of individuals and organizations.

Providing instruction in occupational therapy to students in an accredited occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant educational program by persons who are trained as occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.

Administration, interpretation and application of research to occupational therapy services.

Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness to those clients who have, or are at risk of developing, illness, injury, disease, disorder, impairment, disability, activity limitation or participation restriction and may include:

• Training in the use of prosthetic devices;
• Assessment, design, development, fabrication, adaptation, application, fitting and training in the use of assistive technology and adaptive and selective orthotic devices;
• Application of physical agent modalities with proper training and certification;
• Assessment and application of ergonomic principles; and
• Adaptation or modification of environments, at home, work, school or community, and use of a range of therapeutic procedures, such as wound care management, techniques to enhance sensory, perceptual and cognitive processing and manual therapy techniques, to enhance performance skills, occupational performance or the promotion of health and wellness;

Occupational Therapy Settings

Occupational therapy practice may occur in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to:

• Institutional inpatient settings, such as acute rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, nursing facilities and prisons;
• Outpatient settings, such as clinics, medical offices and therapist offices;
• Home and community settings, such as homes, group homes, assisted living facilities, schools, early intervention centers, daycare centers, industrial and business facilities, hospices, sheltered workshops, wellness and fitness centers and community mental health facilities;
• Research facilities; and
• Educational institutions.

What is specifically excluded from the practice?

N/A

Are there any special trainings or requirements?

Occupational therapy practice includes specialized services provided by occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants who are certified or trained in areas of specialization, which include, but are not limited to, hand therapy, neurodevelopmental treatment, sensory integration, pediatrics, geriatrics and neurorehabilitation, through programs approved by AOTA or other nationally recognized organizations.

See Tennessee OT Electrical Stimulation

See Tennessee OT Thermal Agents

Reference

Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-13-103

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-02-.01