Health Careers
Occupational Therapist
Professional Activities
Occupational therapy focuses on enabling people to do the activities of daily life. Occupational therapists help people with disabilities learn or regain the skills they need to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. They often work as a member of a team of professionals who combine their individual fields of expertise to meet the needs of the client.
Occupational therapists select appropriate activities suited to the physical and mental capability, developmental level, and interests of each client. Goal-directed activities are designed to facilitate recovery and to improve independence in daily living or work related skills. Occupational therapists must also have an in-depth knowledge of the techniques used for redesigning living and working settings to provide accessibility for people with disabilities. Specialty areas in occupational therapy include hand rehabilitation, pediatrics, physical rehabilitation in areas such as neurology and orthopedics, school system practice, mental health, community-based practice, gerontology.
Occupational therapists work in many different types of environments, including: hospitals, rehabilitation centers, community centers, home health care, nursing homes, mental health centers, school systems, and private practice.
In rural Alaska, occupational therapists are employed by health care facilities, educational organizations, school systems, infant learning programs, and city, state, or federal agencies.
Educational Requirements
- Graduation from high school with coursework in English, science, and math.
- A bachelor’s degree in any field and completion of required pre-requisites for the occupational therapy program you will be entering.
- A master’s degree or doctoral degree in occupational therapy is needed to enter the profession and to be eligible to sit for the national certification examination.
- Students who have successfully completed an accredited degree program may be eligible to sit for the Occupational Therapist Registered OTR® examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®).
Academic Programs
The College of Health and Social Welfare (UAA) has partnered with Creighton University to provide Alaskan residents holding a B.S. degree the opportunity to obtain an entry-level doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD). Creighton University is based in Omaha, Nebraska, providing the OTD program in a distance learning format consisting of online lectures and course work along with onsite (UAA) clinical lab instruction by practicing Occupational Therapists. The OTD program is for Alaskan residents only, and is full-time, requiring students to relocate into Anchorage while attending the program. Course requirements are completed over a 3.5 year period, which also includes fieldwork experiences.
For more information, contact:
Diana Steer, OTL
Academic Coordinator, CU/UAA Occupational Therapy program
College of Health and Social Welfare
Professional Studies Building, Room 205L
University of Alaska Anchorage
Phone: (907) 786-4490
Fax: (907) 786-4440
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: http://chsw.uaa.alaska.edu/otd/
For information regarding Academics and Admission, contact:
Mackenzie Buxcel
Director of Admissions
Creighton University
Phone: 800-325-2830
Fax: 402-280-5739
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
For a list of other accredited occupational therapy programs in the United States, visit the American Occupational Therapy Association website below. (See Student-Schools)
Contacts
State Contact:
Alaska Occupational Therapy Association
PMB 1616, 3705 Arctic Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99503
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.akota.org
National Contact:
The American Occupational Therapy Association
4720 Montgomery Lane
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, Maryland 20824
Phone: (301) 652-2682
Fax: (301) 652-7711
Web site: http://www.aota.org
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on September 17, 2009
