Occupational Therapy Assistant

The Program was placed on Continuing Accreditation-Probationary effective April 2, 2022.

At ENMU-Roswell, students can pursue an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Associate of Applied Science degree and learn to work in this rewarding and dynamic healthcare field. Occupational therapy practitioners help people whose lives have been affected by physical or mental illness or injury, such as a car accident or a stroke. Clients who benefit from occupational therapy include infants and children, working-age adults, and older persons whose condition affects their ability to engage in everyday activities or ‘occupations.’ Examples range from personal activities to life skills like bathing, dressing, and eating to more complicated tasks like using a phone or computer, driving a car, writing a check, or returning to work and school. The occupational therapist (OTR) evaluates the client, plans therapeutic interventions, completes discharge documents, and provides clinical supervision of the occupational therapy assistant. The OTA implements and documents the therapeutic interventions and provides feedback to the OTR on the client’s progress during treatment.

The number of student enrollment in OTA core courses at all levels is limited. Occupational Therapy Assistant Program students who want to progress into the Occupational Therapy Assistant Core Courses should be aware that the program consists of a two-year program of study following completion of the first year courses (which may take one year or more to complete). The first year courses consist of selected academic courses in preparation for progression in the OTA program.

Beginning with the cohort entering the OTA program in the Spring Semester of 2020, students will attend an online distance learning course per semester. The instructor will originate asynchronous instruction online. Onsite personnel is present for the online course(s) to assist with technical issues.

Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification exam administered by the national board of Certification of Occupational Therapy.

The ENMU-R Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. http://www.acoteonline.org/

The total number of graduates from the ENMU-R Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the three years of 2020-2022 was 69, with an overall graduation rate of 79.7%.Graduate performance results for all OTA Programs are published by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT): HTTPS://SECURE.NBCOT.ORG/DATA/SCHOOLSTATS.ASPX.

Certification allows the graduate to apply for licensure in states that have licensure laws.  Licenses required by states are usually based on results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Following completion of the two year coursework, students will spend 16 weeks in clinical affiliation (OT 260 and OT 262) to gain skills in the practice of occupational therapy.  THESE EXPERIENCES ARE MANDATORY AND WILL REQUIRE OUT OF TOWN TRAVEL AND HOUSING EXPENSES.

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure. Information on the guidelines for felony convictions can be found under Publications “disciplinary actions” at www.NBCOT.org and Rules and Law “disciplinary proceedings” at New Mexico Board of Occupational Therapy.

Program Learning Outcomes