Skip to Main Content

Occupational Therapy Assistant Resources: About the OTA Program

Occupational Therapy Assistant Resources

Image attribution: Mangionekd (talk | contribs)

What are Occupational Therapy Assistants?

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are licensed health care professionals that work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health settings, school-based settings, psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, private-practice settings, and emerging areas of practice (e.g. jails, recreational/leisure, or community benefit organizations).

About the Program

The Associate in Science Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is designed to prepare each student for competent entry-level practice, be prepared to take and successfully pass the national certification examination, and become licensed as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Students completing the OTA Program will develop an understanding of the scope of practice for OTAs under the practice framework of Occupational Therapy in order to develop, restore, or maintain physical, cognitive, developmental, and/or psychosocial aspects of functioning that impact participation in activities of daily living. 

Our Mission & Philosophy:

The Clovis Community College OTA program is focused on providing a quality educational program that values the uniqueness of all human beings and produces competent, professional entry-level occupational therapy assistants to serve the diverse populations and settings within Fresno/Clovis, the central San Joaquin Valley, the state of California and the nation. It is also the charge of the OTA Program to encourage students to be stellar professionals and life-long learners.

Mission

Creating Occupational Independence – One practitioner at a time

We strive to provide exceptional academic education including experiential learning opportunities and embedded fieldwork experiences to prepare future practitioners with the necessary knowledge and skills to support people in living meaningful and fulfilling lives.

  • We foster our students’ critical thinking, innovative learning, and engagement in effective clinical reasoning.
  • We embrace the diversity of our students and our community while focusing on the individual to develop client-centered interventions grounded in meaningful occupation.
  • We cultivate community healthfulness through partnerships with local organizations within our community to enhance student learning and success.
  • We promote life-long learning and professionalism to meet the needs of a growing self, a dynamic profession, and ever-changing society.

The philosophy of the Clovis Community College OTA program embraces the fundamentals of human occupation with the belief that we as humans are dynamic and complex beings and for whom engagement and activity provide meaning to each unique individual. The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model is foundational to the OTA program. Using the PEO model, it is recognized that each individual brings forth their own distinctive set of experiences and intrinsic motivators that are impacted by society, culture, attitudinal position, and environment is interwoven within a continuous cycle of response, growth, and adaptation. Through this lens, it is recognized that each student brings their individual attributes (strengths) and multi-faceted dynamics to engage in learning with each other, within their environments, and within the future profession of occupational therapy assisting.

OTA Program Learning Outcome

  1. Students demonstrate the ability to respond and react appropriately in various Occupational Therapy practice environments where Occupational Therapy could be utilized, to prepare them to obtain an entry-level position as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
  2. Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize preparatory, purposeful, and occupation-based activities to maximize independence for all age groups, disabilities, and occupational roles.
  3. Students will be eligible to take the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Image in the public domain

For more information

For more information about the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Clovis Community College, please visit the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program homepage.