Occupational Therapy Continuing Education: Staying on Your Game

Every state and the District of Columbia require that occupational therapists be licensed in order to practice. General licensing requirements include graduating from an accredited program of study, completing supervised field work, and passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.

For an occupational therapy license to remain active and valid, like many other medical licenses, the OT or OTA must complete continuing education credits regularly. While the number of hours and topics can vary from state to state, occupational therapists in most states can expect to need 20-30 hours of continuing education credits every two years.

Because every occupational therapist needs continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain their licensed status, there are a variety of opportunities and formats for meeting these requirements.

What Qualifies as Continuing Education?

While your education was probably completed in a college lecture hall, continuing education credits can take many forms. Some credits can be earned through self-paced independent study or online programs. CEUs for occupational therapists could include things like:

• Live or on-demand webinars
• Seminars or lectures
• Article-based courses
• eLearning
• Traditional courses with exams
• Micro certificates or credentials
• Video-based courses
• Retreat or conferences
• Practicums
• Projects, papers, or peer reviews
• Quizzes based on relevant literature
• Case simulations with virtual clients
• Field work that is not part of your primary role and is evaluated by a direct supervisor
• Volunteer work that adds professional value
• Mentorship
• Academic coursework
• Present a poster, paper, or finding at a conference, seminar, or workshop
• Teach as adjunct faculty
• Publish a paper or chapter of a textbook

While CEUs can take many shapes, ensure that the session you’re considering is accredited with CEU credit that your licensing organization will accept. Many webinars might provide you with helpful information or new approaches to treatment, but not count as continuing education credit.

Topics for Continuing Education

Many states simply set requirements about the number of continuing education credits you must achieve each year to maintain a license. Some states have specific requirements that include topics or classes to be covered in these CEUs. Some of these that may be required include:

• Cultural competency and implicit bias
• Public health priorities
• COVID-19 vaccines
• HIV/AIDS
• Prevention of medical errors
• State specific OT laws and regulations
• Human trafficking
• Ethics
• Sexual harassment prevention
• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Pain management
• Mental health
• Substance abuse
• Telehealth
• Child abuse recognition and prevention
• Suicide assessment and prevention
• Health equity

Other common topics that will be covered in continuing education programs for occupation therapists include:

• Gait and posture
• Diagnosis
• Therapeutic exercise
• Geriatrics
• Neurology
• Pain
• Pediatrics
• Sports rehabilitation
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Hand therapy
• Orthopedics
• Assistive technology
• Work and industry
• Feeding and eating

Continuing education requirements are a great way to learn new skills, explore areas of interest, and study new research in specific areas that will improve your practice and your patient’s experience.

Where Can I Find Classes and Coursework for Continuing Education?

Some hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), medical groups, and large practices may offer in-house CEUs for occupational therapists. If they are available at your place of work, they are likely free, and you may even be able to complete them during your working hours, since a current license is required for a position as an occupational therapist.

If your employer does not offer them, they may have programs available for tuition reimbursement or educational expense support to make it more manageable to keep up with the continuing education you need. Employers will likely focus on areas of occupational therapy that are relevant to your current position or with the population they most often serve—for example, a SNF may offer classes on geriatric occupational therapy, fall prevention, or stroke rehabilitation.

You may also be able to access in-person classes at a local college or university. Other options include local chapters of professional organizations or at conferences or seminars hosted by health care organizations or certifying bodies.

Luckily, there are also many options for online study. Some of the providers who offer both free and paid options for occupational therapy CEUs include:

• American Occupational Therapy Association
• Occupationaltherapy.com
• OTPotential.com
• Wild Iris Medical Education
• Medbridge
• HomeCEUConnection.com

Tips for Choosing Continuing Education Courses

Sometimes classes and projects will be measured in contact hours instead of CEU credits. Generally, one contact hour equals one continuing education credit toward recertification. Exceptions do exist, though, so confirm that the classes you have selected will meet the criteria in your state for your CEU requirements. This is also true if your state mandates a specific number of hours on a single topic such as state specific regulations, ethics, suicide prevention, or cultural competency.

Look for courses that are American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) approved. It should be noted in the class description if it is already approved. These are generally recognized by licensing boards and eliminate any need to request permission to use the class as CEU credit.

If you carry a certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), they have their own structure for awarding and counting CEUs. They measure Professional Development Units rather than CEUs and have guidelines for transferring class time or field work into the 36 hours required for renewal. Familiarize yourself with these requirements so you ensure your activities count toward the credits you need.

What Occupational Therapy Basics Should I Review Regularly?

Depending on your place of employment and average work tasks, you will use some skills and knowledge more often than others. Continuing education is a great opportunity to review some of the basic skills and tenants of occupational therapy. Classes on these topics are widely available and can keep your skills sharp. Consider classes in some of these topics when you are earning your CEUs.

• The AOTA Occupational Code of Ethics:. The core values identified are altruism, equality, freedom, justice, dignity, truth, and prudence. Knowing these values and how they apply to occupational therapy practices will be valuable in any setting.
• Occupational Therapy Domains: The five domains of occupational therapy are occupation, client factors, context and environment, performance skills, and performance patterns. Analyzing each of these domains enables the occupational therapist to personalize treatments and promote the well-being of all patients.
• Evidence Based Practice: Occupational therapists should know where to find the latest research related to their field of work. This research should be implemented and benefit the patients who see the therapist. Translating scientific findings to practical applications is an important skill.
• Documentation and Insurance Requirements: Occupational therapists will need to efficiently and accurately complete documentation about all clients. This is typically through electronic health records. You need to understand insurance requirements for reimbursement, how to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals, and the referral process.
• Use of Adaptive Equipment: Adaptive equipment constantly changes and advances. Some practices will use subsets of adaptive equipment more often than others but having a working knowledge of the tools that can assist therapists and patients will make your daily practice better.
• Measurements, Goals, and Treatment Planning: Occupational therapy is highly personalized, but you must be able to show the need for the therapy and the gains that are made thanks to that therapy. A review of standards of measurement, appropriate treatment planning, and how to set attainable goals for patients will be useful in any domain.

What New Topics Are Suggested for Continuing Education in Occupational Therapy?

While some things in occupational therapy are constants—like values, ethics, and domains of practice—other change regularly. These are great areas to focus on when choosing continuing education courses. With a full case load of patients, supervisors to report to, and documentation to complete, it can be difficult to keep up with new technologies and trends. Required CEUs offer you the opportunity to research new methods, interact with new technologies, or explore new areas of interest.

Look for classes, seminars, conferences, or learning opportunities in some of these areas to add new research and methods to your practice and keep pace with changes happening in occupational therapy and medicine as a whole.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): While AI can feel a bit too buzzy with all the headlines in recent months, the practical applications keep growing. Many outlets offer classes on how AI will influence decision making in health care, how to use AI to efficiently document visits and better personalize treatment plans.
• Holistic Care Approaches: A great emphasis has been placed on holistic care recently. This includes how to incorporate social determinants of health into evaluations, supporting care givers, and how the community affects health and healing.
• Mental Health: As time goes on, occupational therapists are more often asked to consider the effects mental health, sleep, and anxiety on their patients. Reviewing diagnosis thresholds and treatments can improve your interactions with patients.
• Telehealth: Delivering occupational therapy services via telehealth is much different than diagnostic visits or follow-up appointments. Additional training in this new delivery method can help occupational therapists who work in rural areas, especially with patients who are elderly or cannot drive, better serve their patients, and help healthcare companies with large telehealth services better understand the usage of their services.

Keeping Your Occupational Therapy License Current and Active

It is absolutely essential to keep your occupational therapy license current. You can’t practice as an occupational therapist without it and if you allow it to lapse, additional fees and testing may be required to get it back into good standing in your state. You can’t bill insurance if your license is expired and if you practice without an active license, you can be fined or charged with a criminal offense.

There are many ways to obtain the CEUs you need to renew your license. With online and asynchronous learning options, completing continuing education is easier now than ever. Look for topics that relate to your current job and will improve your current practice. Consider what you are interested in and use this opportunity to further develop your skills and explore new advancements, technology, or methods.