Occupational Therapist Assistant
Program Description
The occupational therapy assistant is a technical health care worker who performs patient care under the supervision of a registered or licensed occupational therapist. Typical settings include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private practices, geriatric care facilities, school systems, industrial sites, community based practice, and mental health centers.
The Baker College of Muskegon Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is currently recognized as a fully-accredited program by ACOTE (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA, located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-1220. The phone number is (301) 652-2682. Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and may apply for licensure in the State of Michigan. State licensure and initial national certification are required to practice in Michigan.
Mission
The mission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Baker College is to provide qualified, competent, entry-level occupational therapy assistants to meet the employment expectations in the health care industry. Through the provision of quality classroom education, state of the art technology, clinical competency requirements, and varied, practical fieldwork experiences; it is the intent of the program to adequately prepare students for the NBCOT examination and for entrance into the allied health profession as competent, certified occupational therapy assistants.
Philosophy
The philosophy of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is reflective of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. in that the engagement in occupational therapy can serve to influence one's level of functioning, mentally, physically, and socially. The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program recognizes that a person is a biological, social, psychological, and spiritual being who functions as a unified whole and interacts with the environment to perform everyday life tasks or occupations. When the ability to perform these occupations becomes impaired through various biological, physical, psychological, or environmental factors, it is the implementation of meaningful or purposeful activities that can prevent, mediate, or rehabilitate an individual in order to more effectively adapt to one's environment. The profession of occupational therapy utilizes the intrinsic and therapeutic values of one's occupation and purposeful activity to enhance the adaptation process and thus enable the individual to perform at an optimal level of functioning.
Customer Satisfaction Policy
Baker College is an institution focused on customer satisfaction. To that end, any concerns or complaints regarding the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program can be sent to the attention of the director of the program on the appropriate campus. The director will investigate the complaint, consult with all parties involved, and provide a response as soon as all information has been evaluated. The program director will inform the Dean of Health Sciences of the complaint, investigation, and what actions have been taken.
If resolution cannot be reached at the level of the program director, the problem will follow the chain of command beginning with the Dean of Health Sciences, followed by the Chief Academic Officer/Vice President of Academics of the campus, the President of the campus, and finally the President of the Baker College System.
Muskegon OTA Rotation Schedule
Click here to view OTA Rotation Schedule
Muskegon OTA Program Performance
The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Baker College of Muskegon graduated fifty students for the years 2005-2008. Forty eight students took the National Board Certification Examination within one year of graduating. The passing rate for test takers on their first attempt during this three year period is 95.83%.