Chapter 671-3 LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
| (1) |
Any occupational therapist or
occupational therapy assistant who plans to practice as a licensed occupational
therapist or licensed occupational therapy assistant in the State of Georgia
shall apply for licensure to the Board, on forms provided by the
Board. |
| (2) |
In order to meet the
Georgia requirements for licensure, an applicant must submit an affidavit
stating that the applicant is a U.S. citizen or an affidavit stating that the
applicant is lawfully present in the U.S. under federal immigration law and
O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1(f)(1). |
| (3) |
Lawful presence in the U.S. must be
documented by:
| (a) |
submitting an
identification document listed as a secure and verifiable document on the list
maintained by the Office of the Georgia Attorney General under O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1; and, |
| (b) |
an affidavit of citizenship that complies
with the provisions of federal immigration law and O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1(f)(1)(B). |
|
| (4) |
Both the secure and verifiable
document and affidavit of citizenship must be submitted to the Board to
complete the licensure application. |
| (5) |
Applicants for occupational therapy or
occupational therapy assistant licensure in Georgia must meet all requirements
for licensure as defined within the statute and Board Rules prior to issuance
of a license. |
Three references will be required on forms provided by the
Board from individuals who have knowledge of the applicant's professional
training or experience within the last five years. At least one professional
reference must be from certified or licensed occupational therapy practitioner.
The second professional reference may be from another certified or licensed
occupational therapy practitioner or any other licensed healthcare
professional. The third and final reference must be a personal
reference.
All applicants for licensure as occupational therapists and
occupational therapy assistants are required to pass a written examination,
approved by the Board, for license to practice the profession in Georgia,
except as otherwise provided in Section
43-28-9 of the
Law.
Passing score of the examination will be determined by the
Board Prior to administration of the examination.
An examinee who fails the examination approved by the Board may
retake the examination at a subsequent examination date.
| (1) |
Upon determination by the Board that all
requirements for licensure have been met except for the examination, a ninety
(90) day limited permit shall be issued and shall allow the applicant to
practice occupational therapy under the supervision of an occupational
therapist who holds a current license in this State. This limited permit shall
not be issued or renewed if the applicant has ever failed any exam(s)
administered or approved by the Georgia Board of Occupational
Therapy. |
| (2) |
Applicants who have
successfully completed a certification examination approved by the Board may be
issued a ninety (90) day limited permit. This permit shall allow the applicant
to practice occupational therapy, for a period not to exceed 90 days, under the
supervision of an occupational therapist who holds a current license in this
state. |
| (3) |
The Board may issue an
applicant a ninety (90) day limited permit in order to complete the required
320 hours of clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed
occupational therapist. |
| (1) |
Applications for examination shall be
acted upon by the Board at its next regularly scheduled general meeting or, at
the discretion of the Board, may be acted on by phone following the receipt of
the required fees and all credentials. Applicants qualifying for the
examination will be notified. |
| (2) |
Applications for license shall be reviewed at the next regularly scheduled
general meeting of the Board after all requirements for licensure have been met
and the examination scores have been received by the Board. |
| (1) |
A license
issued by the Board shall expire on March 31st of even numbered years. The
license may be renewed upon submission of the renewal application and payment
of the required fee, provided all requirements have been met. Refer to fee
schedule. |
| (2) |
A license that is not
renewed on or before March 31st of the renewal year shall be deemed lapsed. An
application for reinstatement shall be required as provided for in Rule
671-3-.09 in order to seek
reinstatement of a lapsed license to practice in this State. Practicing with an
expired license is prohibited by law and practice during this period may result
in disciplinary action for unlicensed practice. |
| (3) |
Before or on March 31, 2014 and for
renewal cycles after that date, the continuing education requirements contained
in this rule will be required for the renewal or reinstatement of a license.
Except as otherwise provided, each licensee is required is required to complete
during each two (2) year renewal period a minimum of twenty-four (24)
continuing education hours prior to the expiration date of the license. Failure
to complete continuing education prior to expiration date can result in
disciplinary action. Acceptable professional continuing education activities
shall include activities relevant to occupational therapy practice that can be
deemed to update or enhance knowledge and skills required for competent
performance beyond entry level occupational therapy. A cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) course may not be submitted to satisfy any of the
continuing education requirements or employer sponsored compliance coursework.
A continuing education hour is defined as actual time spent in instruction or
organized learning experiences excluding meals, breaks, welcome/introductions,
and business meetings.
| (a) |
At least twelve
(12) hours of the required twenty-four (24) continuing education hours must be
on a topic related to direct patient care. This includes occupational therapy
assessment, treatment planning, occupational therapy implementation and
diagnostic related information. This must include attendance at live
presentations such as workshops, seminars, conferences, or formal academic
coursework, or real-time, interactive webinars. To qualify as a real-time,
interactive webinar, the licensee must have the ability to ask questions,
receive an answer, and interact with other attendees at the time the session is
taking place. It may not be a pre-recorded session. |
| (b) |
Each licensee must complete a minimum of
two (2) hours of the required twenty-four (24) continuing education hours in
the ethics of occupational therapy practice. These hours may be obtained
online. |
| (c) |
A maximum of ten (10)
of the required twenty-four (24) can be in "General" continuing education hours
may be obtained by Level II fieldwork supervision, published professional
writing and instructional presentations, pre-recorded electronic or web based
courses, formal self-study courses, satellite broadcasts, computer learning
activities, webinars, or viewing videotapes in a professional setting. These
hours may also be related to administration, supervision, documentation,
quality assurance and research. |
|
| (4) |
An individual who is applying for
licensure in Georgia for the first time (never having held a Georgia OT or OTA
license) and who is licensed during the second year of the biennium renewal
period is not required to meet continuing education requirements for that
initial renewal period only. |
| (5) |
Prior approval of continuing education courses is not required. Each licensee
randomly selected for a CE audit must submit to the Board supporting
documentation as specified in this rule. |
| (6) |
Beginning the licensure renewal biennium
of April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2020, persons licensed to practice as an
occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant, or persons who
file an application for reinstatement of licensure, must submit documentation
of completed continuing education courses and experiences for renewal or
issuance of a license. Licensees and applicants for reinstatement may register
earned CE credits for courses and experiences with an online recording and
reporting system approved by the Board. Licensees and applicants may register
with a Board approved online system prior to April 1, 2018 to document CE
credits for license renewal and reinstatement.
| (a) |
The Georgia State Board of Occupational
Therapy has approved the online recording and reporting system of CE Broker,
Inc. for the purpose of this rule. |
| (b) |
Licensees and applicants shall incur no
additional costs from CE Broker, Inc. for using this service. |
| (c) |
Every licensee or applicant subject to
the rules of the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy shall be deemed to
have given such person's consent to the Board and it's representatives to
access their continuing competence record retained within the online database
for the purposes of auditing and verifying completion of the Board's continuing
competency requirements. |
| (d) |
If a
licensee or applicant has not registered earned CE credits with the Board
approved online recording and reporting system, the licensee or applicant
must include all CE certificates of completion with the license
renewal application or application for reinstatement. |
|
| (7) |
Procedures for verifying to the Board
that the continuing education requirements for licensure renewal have been met:
| (a) |
Respond appropriately to questions on
renewal of license application; |
| (b) |
Retain original continuing education documentation in personal files to submit
to the Board if requested for a continuing education audit; |
| (c) |
Documentation as specified in this rule
must be maintained by the licensee for no less than four (4) years from the
beginning date of the licensure period. |
|
| (8) |
Documentation of continuing education
which the Board deems as acceptable proof of completion includes the following:
| (a) |
For continuing education courses that
include attendance and participation at a live presentation such as a workshop,
seminar, conference or in-service educational program:
| 1. |
A certificate of completion or similar
documentation signed by program official, and |
| 2. |
A program description including sponsor,
course title, date(s), program objectives/learning outcomes, content
description, and agenda or schedule. A shortened description may be accepted
for programs specifically exempted by the Board such as AOTA and GOTA
Conferences; |
|
| (b) |
For
"General" continuing education as referenced in this rule, if obtained at a
conference, workshop or live presentation, required documentation is as noted
above. All other must include:
| 1. |
Explanation
of the relationship of the activity to occupational therapy and your
professional growth. |
| 2. |
Date(s)
and clock hours of the activity; |
| 3. |
Other information as may be requested.
|
|
| (c) |
For Level II
Fieldwork Supervision involving serving as the primary clinical fieldwork
educator for Level II occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant
fieldwork students:
| 1. |
A description of the
fieldwork including name and type of facility, name of the fieldwork educator
and times spent in direct supervision of the student; and, |
| 2. |
Verification provided by the school to the
fieldwork educator with the name of the student, school and dates of fieldwork
or the signature page of the completed student evaluation form with evaluation
scores and comments blocked out; |
|
| (d) |
For published professional writing,
applied research, and instructional presentations, as referenced in this rule,
including first time or significantly revised presentations or an academic
class session, workshop, seminar, in-service or professional meeting program
session:
| 1. |
Description of the presentation or
research including location, title, date, hours of presentation, general
content description, and type of audience; and, |
| 2. |
Verification of the presentation, research
or formal thank you note signed by the sponsor or program official. |
|
| (e) |
Documentation of pre-recorded
electronic or web based course, formal self-study courses, satellite
broadcasts, computer learning activities or viewing of videotapes in a
professional setting must include:
| 1. |
Verified
instructional time by the course sponsor, a certificate of completion or
similar documentation signed by the program official; and, |
| 2. |
A program description including sponsor,
course title, date(s), program objectives/learning outcomes, and content
description. |
|
| (f) |
Continuing education should be documented on the appropriate board form,
available on the Board website, upon request by the Board. |
|
| (1) |
Reinstatement of an expired license is
within the discretion of the Board. |
| (2) |
A license may be reinstated by submission
of the following:
| (a) |
Application for
Reinstatement with appropriate fee, including references as required under Rule
671-3-.02; and |
| (b) |
Documentation of the completion of
twenty-four (24) continuing education hours in accordance with Board rule
671-3-.08 Renewal of License/Penalties/Continuing Education Requirements
obtained within the two (2) year period prior to the date of the
application. |
| (c) |
Verification of
current license in another state, if applicable; and |
| (d) |
Verification of Employment verifying last
date of practice in Occupational Therapy, on the Board form, completed by the
employer. |
|
| (3) |
An
applicant for reinstatement of a license who has not practiced
within five (5) years must also submit the following:
| (a) |
Form A (Supervised Clinical Experience)
indicating who will provide 320 hours of supervised clinical experience with a
description of the training for Board approval. Upon approval by the Board a
limited permit will be issued. |
| (b) |
Upon completion of the supervised clinical experience, an applicant must submit
Form B (Certification of Completion of Supervised Clinical Experience)
verifying the 320 hours of clinical experience under the supervision of a
licensed occupational therapist, pursuant to Rule
671-3-.06, for Board
approval. |
|
| (1) |
An applicant for licensure through
examination who has graduated from an occupational therapy course or school
taught or situated in a foreign country may be admitted to the examination by
demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Board that his/her course of training
was as high as the standards maintained in Georgia. In ascertaining whether
such an applicant meets such standards, the Board shall consider whether the
school or course of training has been approved by the American Occupational
Therapy Certification Board and whether the applicant's credentials have been
evaluated and accepted by the American Occupational Therapy Certification
Board. |
| (2) |
The Board requires that
foreign trained applicants must successfully complete the foreign trained
occupational therapy practitioner's process as is required to take the board
approved examination. The Board approved examination is administered by the
NBCOT. |
Refer to fee schedule for appropriate fees payable to the
Board. Fees may be reviewed and changed at the discretion of the Board. Any
request for refund must be submitted in writing. An indebtedness to the Board
caused by a returned check will be dealt with in accordance with Code Section
16-9-20 of the Criminal Code of
Georgia.
| (1) |
A licensee shall notify the Board in
writing immediately of any address change. If a duplicate pocket license is
requested, the appropriate fee must accompany the request. |
| (2) |
A licensee shall immediately notify the
Board in writing of any name change of the licensee. The notification to the
Board of the name change shall be accompanied by a copy of the court order,
marriage certificate, or other legal document verifying the change in name. A
change in name requires a duplicate pocket license. Therefore, the appropriate
fee for a duplicate pocket license must accompany the notification. |
| (1) |
As used in this
Rule:
| (a) |
"Military" means the United States
armed forces, including the National Guard. |
| (b) |
"Military spouse" means the spouse of a
service member or transitioning service member. |
| (c) |
"OT" or "occupational therapist" means a
person licensed to practice occupational therapy as defined in O.C.G.A. Chapter
28 of Title 43. |
| (d) |
"OTA" or
"occupational therapy assistant" means a person licensed to assist a licensed
occupational therapist in the practice of occupational therapy, as defined in
O.C.G.A Chapter 28 of Title 43, under the supervision of or with the
consultation of an occupational therapist whose license is in good
standing. |
| (e) |
"Physical agent
modalities" or "PAMs" means the occupational therapy techniques that involve
and utilize physical agent modalities as stated in the provisions of O.C.G.A.
§§ 43-28-3 and
43-28-8.1. |
| (f) |
"Service member" means an active or
reserve member of the United States armed forces, including the National
Guard. |
| (g) |
"Transitioning service
member" means a member of the military or active duty status or on separation
leave who is within 24 months of retirement or 12 months of
separation. |
|
| (2) |
Licensure by reciprocity of service members, transitioning service members, and
military spouses. A service member, transitioning service member, or military
spouse may qualify for a license by reciprocity where the applicant:
| (a) |
holds a license in good standing from
another state for which the training, experience, and testing substantially
meet or exceed the requirements under Georgia law to obtain a license as a OT
or OTA; |
| (b) |
submits to the Board a
verification of licensure from the appropriate licensing agency of another
state showing that the applicant's active licensure is in good standing in that
state; |
| (c) |
submits documentation
satisfactory to the Board which verifies the applicant's status as a service
member, transitioning service member, or military spouse. |
| (d) |
submits a completed application for
licensure by reciprocity on a form approved by the Board, pays the required
fee, and requests a license by reciprocity. |
|
| (3) |
Certification for utilization of
occupational therapy techniques involving physical agent modalities ("PAMs") of
service members, transitioning service members, and military spouses. A service
member, transitioning service member, or military spouse may qualify to obtain
PAM certification from the Board if he or she:
| (a) |
is licensed in Georgia as a OT or
OTA; |
| (b) |
has obtained certification
and/or training in the use of PAMs while a service member which certification
and/or training substantially meets or exceeds the requirements to obtain such
certification in Georgia under the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 43-28-8.1 and Board
rules. |
| (c) |
submits documentation
satisfactory to the Board which verifies the applicant's status as a service
member, transitioning service member, or military spouse. |
| (d) |
submits a completed application for PAM
certification on a form approved by the Board and pays the required
fee. |
|
| (4) |
Limited permits
for service members, transitioning service members, and military spouses.
| (a) |
A service member, transitioning service
member, or military spouse may qualify for a temporary permit issued by the
Board, as authorized by the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 43-28-12, if the applicant has
taken the licensing examination and the applicant has:
| 1. |
completed the education and experience
requirements for licensure as stated in the Board's statute and rules or has
obtained training or experience in the military while a service member which
substantially meets or exceeds the requirements to obtain a license in
Georgia; |
| 2. |
submitted a completed
application for licensure on a form approved by the Board and has paid the
required fee; |
| 3. |
submitted
documentation satisfactory to the Board which verifies the applicant's status
as a service member, transitioning service member, or military
spouse. |
|
| (b) |
The limited
permit issued by the Board shall allow the applicant to practice occupational
therapy under the supervision of an occupational therapist who holds a current
Georgia license, subject to the conditions of Rule
671-3-.06: |
|
