Continuing Education Requirements For Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Most New York State licensed and registered occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (licensees) must complete 36 hours of continuing competency learning activities during every 3-year registration cycle.

Key Requirements

• At least 24 hours must focus on professional subjects contributing to competent occupational therapy practice.
• The remaining 12 hours can focus on related subjects such as legal, ethical, regulatory, health care, reimbursement, supervision, business practices, professional conduct, and other relevant topics.

Note: You must be licensed and registered by the State Education Department to practice occupational therapy in New York. While your professional license is valid for life, registrations are valid for 3 years. The State Education Department will reissue your registration only if you have completed 36 hours of continuing competency learning activities.

Continuing Competency Learning Activities

Licensees may engage in the following learning activities to meet New York State’s continuing competency requirement:

Formal Academic Study, Continuing Education Courses, and/or Workshops

Courses, workshops, seminars, or employee in-service training programs offered by an approved continuing education sponsor, and credit-bearing academic study offered by an accredited college or university, and self-study. Self-study is structured study based on audio, audio-visual, written, online, and other media offered by an approved sponsor. No more than 24 hours of the continuing competency requirement may be completed through self-study.

• 50 minutes of non-credit-bearing formal continuing education courses/workshops = 1 continuing competency hour.
• 0.1 CEU = 1 continuing competency hour.
• 1 semester-hour of credit = 15 continuing competency hours.
• 1 quarter-hour of credit = 10 continuing competency hours.

Independent Study

Self-initiated, goal-driven individualized professional study based on reading and research, including supervision of students engaged in occupational therapy education program sponsored fieldwork.

• 3 hours of independent study = 1 continuing competency hour.
• No more than 12 continuing competency hours may be completed through independent study.

Mentoring

Experience-based learning through a one-on-one mentorship, during which both the mentor and the learner may earn continuing competency hours. The mentorship must provide a minimum of 15 hours of direct contact.

• The mentor must be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, with at least 5 years of post-licensure experience in the subject of the mentorship.
• The learner must be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.
• Each mentoring relationship may earn a maximum of 10 continuing competency hours.
• No more than 18 continuing competency hours can be completed through mentorship.
• 5 hours of mentoring = 1 continuing competency hour.

Publication of a Field-Related Article or Textbook

Authorship of an article published in a peer-reviewed journal, professional article in a non-peer-reviewed journal, or textbook related to occupational therapy.

• A maximum of 10 continuing competency hours can be earned for work as primary or co-author for an article published in a peer-reviewed journal or a textbook related to occupational therapy.
• A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for work as primary or co-author for a professional article in a non-peer-reviewed journal related to occupational therapy.
• No more than 18 continuing competency hours may be completed through publications.

Related Activities

• A maximum of 10 continuing competency hours can be earned as primary or co-primary investigator in research activities.
• A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for developing instructional materials, including but not limited to training manuals, multimedia or software programs.
• A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for the peer review of an article in a journal or textbook.

Participation in a Professional Presentation

A presentation by the licensee at a professional conference sponsored by an approved organization that has an established record of sponsoring conferences for a profession licensed in Occupational Therapy.

• A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned through professional presentation.

Participation in a Professional Association and/or Practice Committee

Chairing a professional practice committee of an international, national, state, or local professional association that has an established record of providing support and guidance for the practice of occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.

• A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned by a licensee serving as chair for a professional association or practice committee for at least 1 year within the registration period.

Participation in a Professional Study Group

The professional study group must be composed of 3 or more licensed occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants. The group must have written goals and a study plan to meet these goals, along with an evaluation of the learning activity.

• 2 hours of participation in a study group = 1 continuing competency hour.
• No more than 18 continuing competency hours can be completed through participation in a study group.

Exceptions to the Continuing Competency Requirement

All licensees must meet the New York State continuing competency learning requirements during each 3-year registration period, unless they qualify for an “Exemption” or an “Adjustment” or for a “Conditional Registration.”

Exemptions

• Licensees are exempt from the continuing competency requirements during their first 3-year registration period after being licensed in New York State.
• Licensees who have allowed their registrations to lapse and are no longer practicing occupational therapy in New York State are exempt until they resume practice in New York State.

Adjustments

The State Education Department may grant an adjustment to the continuing competency requirement for licensees who can show “good cause” for their non-compliance, such as:

• Poor health (certified by a physician).
• A specific physical or mental disability (certified by an appropriate health care professional).
• Extended active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States.
• Other good cause as determined by the Department.

Conditional Registration

The State Education Department may issue a conditional registration (valid for only 1 year) to a licensee who admits to noncompliance with the continuing competency learning requirements. To be granted a conditional registration, the licensee must agree to:

• Complete the continuing competency hours lacking from the previous registration period during the 1-year conditional registration period.
• Complete the regular continuing competency hours (12 hours) during the conditional registration period.
• Pay a fee that is the same as and in addition to, any applicable fee for the triennial registration.

At the end of the conditional registration year, the licensee provides proof of compliance and pays the full triennial registration fee for the remaining 2 years of the registration period.

Note: The State Education Department cannot issue a conditional registration for more than 1 year or renew a conditional registration.

Record Keeping and Reporting

Each licensee must maintain the following records for at least 6 years after completing a continuing competency learning activity:

• A learning plan for continuing competency that records current and anticipated goals.
• A comprehensive list of completed learning activities, including:
  • The sponsor's name, and any identifying number as applicable.
  • A written verification of attendance, if applicable.
  • The date and location of the learning activity.
  • The number of continuing competency hours completed.
  • Any additional recordkeeping requirements as applicable to other learning activities such as independent study, mentorship, publication, presentation, or professional study group.

Note: Licensees are not required to submit continuing competency records when they renew their registration to practice occupational therapy. However, the registration renewal application includes a question regarding whether you have satisfactorily completed the required 36 hours of continuing competency learning activities.

• If you have completed 36 hours of approved continuing competency activities, you answer "yes".
• If you cannot or did not meet this requirement, you must answer "no". To continue to practice, you must qualify for an “Exemption” or an “Adjustment” or for a “Conditional Registration”.

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