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Occupational Therapy Assistant

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The Occupational Therapy Assistant program prepares you with the entry-level skills and knowledge to provide patients with treatments that improve their ability to achieve independence in everyday activities and to enjoy life to its fullest. 

Working under the direction and supervision of an occupational therapist, you will learn to:

  • Provide occupational therapy interventions for patients with various impairments
  • Monitor their progress while following an occupational therapy plan of care
  • Effectively educate and communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare providers 
  • Instruct patients in performance of activities of daily living
  • Teach patients to use adaptive equipment or modifying tasks to increase successful participation in meaningful occupations
  • Educate patients in health and wellness

Due to the nature of the work environment and the physical exertion often required to assist patients, you will need to have a moderate degree of strength. For example, you will need to be able to lift patients, kneel, stoop, and stand for long periods of time.

Students should be aware that a felony conviction can have a serious and negative impact on eligibility for certification and credentialing as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

  • Van Gerpen Patient Simulator Laboratory: Train in the state-of-the-art simulation lab using realistic full-body manikins and simulators to replicate a range of hospital settings and patient scenarios in a controlled environment.

  • Clinical: Gain 600 hours of real-world work experience ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.

Student Success Specialist

Darla Palmer

“If you sincerely want to be successful in life, all you need is one person to believe in you, and that one person should be YOU. As long as you genuinely believe in yourself, you can and will be a success. Your mindset is a powerful force! What you think and how you think will be the ultimate factor of your journey’s end.” —Stephanie Lahart

See Darla's bio.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Hawkeye Community College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). As a result of this, Hawkeye Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant students may now sit for the National Board.

ACOTE

4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200
Bethesda, MD 20814-3449
301-652-AOTA
www.acoteonline.org

ACOTE’s Disclosure Statement Regarding Probationary Accreditation Action:

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa, was placed on Probationary Accreditation effective August 4, 2017 for failure to comply with 2011 OTA Standards A.2.13 (sufficient faculty), A.3.7 (evaluation on a regular basis), A.5.1 (strategic plan), A.5.2 (faculty professional development plans), A.5.3 (program evaluation), A.5.4 (annual evaluation report), A.5.5 (use of evaluation data), A.6.5 (program philosophy), A.6.7 (curriculum design), A.6.8 (documented assessment measures), and B content areas B.1.5 (Ethical and Practical Considerations), B.1.6 (Global Social Issues), B.2.9 (Support for the Quality of Life), B.4.5 (Compare and Contrast the Role of the OT and OTA), B.5.6 (Development, Remediation, and Compensation for Physical, Mental, Functions), B.5.9 (Adapt Processes or Environments), B.5.18 (Health Literacy), B.5.27 (Care Coordination, Case Management, and Transition Services), B.5.30 (Collect, Organize, and Report on Data), B.7.6 (Ongoing Processes for Quality Improvement), B.7.7 (Supervision of Personnel), B.7.8 (Responsibility for Providing Fieldwork Education), B.9.5 (Professional Responsibilities Related to Liability Issues), B.9.9 (Providing Service on a Contractual Basis), and B.9.12 (Consumer Access to OT Services).

The program has been requested to submit a Plan of Correction to return the program to full compliance with the Standards within the mandated time period for correction.

Hawkeye Community College is committed to academic excellence and is actively working toward full compliance. Please note that the program is still accredited but the accreditation status has been adjusted to Probationary Accreditation until all compliance issues are resolved.

Hawkeye Community College remains confident that its Occupational Therapy Assistant program will be reinstated to full accreditation status after its next review by ACOTE.

Hawkeye Community College Accreditation

National Certification Examination

Most states require licensure in order to practice. State licensure is usually based on the results of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certification Examination.

Graduation Year Students
Entering/Graduating		 Graduation Rate Number of First-Time Test Takers Percentage of First-Time Test Takers
Who Passed the Exam
2013 13/12 92% 12 100%
2014 15/11 73% 11 100%
2015 20/18 90% 18 100%
2016 18/16 89% 14 100%
Total 67/57 85% 55 100%

Courses

Core Courses

  • Medical Terminology
  • Task Analysis
  • Assistive Tech and EM
  • Pediatrics and Occupation
  • Pediatric OTA Skills
  • Pediatric and Adult Psychosocial Conditions and Occupations
  • Adult Psychosocial OTA Skills
  • Adult Physical Conditions and Occupations
  • Elders and Occupation
  • OTA Skills for Elders
  • Physical OTA Skills
  • Professional Practice for OTA
  • Fieldwork courses: Pediatrics, Psychosocial, Physical Dysfunction, and Level II Fieldwork A and B.

You will be required to complete background screenings, including a criminal background check, sex offender registry, child abuse registry, and dependent adult registry before participating in clinicals.

The outcome could possibly affect your opportunities to participate in the clinical setting.

Program Details

Award: Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
Required number of credits: 82
Program Start: Summer only

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is a two-phase program with a separate application for each phase. Students can complete Phase I at full-time or part-time status. Phase II must be completed at full-time status.

View Suggested Sequence of Study & Course Cost

Careers

Positions

Occupational therapy assistants work in a wide variety of settings including homes, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, community centers, outpatient facilities, schools, and nursing homes.

Example Careers and Average Wages

Entry Average Experienced
Occupational Therapy Assistants $42,000 $53,700 $59,600

Source: 2016 Iowa Wage Report, Iowa Workforce Development

Employers

The following is a partial list of employers who have hired graduates from this program:

Business Location
Millennium Therapy Des Moines and Hudson, IA
UnityPoint Health Waterloo, IA
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Waterloo, IA
Rehab Visions Locations throughout Iowa
HCR-Manor Care Locations throughout Iowa
Reliant Rehab Locations throughout Iowa
Comprehensive Rehab Clinton, Iowa
Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Northern Iowa Therapy Waverly, Iowa

Explore local data on wages, employment, job postings, and more!

Associations

Admissions Requirements

Note: The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Hawkeye is considered a 1+1 model. Students must complete separate admissions processes for Phase I and Phase II.

Phase I Admissions Process

  1. Apply for admission at Hawkeye. 
  2. Request to have your official transcripts sent to the Admissions office.
  3. Complete the Basic Skill Competencies Requirements as described below.

Completed applicant files (we have your application, transcripts, and test scores) will be processed as follows:

  • Applicants not meeting the program's basic skill competencies requirements will be sent an admissions inactivation letter.

  • Applicants meeting the program's basic skill competencies requirements will be considered Occupational Therapy Assistant Wait students and will be able to take Phase I courses. Being a "Wait" student does not guarantee Phase II acceptance.

For full acceptance into Phase I of the program, applicants must be a graduate of high school or the High School Completion program.

Hawkeye's Equal Opportunity Statement

Basic Skill Competencies Requirements

Option 1

Score at least the following scores on any combination of the below assessment options:

ACT sub scores COMPASS scores ASSET scores ACCUPLACER scores
19—Reading
19—English
19—Math		 82—Reading
65—Writing
42—Algebra		 38—Reading
40—Writing
40—Elementary Algebra		 90—Reading
98—Sentence Skills
103—Arithmetic -OR-
97—Elementary Algebra

Applicants can take the ACT assessment or the ACCUPLACER assessment at Hawkeye. Pre-registration is required.

Option 2

Complete all of the following college success courses with a "C" grade or higher at Hawkeye Community College or comparable courses at another accredited college:

  • ENG-061 College Preparatory Writing II
  • RDG-040 College Preparatory Reading III
  • MAT-063 Elementary Algebra

Option 3

Any combination of the above fulfilling the basic skills requirements of algebra, reading, and writing.

Phase II Program Entrance Requirements

Before applying to Phase II of the program, applicants must complete the following requirements.

  1. Complete one year of the following courses, or one semester of a college-level comparable course, or in the process of completing 15 credits and are currently passing the course with a "C" grade or higher with the exception of biology courses which require grade of a “B -” or higher.

    • Math (algebra or geometry)
    • Biology
    • English

  2. Proof of completion of a total of 24 observation hours with a licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant at three different clinical sites (example: outpatient, hospital inpatient, home health, or long-term care), eight hours per site, and two different settings. Pre-Admission Observation Hours form [pdf].

  3. Be enrolled in and in good standing with or have completed at least 15 credits of Phase I coursework with the required GPA and individual course grades.

Phase II Admissions Process

  1. To be considered for Phase II acceptance, applicants must complete and submit the OTA Program Phase II Application packet [pdf] by December 1. Phase II applications will be accepted only from those who are active Hawkeye Community College students.

  2. Phase II program applicants will continue with Phase II of the program as openings are assigned. Students will be notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance via their Hawkeye email.

  3. We accept approximately 20 students into Phase II each summer semester. Applicants will be accepted based on the initial date of their completed Phase II applicant file.

  4. Applications need to be submitted by December 1 to be considered for the upcoming summer, Phase II, of the OTA Program.

  5. On receiving notification of acceptance into Phase II of the OTA Program, the applicant has one week from the letter date to confirm acceptance into the program by contacting either the OTA Program Director or the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

    Please be advised that the seat of any student who fails to confirm acceptance during the time period will be offered to the next student on the list. In this case, the student will need to begin the application process again.

  6. If necessary, alternates will be contacted, based on the date the Phase II program applicant file was completed, to fill unconfirmed positions in the program.

Contact Us

Student Success Specialist Darla Palmer Email me 319-296-2329 Health Education and Services Center 205
Program Advisor Cindy Koehn Email me 319-296-2329 ext.1195 Health Education and Services Center 228
Program Chair Booker Johnson Email me 319-296-2329 ext.1255 Health Education and Services Center 228C
Pre-Health Student Success Specialist Kay Wenzel Email me 319-296-2329 ext.1063 Grundy Hall 285
Pre-Health Advisor Heidi Hudson Email me 319-296-2329 ext.1079 Hawkeye Center 208
Administrative Assistant Linda Butler Email me 319-296-4013 Grundy Hall 135
Dean Dr. Gene Leutzinger, DNP Email me 319-296-4457 Grundy Hall 135
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Hawkeye Community College Main Campus
1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015
Waterloo, IA 50704-8015
319-296-2320   |   1-800-670-4769

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