Licensing Requirements
RCW 18.59.050
Licenses - Application - Waiver
(1) An applicant applying for a license as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant shall file a written application on forms provided by the department showing to the satisfaction of the board that the applicant meets the requirements specified in this subsection.
(a) The applicant shall be of good moral character.
(b) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of having successfully completed the academic requirements of an educational program in occupational therapy recognized by the board, with concentration in biological or physical science, psychology, sociology, and with education in selected manual skills.
(i) For an occupational therapist, such a program shall be nationally accredited and approved by rules of the board.
(ii) For an occupational therapy assistant, such a program shall be nationally accredited and approved by rules of the board.
(c) The applicant shall submit to the board evidence of having successfully completed a period of supervised fieldwork experience at a recognized educational institution or a training program approved by the educational institution at which the applicant met the academic requirements.
(i) For an occupational therapist, a minimum of six months of supervised fieldwork experience is required.
(ii) For an occupational therapy assistant, a minimum of two months of supervised fieldwork experience is required.
(d) An applicant for licensure as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant shall pass an examination as provided in
RCW 18.59.060.
(2) The board may waive the educational requirements specified under subsection (1)(b)(ii) of this section for an occupational therapy assistant who has met the experience and any other requirements established by the board. Upon successful completion of the examination required of the occupational therapist, the individual shall be granted a license.
[1984 c 9 § 6.]
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(1) The following terms in RCW 18.59.020(2) shall mean:
(a) "Scientifically based use of purposeful activity" is the treatment of individuals using established methodology based upon the behavioral and biological sciences and includes the analysis, application and adaptation of activities for use with individuals having a variety of physical, emotional, cognitive and social disorders. Use of purposeful activity includes a process of continually modifying treatment to meet the changing needs of an individual. Purposeful activity is goal-oriented and cannot be routinely prescribed.
(b) "Teaching daily living skills" is the instruction in daily living skills based upon the evaluation of all the components of the individual's disability and the adaptation or treatment based on the evaluation. Components of a disability are physical, sensory, social, emotional and cognitive functions.
(c) "Developing prevocational skills and play and avocational capabilities" is not only the development of prevocational skills and play and avocational capabilities but involves the scientifically based use of purposeful activity.
(d) "Designing, fabricating, or applying selected orthotic and prosthetic devices or selected adaptive equipment" is not specific occupational therapy services if a person designs, fabricates, or applies selected orthotic and prosthetic devices or selected adaptive equipment for an individual if the device or equipment is prescribed or ordered by a health care professional authorized by the laws of the state of Washington to prescribe the device or equipment or direct the design, fabrication, or application of the device or equipment.
(e) "Adapting environments for the handicapped" is the evaluation of all the components of an individual's disability and the adaptation of the environment of the individual based on the evaluation. Components of a disability are physical, sensory, social, emotional and cognitive functions.
(2) "Supervision" and "regular consultation" of an occupational therapy assistant by an occupational therapist in RCW 18.59.020(4) and "direct supervision" of a person holding a limited permit by an occupational therapist in RCW 18.59.040(7) shall mean face to face meetings between the occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant and between the occupational therapist and holder of a limited permit occurring at intervals as determined necessary by the occupational therapist to establish, review, or revise the client's treatment objectives. The meetings shall be documented and the documentation shall be maintained in each client's treatment record. The failure to meet to establish, review, or revise the client's treatment objectives at sufficient intervals to meet the client's needs shall be grounds for disciplinary action against the occupational therapist's license and/or the occupational therapy assistant's license to practice in the state of Washington and/or the limited permit pursuant to WAC 246-847-160 (4) and (14), 246-847-170 (2) and (3) and RCW 18.59.100 for conduct occurring prior to June 11, 1986 and pursuant to RCW 18.130.180 for conduct occurring on or after June 11, 1986.
(3) "Professional supervision" of an occupational therapy aide in RCW 18.59.020(5) shall mean:
(a) Documented training by the occupational therapist of the occupational therapy aide in each specific occupational therapy technique for each specific client and the training shall be performed on the client;
(b)Face to face meetings between the occupational therapy aide and the supervising occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant under the direction of the supervising occupational therapist occurring at intervals as determined by the occupational therapist to meet the client's needs, but shall occur at least once every two weeks; and
(c)The occupational therapist shall observe the occupational therapy aide perform on the client the specific occupational therapy techniques for which the occupational therapy aide was trained at intervals as determined by the occupational therapist to meet the client's needs, but shall occur at least once a month.
The meetings and client contacts shall be documented and the documentation shall be maintained in the client's treatment records. The failure to meet at sufficient intervals to meet the client's needs shall be grounds for disciplinary action against the occupational therapist's license to practice in the state of Washington pursuant to WAC 246-847-160 (4) and (14), 246-847-170 (2) and (3) and
RCW 18.59.100 for conduct occurring prior to June 11, 1986 and pursuant to
RCW 18.130.180 for conduct occurring on or after June 11, 1986.
(4) Sections (2) and (3) of this rule shall not be effective until July 1, 1985.
(5) "Clients" include patients, students, and those to whom occupational therapy services are delivered.
(6) "Evaluation" is the process of obtaining and interpreting data necessary for treatment, which includes, but is not limited to, planning for and documenting the evaluation process and results. The evaluation data may be gathered through record review, specific observation, interview, and the administration of data collection procedures, which include, but are not limited to, the use of standardized tests, performance checklists, and activities and tasks designed to evaluate specific performance abilities.
(7) "Work site" in RCW 18.59.080 means the primary work location.
(8) "In association" for RCW 18.59.040(7) shall mean practicing in a setting in which another occupational therapist licensed in the state of Washington is available for consultation and assistance as needed to provide protection for the clients' health, safety and welfare.
(9) One "contact hour" is considered to be fifty minutes.
(10) "Peer reviewer" shall mean a licensed occupational therapist chosen by the licensee to review the self study plan and verify that the self study activity meets the objectives for peer reviewed self study as defined in WAC 246-847-065.
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(1) An applicant is eligible for a limited permit under RCW 18.59.040(7), provided the applicant takes the first examination for which he or she is eligible.
(2) An applicant who successfully passes the examination for licensure and who has a valid limited permit through the department of health at the time the examination results are made public shall be deemed to be validly licensed under the limited permit for the next thirty calendar days.
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(1) Unless there is a basis for denial of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant license, an applicant who is currently licensed in a jurisdiction considered by the board to have licensing standards substantially equivalent to Washington's shall be issued a temporary practice permit after receipt of the following documentation by the department of health:
(a) Submission of a completed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant application on which the applicant indicates that he or she wishes to receive a temporary practice permit;
(b) Payment of the application fee and temporary practice permit fee; and
(c) Direct written verification of current licensure from the state whose licensing standards are substantially equivalent to Washington's.
(2) The temporary practice permit shall expire upon the issuance of a license by the board; initiation of an investigation by the board; or ninety days, whichever occurs first.
(3) An applicant who receives a temporary practice permit and who does not complete the licensure application process shall not receive additional temporary practice permits even upon submission of a new application in the future.
There is no temporary permit fee. The Fee is included in the application fee.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.59.130. 92-18-015 (Order 300B), § 246-847-117, filed 8/24/92, effective 9/24/92.]
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