Occupational Therapy Assistant Schools in Kentucky

Kentucky has 3 ACOTE (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education) accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Schools which provides an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant. Plus, the state also has 2 ACOTE accredited Occupational therapy Schools in Kentucky which provides an entry-level master degree or Doctor of Occupational therapy program. The license is required to practice as an OTA in Kentucky; one can appear for the licensure examination after clearing the OTA associate degree from accredited OTA schools.

The list of Occupational therapy assistant schools in Kentucky are-

1. Jefferson Community and Technical College
2. Madisonville Community College
3. Ross College in Hopkinsville

Occupational Therapy in Kentucky-

The occupational therapist (OT), Occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and OT/OTA students have their own state association, i.e. KOTA (Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association).

The KOTA is a non-profit volunteer organization which provides a professional community for its members. The KOTA is a state-based professional organization for the occupational therapy profession in Kentucky.

Occupational therapist and Occupational therapy assistant work closely with the patient to facilitate the recovery. OT assistant works on all therapy setup and assists OT on assessment and intervention implementation.

The Occupational therapist Assistant has good job opportunities in Kentucky. An OTA can also become an Occupational therapist by applying through a bridge program.

Occupational Therapy Assistance License in Kentucky-

Graduates of the OTA Program are required to sit for the certification examination administered by the NBCOT (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy). Upon successful completion of the NBCOT exam, graduates must apply to the Kentucky Board of Licensure for authorization to practice as a COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) within the state of Kentucky. An OTA becomes COTA after passing the NBCOT exam.

The minimum requirements for the license are –

1. An Associate degree in Occupational therapy assistant.
2. An official (certified) transcript of grades from the school.
3. Jurisprudence Exam Completed.
4. NBCOT exam’s passing certificate.
5. Application fees of $35.

Temporary OTA License / limited OTA license:

A temporary permit to practice as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) may be granted to persons who have completed the educational and experience requirements for licensure and are waiting to take or receive the results of the certification examination. A person with a temporary permit may only practice occupational therapy assisting under the direct supervision of a Kentucky certified occupational therapist that is responsible for the patient.

The temporary OTA permit shall be valid until the applicant for licensure is issued or denied a license under the provisions, but in no instance shall the temporary permit extends for more than sixty (60) days following the 2^nd examination offered after the applicant has applied to take the examination required for licensure. Not more than one temporary permit shall be granted per applicant. The supervisor OT/L must provide Face-to-face supervision for at least thirty (30) minutes daily. The face-to-face supervision shall not occur through electronic means.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Schools in Kentucky-

#1 Jefferson Community and Technical College

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Jefferson Community and Technical College is a Selective Admissions Program. The Application deadline is October 1 each year. The OTA Program is taught from the Downtown Campus.

The college trains OTAs in collaboration with and under Occupational Therapists. Basic background in natural sciences, mathematics, communication, and behavioral sciences provides support for this specialized course work.  Graduates will be able to perform/engage as entry-level professionals under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist.

Financial Aid is provided by the college with different scholarships, grants for adult students (age 24 or greater), Work-Study, and loan. Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is also made available by the college for those who are eligible.

The selection procedure for the OTA program: After applying for the OTA program, a pool will be established for qualified applicants. Then students will earn points based upon six categories, each one will be able to earn a max of 100 points. The top 20 candidates will be selected for the OTA Program. Also, the preference will be given to applicants from underserved areas or underrepresented populations of Kentucky; also to applicants who are veterans, active-duty personnel, and their spouses and also displaced workers who qualify under the Trade Adjustment Act.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Jefferson Community and Technical College
Degree offered	Associate of Applied Science degree in OTA
College Campus	DowntownCampus.
Public or Private-	Public Institute.
Program Director-	Pam Smithy.
Course Duration-	2 Years.
Class Size	Up To 20 Students.
OTA course begins	Each Spring Semester.
Prerequisites	Sem 1 : ENG 101 – Writing I, BIO 137 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I, SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology, MAT 150 College Algebra OR MAT 110 Applied Mathematics, PSY 110 – General Psychology; Sem 2 : COM 181 – Basic Public Speaking OR COM 252 – Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, PSY 223 – Developmental Psychology, BIO 139 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II, ENG 102 – Writing II, Heritage/Humanities; Computer Literacy is mandatory.
Application Procedure	Students must attend a pre-admission conference to obtain an OTA Program application. Students should take Individual academic advising and for that, they can contact any OTA Program faculty member to schedule an appointment; to get admitted into the college.
Minimum Requirement	Meet all the prerequisite courses by the end of the Fall semester  with ‘C’ or higher; Official high school transcript or passing GED report; ACT and SAT score report; Official transcripts of all previous college work; Official or unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary education, if applicable; Total GPA (Based on all collegiate level work a student elects to be counted) of 2.00 or higher; Key GPA (Based on cumulative GPA of Psychology, both Anatomy/Physiology, both English and Communications) of 2.00 or higher; Must have Documented evidence of  10 observation, Volunteer and / or Work Experience hours and must be in the form of a letter from an OT or COTA with whom the applicant completed the observation. Students must meet health requirements (and in some instances background checks) prior to the beginning of classes.
Address	Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Downtown Campus 109 East Broadway Louisville, KY 40202-2005 Email- pam.smithy@kctcs.edu
Website	jefferson.kctcs.edu

#2 Madisonville Community College

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Madisonville Community College is a Selective Admissions Program. The Application deadline is March 1 each year.

The MCC trains OTAs in collaboration with and under Occupational Therapists. Basic background in natural sciences, mathematics, communication, and behavioral sciences provides support to this specialized course work.  Graduates will be able to perform/engage as entry-level professionals under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist.

Madisonville Community College
Degree offered	Associate of Applied Science degree in OTA
College Campus	Madisonville Campus.
Public or Private-	Public Institute.
Program Coordinator-	Kim Qualls.
Course Duration-	2 Years.
Class Size	Up To 16 Students.
OTA course begins	Each Fall Semester.
Prerequisites	Sem 1 : ENG 101 – Writing I, BIO 137 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I, SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology, MAT 150 College Algebra OR MAT 110 Applied Mathematics, PSY 110 – General Psychology; Sem 2 : COM 181 – Basic Public Speaking OR COM 252 – Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, PSY 223 – Developmental Psychology, BIO 139 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II, ENG 102 – Writing II, Heritage/Humanities; Computer Literacy is mandatory.
Application Procedure	Students must attend a pre-admission conference to obtain an Occupational Therapy Assistant Program application. Students should take Individual academic advising and for that, they can contact any OTA Program faculty member to schedule an appointment.
Minimum Requirement	Meet all the prerequisite courses by the end of the Fall semester with ‘C’ or higher; Official high school transcript or passing GED report; ACT and SAT score report; Official transcripts of all previous college work; Official or unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary education, if applicable; Total GPA (Based on all college level work a student elects to be counted) of 2.00 or higher; Key GPA (Based on cumulative GPA of Psychology, both Anatomy/Physiology, both English and Communications) of 2.00 or higher; Must have Documented evidence of 10 observation, Volunteer and / or Work Experience hours and must be in the form of a letter from an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant with whom the applicant completed the observation. Signed Letters of reference from employer may be submitted to verify points. Students must meet health requirements (and in some instances background checks) prior to the beginning of classes.
Address	Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 750 North Laffoon Street Madisonville, KY 42431-1636 Email- kim.qualls@kctcs.edu
Website	madisonville.kctcs.edu

#3 Ross College in Hopkinsville

Ross College offers an Associate of Science degree in Occupational therapy Assistant in 2 campuses. One campus is in Kentucky while another one is in Quad Cities, Iowa. Where class size for OTA is up to 30 students.

Ross College’s OTA program prepares you for the opportunity to help improve the quality of a person’s life and ability to perform daily activities through rehabilitative exercises and activities.

Ross College in Hopkinsville
Degree offered	Associate of Applied Science degree in OTA
College Campus	Hopkinsville, KY Campus.
Public or Private-	Private Institute.
Program Director-	Pam Smithy.
Course Duration-	92 weeks.
Class Size	Up To 10 Students.
OTA course begins	—–N/A—–
Prerequisites	—–N/A—–
Application Procedure	—–N/A—–
Minimum Requirement	—–N/A—–
Address	Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 4001 Ft. Campbell Boulevard Hopkinsville, KY 42240 Email- ehicks@rosseducation.edu
Website	www.rosseducation.edu

“Applicant” Occupational therapy Assistant schools in Kentucky-

This one is a new OTA educational program in Kentucky seeking accreditation (not yet holding Candidacy Status). Until Candidacy Status has been granted by the ACOTE, this school cannot admit students into the OTA program in Kentucky.

 #1 MedQuest College-Louisville

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
10400 Linn Station Road
Louisville, KY 40223
info@medquestcollege.edu
www.medquestcollege.edu 

ACOTE’s Status: Applicant OTA – entry-level Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Occupational Therapy Schools in Kentucky-

There are 2 Occupational therapy schools which offer an entry-level Master of Science degree in OT or OTD. Master degree / Doctorate degree in OT is required to become an Occupational therapist.

List of OT schools-

1. Eastern Kentucky University
2. Spalding University.

Get complete info about the OT Schools in Kentucky

Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs in Kentucky-

The job outlook for occupational therapy assistant is very good in Kentucky. Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants is projected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Occupational therapy will continue to be an important part of treatment for people with various illnesses and disabilities (as per the United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 430 employed and licensed occupational therapy Assistants in Kentucky in May 2017 and the requirement of license practitioner is increasing. Huge opportunities are there in Kentucky for the occupational therapist (OT/OTR) and occupational therapy Assistant (OTA/COTA).

Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary in Kentucky-

Employment and salaries for Occupational Therapy Assistants vary based on the work setting and geographical location. The current salary range in the local area is $40,000-$60,000 annually with an estimated 30% increase in jobs over the next 10 years.

As per indeed.com, the average salary of an occupational therapy assistant in Kentucky was $57,000 per annum (in 2017) and According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual and hourly income of occupational therapy assistants were $57,240 and $27.52 respectively in May 2017.