OTAs support occupational therapists, aiding treatment plan development and implementation. OTAs may work in various settings, including hospitals, homes, schools, and more, operating within one of the six core practice areas. These include pediatrics, geriatrics, health and wellness, mental health, rehabilitation, and work and industry.
Healthcare offers many job opportunities, but one career stands out for its diversity, growth, and high demand: occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the OTA profession is one of the top 20 fastest-growing healthcare roles, with a projected 22% growth by 2033.
If you’re ready to take advantage of this opportunity, St. Catherine University’s online OTA program can help you enter this growing healthcare field. Blending online and in-person components consisting of coursework, skills labs, and fieldwork, St. Kate’s allows students to earn their OTA degree in as few as 16 months.
Before jumping into your application, let’s learn more about this role and what it offers.
What is an Occupational Therapy Assistant?
The primary goal of occupational therapy is to help clients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities learn to perform everyday tasks as independently as possible. While OTs evaluate client needs and develop treatment plans, OTAs implement those plans with their clients and document their progress.
Caught between occupational therapy and physical therapy? Discover the four main differences between an OTA vs. a PTA.
What Does an OTA Do?
Occupational therapy assistants work under the guidance of licensed occupational therapists (OTs), supporting clients in their treatment progression. This goal shows up in an OTA’s daily duties as:
- Demonstrating how to properly utilize medical equipment or devices and perform modifications to daily activities.
- Keeping updated notes of the client’s condition, progress, and any treatment plan revisions.
- Collaborating with the occupational therapist or treatment team to resolve treatment setbacks.
- Educating clients and their caregivers on the treatment plan and answering any questions.
Beyond the scope of the treatment plan, however, OTAs are responsible for the total well-being of their clients as part of the role’s holistic practice.
Take, for example, the story of Stephanie Adams, Program Director at St. Kate’s. When Adams was starting her OTA career and working at a hospital, one stroke patient particularly impacted her.
“All she wanted to do was to be able to go home and cook for her family. The one thing she wanted to cook was fried green tomatoes,” says Adams, who brought the ingredients to a session, so the two could make the dish. “She teared up. She was so excited to do something that was very meaningful for her. I feel like that client changed my perspective about OT and showed me how it was very client-centered. … You can learn so much from your clients, always. If you step back and just listen, you can learn so much more from them than you know, even more than what you might have learned in your books.”
Where Do Occupational Therapy Assistants Work?
Thanks to occupational therapy’s broad application, OTAs can work full-time or part-time in numerous settings, including:
- Homes
- Hospitals
- Rehabilitation centers
- Schools
- Skilled nursing facilities
Considering a career change? Uncover why more adults are switching to OT.
OTA Specializations and Practice Areas
As a certified occupational therapy assistant, you’ll find yourself treating clients of all ages in a wide variety of settings. Whether you want to specialize in one area, work as a generalist or even change practice areas during your career, there are a multitude of opportunities in occupational therapy. Overall, the field of occupational therapy encompasses six core practice areas.
Children and Youth
OTAs can work with children and youth in schools, clinics, and patients’ homes. In this area of practice, they work with children who have developmental disabilities, mental health issues, autism, sensory issues, and more. Treatment plans in this practice area may focus on developing the physical, social, and educational skills needed to navigate childhood and adulthood.
Geriatrics and Productive Aging
With a rapidly aging population, this area of occupational therapy addresses all aspects of aging. OTAs work with older adults with age-related impairments such as dementia, arthritis, or vision loss to prevent falls, provide adaptive equipment, and engage in activities they find meaningful.
Health and Wellness
In the health and wellness area of practice, occupational therapy professionals help people with disorders ranging from chronic conditions, such as diabetes, to acute conditions, like carpal tunnel syndrome, manage their health. A plan for a client with arthritis could include managing stiffness, fatigue, and inflammation using adaptive equipment, such as orthotic devices. They also may help manage stress and identify community resources for additional support, so they can be as active and independent as possible.
Mental Health
OTAs frequently work with clients managing mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. Some OTAs may choose to work in a setting providing psychiatric care, making mental health their primary focus. Other OTAs may encounter clients experiencing mental health conditions during treatment for another issue, such as an illness or injury. They assist their clients in identifying interventions, like daily routines and coping mechanisms, to help them manage their symptoms and improve their daily functioning.
Rehabilitation and Disability
Rehabilitation is at the core of the OT field and addresses the needs of patients with injuries, illnesses, or permanent disabilities. OTAs provide therapy in both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings, such as hospitals, rehab facilities, clinics, or in a patient’s own home. They work with individuals with a wide variety of diagnoses, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, or orthopedic injuries. Treatment may include activities designed to improve hand and arm function, mobility, vision, cognition, or community reintegration.
Learn more about the role of rehabilitation and occupational therapy for TBIs.
Work and Industry
In this area of practice, OTAs promote workplace success by improving the fit between the person, the job requirements, and the environment. OTAs work with employers and employees to adapt or modify work so a patient can successfully return to work after an illness or injury. This area of practice also assists children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. OTAs assist this group in preparing for a job and the transition into the workforce.
Don’t Wait for Your Rewarding OTA Career
St. Kate’s offers three start dates per year—January, May, and August—and accepts applications on a rolling basis, so apply early to secure your preferred start date. Our dedicated admissions counselor will walk you through every step of the admissions process and help you select the best curriculum option for your educational background.
Contact an admissions counselor today to determine your eligibility.
