If empathy is one of your strengths and you want to work with people in the health and rehabilitation profession, consider a career as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA).
Application Deadlines
- Applications for OTA Program starting in Fall 2025 will open in early 2025. Please check back later for more specific dates.
OTA Online Application (coming soon)
What is Occupational Therapy?
In the simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people of all ages participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.
Occupational therapy services typically include:
- An individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person's goals
- Customized intervention to improve the person's ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals. This is where the occupational therapy assistant is most involved.
- An outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan
What does it look like?
- Working with kids and teachers in a classroom to help develop skills such as handwriting and computer use.
- Working with patients in the hospital following a stroke or brain injury to assess and treat problems with the ability to think, move, remember, or communicate their goals.
- Working at inpatient psychiatric facilities with clients with mental illness, to manage their conditions and develop skills so they can live independently in the community.
- Assisting clients with purchasing and setting up equipment, such as wheelchairs or bathroom safety devices, to ensure they can safely remain at home.
- Working with clients in clinics following an injury to determine what they may need in the future to be able perform their daily activities.
- Working with clients, who have experienced a change in their physical or mental abilities, to return to work by adapting how they do their job, what type of job they do or making changes to the workplace environment.
- Working with adults to return to driving after illness or injury.
- Working with individuals in inpatient rehabilitation as they develop the strength, range of motion and self-care skills to return to living independently.
- Working with children and adults in adaptive sports like basketball, rugby, swimming, skiing, ice hockey and rock climbing to help them return to their hobbies or learn new ones after illness or injury.
To find if this is the right career for you, please contact:
Māpuana Carey, Allied Health Curriculum Advisor
509-533-3288
mapuana.carey@sfcc.spokane.edu
For questions regarding transferability of previous college credits, please contact:
Laura Woods, Counselor
509-533-3530
laura.woods@sfcc.spokane.edu
Why SFCC’s OTA Program?
Individual attention- SFCC’s OTA program seats 16-18 students in small cohorts each fall. Students remain together the entire 2 years, serving as friends, resources, and later colleagues as they progress through the program. The small class sizes allow for faculty advisors to provide 1:1 support to students as they develop into practitioners. Our faculty understand the challenges of attending college as a first-generation college student, and as a student with limited financial resources, along with other challenges that can make college seem impossible.
Mission- The OTA Program at Spokane Falls Community College is committed to meeting the needs of our community by offering high quality, community-centered, science-driven and activity rich education. The program prepares students to enter the workforce with a wide range of diverse knowledge, the practical hands-on skills and professional behaviors needed to be successful in the occupational therapy setting of their choice as an entry-level occupational therapy assistant.
- In addition, the SFCC OTA program is dedicated to equipping occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) for employment in the rural regions neighboring our community. Should you originate from a rural area, our aim is to facilitate your transition back to your community as a proficient OTA practitioner.
SOTA Club- The SFCC OTA program has an active SOTA club that participates in campus and community events, spreading knowledge of the profession and building skills to carry into the profession.
Accreditation
The SFCC occupational therapy assistant program is fully accredited by The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number is (301) 652-2682 or (301) 652-2682, and its web address is acoteonline.org.
- 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). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.
Student Outcomes
The total number of graduates from the SFCC Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the 3-year period of 2021-2023 was 37, with an overall graduation rate of 79%.
| Graduation Year |
Students Entering/Graduating |
Graduation Rate |
| 2021 |
16/13 |
81% |
| 2022 |
17/14 |
82% |
| 2023 |
14/10 |
71% |
| Total |
47/37 |
79% |
National Board Exam pass rate (NBCOT)
| Graduation Year |
NBCOT Pass Rate |
| 2021 |
100% |
| 2022 |
100% |
| 2023 |
100% |
View program results online from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
Program Costs
Current cost of OTA
Program (2023-24) |
OTA Program Year 1 |
OTA Program Year 2 |
Total
Costs (6 quarters/2 years) |
| Tuition |
$4,623 |
$4,623 |
$9,246 |
| Institutional Fees |
$755 |
$755 |
$1,511 |
| Lab & Course Fees |
$1,345 |
$2,189 |
$3,534 |
| Textbooks |
$1,078 |
$664 |
$1,742 |
| Distance Ed Fees |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Total |
$7,801 |
$8,231 |
$16,032 |
*Illustration based on current tuition, fees, and materials, all of which are subject to change
Federal/State Curriculum Requirements
ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students graduating from an ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the State Occupational Therapy Licensure | AOTA.
Criminal Record and Certification
All states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based upon the results of the NBCOT examination. Be advised that a felony conviction record may render an individual ineligible to take the certification exam and consequently will be ineligible to practice as an occupational therapy assistant. If you have concerns pertaining to a past criminal record, you should contact NBCOT at 301-990-7979 to determine your eligibility for the exam.
Technology Requirements for Candidates
Students are recommended to have a laptop computer (PC with Windows 8.1 or later or Mac – OSX 10.6 or later; 2Ghz processor speed) with web camera and speaker and microphone capabilities for completion of coursework, as well as access to high-speed internet services when off campus (at home or during clinical fieldwork placements).
- It is not recommended that students rely on a smartphone for completion of coursework.
Students will be able to utilize college Wi-Fi, student desktop computers, and OTA program laptops when on campus. Enrolled students will have access to Office 365 through the college’s subscription. Additionally, students will have access to scanners and student printers in the study rooms and college library.
Students will utilize our learning management system, Canvas, throughout their program, in each course they take. Canvas has 24/7 phone support at 1-844-394-9022, as well as 24/7 chat support.
Respondus Lockdown Browser is required for taking exams online and is available as a free software download to students.
For any technology related questions, please contact our help desk at (509) 533-4357.
**If you need help borrowing or purchasing a laptop or other school supplies, we can help.**
Contact the Library at SFCC for device loans and/or the Foundation for Emergency Support.
Competencies for Technology Use
Students must be able to:
- Initiate and reply to emails with and without attached files.
- Create, edit, store, upload and download a file for coursework requirements.
- Use the camera and microphone features of their laptop to participate in virtual meetings and record presentations for submission as coursework.
- Participate in online coursework in the form of assignments, quizzes/tests, presentations, discussion boards, etc.
- Utilize web browsers to access content and information for coursework.
- Engage with the schools learning management system, Canvas.
- Utilize Microsoft Word, Google docs, or similar to draft and edit classwork.