A Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) is a healthcare professional who helps patients gain or regain important daily living and working skills — such as eating meals, bathing independently, and socializing — under the guidance of licensed Occupational Therapists (OTs). COTAs play a vital role in improving the quality of life of people and are often regarded as treatment specialists.

This article serves as a guide to help individuals who are interested in becoming a COTA achieve their career goals.

What does a COTA do?

A COTA works with licensed OTs and other healthcare professionals to help improve the following aspects of patients’ lives:

·  COTAs can help patients reach their cognitive and physical or functional goals. They can help patients perform activities of daily living (ADLs) by improving range of motion, coordination, and balance. Typically, patients who need help from COTAs are those who have had injuries or illnesses that affect their ability to accomplish tasks or functions independently.

·  COTAs can help improve patients’ emotional and social well-being. COTAs work with other healthcare professionals to identify patients’ pain scales and address their emotional and social limitations.

Typical COTA tasks

COTAs help OTs with the following tasks to ensure that quality of care is provided to patients at all times:

·  Taking and reviewing patients’ medical histories. Under the guidance of OTs, COTAs assist in taking and reviewing each patient’s medical history, along with the patient’s family medical history. Through this task, COTAs and OTs are able to create a treatment plan that works best for the client’s needs, challenges, and goals.

·  Demonstrating exercises and activities. Aside from demonstrating how to perform specific exercises and functional and cognitive activities,  COTAs also assist patients with ADLs to help improve their independence.

·  Evaluating and treating patients. COTAs help implement specialized treatment plans that were established by OTs via exercises and activities. They also help monitor patients’ activities to ensure that they’re following their specialized treatment plans and help OTs evaluate patients’ progress.

·  Documenting progress. COTAs document patients’ progress via records. Based on patients’ progress, they can also make recommendations on whether to retain, change, or add to the treatment plan that the OT will adjust.

How to become an occupational therapy assistant

Individuals need to undergo the following education, training, and licensing to become a COTA:

1.    Get a degree from an accredited program. To be a COTA, an individual must first enter into an Occupational Therapy Assistant program that’s accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). This is typically a two-year program, involving fieldwork or clinical training for a few months, that would lead to an associate’s degree.

2.    Get certified. After completing the associate’s degree and clinical training, one needs to take and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.

3.    Get licensed. After passing the NBCOT, one would need to apply for state licensure via the American Occupational Therapy Association. It should be noted that, depending on the state, applicants would need to submit additional requirements, including an OTA educational program transcript, state and/or federal criminal background checks, and passing a jurisprudence exam.

4.    Apply for a job. COTAs can look for work from trusted online listings and job boards and choose a work setting that works for their needs and preferences. These settings include hospitals, nursing homes, and even educational facilities.

Reasons to become a COTA

·  COTAs can start a healthcare career after only two years of schooling. This is significantly less schooling compared to becoming an Occupational Therapist.

·  According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for COTAs from 2022 to 2032 — or the projected percent change in employment for one decade — is at 23%. This is much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations, which is at 3%.

·  As of February 26, 2024, COTAs in the US typically make US$66,100 per year, but the annual salary can range from US$59,600 to US$72,600.