Occupational therapy is a rewarding field in the Allied Health field. These healthcare professionals help a variety of people with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities improve their lives and achieve independence. You may work with developmentally challenged children and adults, patients recovering from traumatic injuries, or seniors working to maintain functionality. Through occupational therapy, patients develop, recover, improve, and maintain skills they need for daily living.
Occupational therapists work in many settings, including hospitals, schools, and outpatient clinics. To work in this field, you usually need a master's degree in occupational therapy, pass the Occupational Therapist, Registered Certification exam, and be licensed in the state where you want to practice. While enrolled in an accredited occupational therapy program, you can gain valuable hands-on experience in the field through an internship. It can take six or more years to achieve all the education, training, and other requirements to become a licensed occupational therapist. It is a tremendous commitment and investment in your future.
With all the time and money that goes into earning a license to practice occupational therapy, it's important to understand the disciplinary issues that can impede your career path during your internship. If someone accuses you of misconduct during your internship and you fail to take it seriously, you may find it difficult to convince a Board to license you after all your years of hard work.
This guide to Occupational Therapist Internship Issues will explain some of the disciplinary hurdles you may encounter on your career path and what you can do if someone accuses you of misconduct to protect your career and your future. If you have any questions, contact the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm. They have years of experience helping students across the United States understand and resolve allegations of misconduct. They can help you, too.
Occupational Therapist Internship Requirements
Like other medical specialties, occupational therapists are required to gain firsthand clinical experience before they can become licensed through an occupational therapy internship. These internships are usually facilitated by a college or university's occupational therapy department or, in some cases, independently through a term of service through a licensed occupational therapy department. In most states, these internships should last between four to six months and are conducted in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, and outpatient clinics.
To obtain an internship, an occupational therapy student must have completed or be actively working through a degree program that is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) or the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Following the internship, practitioners must pass the Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) exam and score at least in the 70th percentile. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy is the certifying body and the exam costs between $500-$540.
Before taking the certification exam, some states may require practitioners to take a jurisprudence exam that evaluates the practitioner's knowledge of pertinent laws and regulations regarding occupational therapy in that state. After you have passed all necessary exams, you must provide proof of your passage to the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and your transcripts verifying that you have completed all your education requirements along with your application for licensure. Each state has its own requirements for maintaining licensure, which may include simply paying a fee to renew your license or completing up to 36 hours of continued education during the current licensure period.
Because occupational therapy students in internships work in various settings, such as hospitals, schools, and outpatient clinics, they can find themselves subject to discipline in multiple ways.
What Kind of Discipline Can Occupational Therapists Encounter?
There are a few ways occupational therapy students can face accusations of misconduct during their internship:
- Employer Discipline: As an occupational therapy intern, you may have the opportunity to work in a public or private hospital, school, or outpatient clinic. Internships are usually paid positions, so interns are often treated as regular employees when disciplinary issues arise. You will need to carefully read the employee and/or intern handbook your employer gives you prior to your employment. This handbook will provide helpful information regarding what behavior the employer expects of you and what behaviors can result in disciplinary actions or dismissal. If an employer disciplines or dismisses you during your internship, it can dramatically delay or even halt your training progress and opportunity for licensure. An experienced attorney from the Lento Law Firm can help ensure the best possible outcome should your internship employer accuse you of wrongdoing.
- State Licensing Discipline: Before you can practice as an occupational therapist, you must obtain a license in the state where you wish to practice. Most licensing boards have a set of procedures for handling complaints from patients, co-workers, employers, and others who come with grievances regarding a member. If the board notifies you that someone filed a complaint against you, you must take this notice seriously and act quickly to defend yourself. An attorney-advisor from the Lento Law Firm has experience representing Allied Health workers faced with board disciplinary actions.
- Certification Organization Discipline: The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy requires all practitioners to pass the Occupational Therapist Registered exam before issuing certificates. All members, including interns, must follow the board's Code of Ethics. Failing to do so can lead to disciplinary action as well as loss or inability to obtain the necessary Occupational Therapist Registered certification. If the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy notifies you that someone has filed a complaint against you, contact the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team as soon as possible to ensure the best possible outcome.
What Kind of Misconduct Can Result in Discipline?
A range of misconduct can result in an employer, the state board, or the National Board disciplining an occupational therapy intern.
- Substance abuse misconduct: Working with patients, as many occupational therapists do, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can put a quick end to your career plans. These substances can impair your judgment and make you unsteady, posing serious risks to the patients you work with.
- Practice-related misconduct. Occupational therapy interns, like licensed occupational therapists, must follow standard procedures or directions of supervising occupational therapists. You must provide patients with the appropriate minimum standard of care; if you fail, someone may accuse you of practice-related misconduct.
- Sexual misconduct. Engaging in romantic or sexual relationships in the workplace or with a patient can lead to accusations of sexual misconduct.
- Fraud. Fraud can take many forms in Allied Health settings. If you bill for services not rendered or tell your employer that you performed services that you did not, you could face serious accusations of misconduct. These actions can have serious implications for patient welfare as well as billing and insurance reimbursement.
How Are Misconduct Allegations Resolved?
Misconduct allegations can arise from various sources, such as your employer, the state licensing board, or the certifying agency, and the procedures for investigating and resolving these allegations can vary. However, there are common steps for handling misconduct claims, regardless of the organization handling them.
Initially, the governing body will carefully examine the allegation to determine if it involves conduct that could lead to disciplinary action. Not every complaint, especially those from disgruntled patients or co-workers, necessarily warrants disciplinary measures.
Sometimes, the organization involved may propose a resolution to the intern, requiring them to accept certain facts and consequences. These consequences could range from mild reprimands to more severe penalties, like written censures, mandated courses, or even temporary prohibition from practice. Whether to accept such an offer depends on the circumstances and is best evaluated with the assistance of a knowledgeable attorney.
Even if the hearing does not rule in favor of the intern, there might be an option for appeal. In such cases, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is well-versed in the appeals process. They collaborate with the intern to identify significant appeal issues and draft compelling documents for each case.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team Can Help
If you are an occupational therapy intern working toward your certification and license, and you get a notice that someone has filed a complaint against you of professional wrongdoing, you must fight back immediately. Your future is at stake. Contact the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm to learn how they can help keep your career on track by building a strong case in your defense.
You have worked hard and invested time and money to get your education and training as an occupational therapist. Your internship is one of the last steps before certification and licensure. Don't let an accusation of misconduct derail your future plans. Call The Lento Law Firm today at 888.535.3686 or online to set up a confidential consultation with our Student Defense Team and let us discuss your case.
