Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS at LBCC)

Tillamook Bay Community College has developed a partnership with Linn-Benton Community College and Tillamook Regional Medical Center to provide training for occupational therapy assistants in Tillamook County. This degree is granted by Linn-Benton Community College. TBCC offers program prerequisites, general education, and related coursework. All Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) courses are offered by Linn-Benton Community College and require admission to their program.

Career & Program Description

Occupational therapy assistants help people who have mental, physical, or developmental disabilities. Their goal is to help patients live more independently. Major employers include hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation centers, and occupational therapists’ offices.

The number of jobs for occupational therapy assistants nationwide is expected to grow much faster than the average through the year 2018. In Oregon, the annual entry-level wage for occupational therapy assistants is $38,930 per year. The average annual median wage in Oregon is $47,420, and the average top wage is $54,430. The national entry level wage is $31,150 per year. The national median wage is $48,230 per year and the top wage is $65,160 per year.

This is a two-year associate degree program designed to prepare the student to function as an entry-level occupational therapy assistant (OTA). OTAs work under the supervision of occupational therapists to help clients develop, maintain, and/or regain health and function through the use of purposeful activity. They address physical, mental, and social components of activity as they work with clients to improve the underlying cause of impairment and/or to adapt activities for client success. This program follows a hybrid- delivery model in which the “classroom” portion is delivered online (to allow participation by students at remote sites) and the “laboratory” and “clinical” portions are delivered locally and at partner sites throughout Oregon. Graduates will be eligible and prepared to sit for the national certification examination.

LBCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. 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, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

For application materials visit the Linn-Bennton Community College website; https://www.linnbenton.edu/future-students/programs-of-study/health-and-healthcare/ota.php