Sec.20-74i-3. Award of continued competency contact hours

(a) Continued competency contact hours shall be awarded as follows:

(1) Academic courses, institutes, seminars, programs, structured didactic inservice training and scientific meetings directly related to the practice of occupational therapy: one contact hour for each hour of attendance.

(2) A maximum of 6 continued competency contact hours per registration period, shall be awarded for courses taught as an appointed faculty member at a school of occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education or its successor organization, provided that teaching is not the licensee's primary role.

(3) Full-time post-graduate attendance throughout the registration period in an advanced educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education or its successor organization: ten contact hours per semester credit hour.

(4) Successful completion of the Certification Examination for Occupational Therapist, or the Certification Examination for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, if taken five years or more after graduation: twelve contact hours.

(5) First presentation by licensee of a paper, essay or formal lecture in occupational therapy at a training program, an educational meeting or providing professional in-service training or instruction for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and related professionals: one contact hour for each hour of presentation.

(6) First presentation only of a scientific or educational exhibit at a professional meeting: one contact hour for each hour of presentation to a maximum of twelve contact hours per registration period for occupational therapists and nine contact hours per registration period for occupational therapy assistants.

(7) First publication for authorship of original work in occupational therapy, published in the scientific or professional press: 5 contact hours per article in a non peer-reviewed publication; 10 contact hours per article in a peer-reviewed professional publication or chapter in an occupational therapy or related professional textbook.

(8) Clinical activities in a research project shall be awarded for appointment as a research assistant to a research project in occupational therapy which is funded by State, Federal or institutional grant: ten contact hours per project.

(9) Appointment as a teaching assistant at a school of occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education or its successor organization: eight contact hours per registration period.

(10) Supervision as the primary direct clinical supervisor of a 12-week field work placement for an occupational therapy student or an 8-week field work placement for an occupational therapy assistant student enrolled in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education or its successor organization: One contact hour for each week of supervision per student supervised to a maximum of twelve contact hours per registration period for occupational therapists and nine contact hours per registration period for occupational therapy assistants.

(11) Professional manuscript review or editing for journals or textbooks: One contact hour for five hours of review to a maximum of twelve contact hours per registration period for occupational therapists and nine contact hours per registration period for occupational therapy assistants.

(12) Auditing formal academic coursework: two contact hours per fifteen clock hours to a maximum of twelve contact hours per registration period for occupational therapists or nine contact hours per registration period for occupational therapy assistants.

(b) Successful completion of an entire continued competency activity shall be required for award of any continued competency contact hours.

(c) Activities which will not qualify for award of continued competency contact hours include: professional organizational business meetings; speeches delivered at luncheons or banquets; the reading of books, articles, or professional journals; correspondence courses, and other mechanisms of self-instruction except when used as a component of a home study program; and audio-visual materials, except when audio-visual materials are used as a component of a qualifying continued competency activity identified in subsection (a) of this section.

(Effective August 22, 1988; Amended December 4, 2009)