COTA Representative
Rachel Wilson
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Important News for COTAs who either now work or wish to work in school systems
Working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), AOTA has been successful in changing the supervision levels for COTAs who are working in occupational therapy private practices.

Full text of article can be found at http://www.aota.org/nonmembers/area1/links/link197.asp

Policy for Medicaid reimbursement of COTA treatment in the schools, went into effect as of April 1, 2005. Policy 906.2 in the CISS manual (Pg. 33) states the revision, which allows COTA's to bill under OT supervision.

Please inform your local school district administrators of these changes.
www.ghp.georgia.gov
Medicaid Provider Manuals
April 13 2005
pg. 33

A big thank you to Heather McInnis, COTA/L. Through hard work and persistence, Heather accomplished the "impossible". These changes will benefit all OTs and COTAs. As usual, Occupation Therapy "has the solution".

BUILDING FOUNDATIONS
All of our past experiences are the foundations for what we have become today. What we do with what we know is how we influence change. Sometimes those changes are difficult and challenging, but we should not back down from positive change. In researching the history of our profession, I found it critical to be cognizant of our past. History is our experience; it is the tool that guides us.

Robert K. Bing, EdD, OTR, FAOTA, stated” It is knowing enough about what has come before us to know what to consider or rule out when evaluating the present, and on to our future. ”In celebrating the forty fifth anniversary of the occupational therapy assistant, leaders in the profession need to encourage advancement, continued competence and provide a learning environment for the occupational therapy assistant to grow. Providing appropriate levels of supervision for the entry level assistant will only ensure quality occupational therapy intervention. In a 1964 training for occupational therapy assistants in Detroit, Michigan, Colonel Ruth Brunyate Wiemer, OTR is quoted to saying” Able seamen far outnumber captains and commodores, yet ships do not sink, and new ship forms, from sail to nuclear power, have evolved to meet man’s need. So too the varied levels of our profession can be coordinated to achieve efficiency and growth” Without the belief and conviction of this occupational therapist I would not be here today representing occupational therapy practitioners across New York State. Wiemer believed in the value and the role of the occupational therapy assistant and believed we would be a valuable contribution to the field. Forty five years after the evolution of the occupational therapy assistant, I believe too in the occupational therapy profession.

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
Many practitioners have in my experience advocated for building strong partnerships between the OTAs and OTs. It is my experience, in traditional areas of practice the occupational therapist should provide a learning environment to facilitate the growth of the occupational therapy assistant. The quality of the occupational therapy assistant is highly dependent on the relationship and the learning environment that the occupational therapist offers. In celebrating forty five years in the profession, we also need to celebrate the growth and the development of the relationship between the occupational therapist and the occupational therapy assistant. As our profession moves to an entry-level masters degree program we need to be cognizant of assuring best practice in partnering to assist the assistant in providing a higher level quality of care.

BUILDING THE BRIDGE TO UNIT
This year as we celebrate the assistant’s position in the profession, we must collaborate with the leaders in the profession to transmit the value and participation of the occupational therapy assistant. Educators need to instill the importance of joining both national and state association membership. Our most significant aspect in educating the public on our profession, is too first educate our practitioners. We need our leaders to advocate and communicate effectively the importance of the assistant role in the profession. Our time is here and now. The health care market is changing and if we miss the opportunity to utilization the role of the assistant in the profession, someone else will. As new areas of practice are evolving, we need to be creative and knowledgeable about utilizing the occupational therapy assistant in these settings.

CELEBRATING BUILDING THE PROFESSION
Our profession is changing and growing; we need to expand our expertise and knowledge about occupation and occupational therapy. We need to be advocates in our practice environments and to develop strong and positive visions for our future. Your national and state association is an important element of the future of our profession. To envision a dynamic, responsive and influential profession we need to continue to support the unique partnership we can have between the occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant. It is the strength of our leaders that allows us to meet these challenges and to bring change to the profession of occupational therapy. It is my hope that our vision for the profession will continue to support the role of the occupational therapy assistant. Let’s celebrate by remembering to build the profession one step at time and begin by embracing the role of the occupational therapist assistant.

Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.

Henry Ford