Continuing Education Insight
Alabama Occupational Therapy Update
October marks the official end of summer and the beginning of fall, and the holiday season is soon to follow. As the days get shorter, and the hustle and bustle amps up, you can’t forget about your CE requirement. License expirations and CE deadlines for the state of Alabama are set for either October 31st or April 30th, depending on the practitioner’s issuance date. So for some practicing Alabama OTs and OTAs, October is also the month their licenses are set to expire! But don’t let that scare you (even though Halloween is right around the corner!). Let’s review the requirements.
Requirements (OTs):
According to the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy (ASBOT), OTs are required to obtain 15 hours of continuing education annually, or 30 hours biannually. No more than one third of the total hours may be derived from CE courses focused on administrative or management skills. The majority of the contact hours must be focused on the practice of occupational therapy. Additionally, no more than one third of the total hours may be derived from work-related presentations.
Requirements (OTAs):
OTAs are required to complete 10 hours annually or 20 hours biannually. Likewise, only a third of the total requirement for OTAs may come from CE courses that cover topics outside of direct patient care (such as management or administrative skills).
Special Notes:
The Board requires both OTs and OTAs to submit their renewal paperwork 60 days prior to the expiration of their license. As long as the renewal application, certificates of completion for all CE courses, and other related paperwork are postmarked 60 days prior to expiration, the application for renewal will be considered “on time” by the Board's standards.
So make sure as you gear up for the busiest time of year that you have your CEUs in check! Alabama does not have a limit on online continuing education, so if you are unable to attend live seminars and conferences, consider the sea of options online. One way to be confident that you’re purchasing high-quality CEUs is to make sure you’re buying from an AOTA Approved Provider. To learn more about what that means to you, please visit the American Occupational Therapy Association’s website.
This post was provided by Lindsey Tatum from Milestone Continuing Education.
https://www.MilestoneCE.com/
Milestone Continuing Education (7487) is an AOTA Approved Provider for Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant online continuing competency. Look for our discount on the homepage of RehabEdge.com.
Disclaimer: It is ultimately the responsibility of the practitioner to be aware of changes to their continuing education requirements. Check your state board’s website to insure you are up to date on your requirements, as they frequently change.
