Congratulations! If you are an occupational therapy practitioner (occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant) whose license has lapsed beyond two years and you are planning to renew your license and rejoin your profession, you have come to the right place!
In 2024, occupational therapist ranked #19 in the 100 Best Jobs and #10 in Best Healthcare Support Jobs as noted by U.S News and World Report.
Registration:
The reentry program is offered each Fall and Spring semester coinciding with each semester start date for Lone Star College. The application form is completed online using the link below:
Occupational Therapy Practitioner Reentry Program Application
The application and additional program requirements listed below are due by the following dates:
- For Spring 2025: Friday, January 3, 2025
- For Fall 2025: Friday, August 15, 2025
This program meets the requirements for a professional reentry program as defined by both the American Occupational Therapy Association and The Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and is designed to refresh your knowledge in your area of practice interest as well as explore current trends in the profession. Some of the topics covered include:·
- Documentation
- Practice decision-making
- Supervision and collaboration
- Ethics
- Professional development
The course of study covers eight weeks of online instruction which includes one course in a preferred practice area and one management course followed by four weeks of supervised clinical practice.
It will be up to the reentry applicant to locate and make initial contact with a fieldwork site(s) in order to secure such site for the supervised clinical practice. This information will then be shared with the Lone Star College Fieldwork Coordinator to complete all necessary paperwork.
Participants who successfully complete both the online and clinical coursework will receive a Certificate of Completion which satisfies the requirements for re-licensure in the state of Texas. Residents of other states will need to verify with their state the requirements for re-licensure.
1) Each participant will choose from ONE of the following practice areas taught in an online format:
|
Practice Areas |
|
OTHAC 1203100 |
Physical Function in Occupational Therapy - Physical function to promote occupational performance. Includes frames of reference, evaluative tools, intervention strategies and consumer education. |
|
OTHAC 1104100 |
Occupational Performance from Birth through Adolescence - Occupational performance of newborns through adolescents. Includes frames of reference, evaluation tools and techniques, and intervention strategies. |
|
OTHAC 1105300 |
Occupational Performance for Elders - Occupational performance of elders. Includes frames of reference, evaluation tools and techniques, and intervention strategies. |
|
OTHAC 1200900 |
Mental Health in Occupational Therapy - Promotion of mental health and wellness through occupational therapy. Topics include theory and intervention strategies to enhance occupational performance. |
2) PLUS each participant will simultaneously complete an online management course:
|
Management Course |
|
OTHAC 1203500 |
Health Care Management in Occupational Therapy - Explores the roles of the occupational therapy practitioner in health care delivery. Topics include documentation, reimbursement, credentialing, ethical standards, health care team role delineation and management. |
3) Following completion of the online coursework, each participant will complete four weeks of supervised clinical practice immersion at a facility in their geographic area:
|
Clinical Course |
|
OTHAC 1109100 |
Occupational Therapy Practitioner Field - Practical, general workplace training supported by an individualized learning plan developed by the employer, college, and student. This is a recertification course for students who currently hold a licensure for Occupational Therapy which has expired. |
Additional Program Requirements:
Applicants need to order package code LP90bgct from CastleBranch. CastleBranch is a website that manages compliance tracking for Lone Star College as well as completing background checks.
The following requirements, including ALL immunizations, must be completed and documentation uploaded to the applicant's CastleBranch account no later than the application due date for the semester the applicant is applying for.
- Background check
- Evidence of previous licensure in the OT field
- Current CPR card - must be American Heart Association Healthcare Provider Course (Basic Life Support Instructor-Led Training)
- Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) - documentation of 2 vaccines OR positive titer
- Varicella (chicken pox) - documentation of 2 vaccines OR positive titer
- Hepatitis B - documentation of 3 vaccines OR positive titer
- Tetanus - documentation of adult vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) within the last 10 years OR tetanus diphtheria (Td) within the last 2 years.
- TB skin test
Depending on the clinical site, some students may also be required to have a flu shot and/or a drug test.
If you do not have immunization records, you will need to have titers drawn. Titers are blood tests that check your immune status to vaccinations. If your titer results are positive, you have adequate immunity to a particular infectious disease and do not need to get that particular vaccine.
If you have not had the Hepatitis B series of vaccines, you will need to start it as soon as possible as it takes 4-6 months to complete the series. The series MUST be complete by the application deadline.
Cost:
Approximate cost for this program is $2,200.
Contact:
Terra Ruppert, Ph.D., OTR
terra.ruppert@lonestar.edu
281-826-5394