Utah Code 58-42a-302. Qualifications for licensure

58-42a-302. Qualifications for licensure.

(1)

An applicant for licensure as an occupational therapist shall:

Terms Used In Utah Code 58-42a-302

Board: means the Board of Occupational Therapy created in Section 58-42a-201. See Utah Code 58-42a-102
Occupational therapist: means a person licensed under this chapter to practice occupational therapy. See Utah Code 58-42a-102
Occupational therapy assistant: means a person licensed under this chapter to practice occupational therapy under the supervision of an occupational therapist as described in Sections 58-42a-305 and 58-42a-306. See Utah Code 58-42a-102
Practice of occupational therapy: includes :

(i)	establishing, remediating, or restoring an undeveloped or impaired skill or ability of an individual;

(ii)	modifying or adapting an activity or environment to enhance an individual's performance;

(iii)

maintaining and improving an individual's capabilities to avoid declining performance in everyday life activities;

(iv)	promoting health and wellness to develop or improve an individual's performance in everyday life activities;

(v)	performance-barrier prevention for an individual, including disability prevention;

(vi)

evaluating factors that affect an individual's activities of daily living in educational, work, play, leisure, and social situations, including:

(A)	body functions and structures;

(B)	habits, routines, roles, and behavioral patterns;

(C)	cultural, physical, environmental, social, virtual, and spiritual contexts and activity demands that affect performance; and

(D)	motor, process, communication, interaction, and other performance skills;

(vii)

providing interventions and procedures to promote or enhance an individual's safety and performance in activities of daily living in educational, work, and social situations, including:

(A)	the therapeutic use of occupations and exercises;

(B)	training in self-care, self-management, home-management, and community and work reintegration;

(C)	the development, remediation, or compensation of behavioral skills and physical, cognitive, neuromuscular, and sensory functions;

(D)	the education and training of an individual's family members and caregivers;

(E)	care coordination, case management, and transition services;

(F)	providing consulting services to groups, programs, organizations, or communities,

(G)	modifying the environment and adapting processes, including the application of ergonomic principles;

(H)	assessing, designing, fabricating, applying, fitting, and providing training in assistive technology, adaptive devices, orthotic devices, and prosthetic devices;

(I)	assessing, recommending, and training an individual in techniques to enhance functional mobility, including wheelchair management;

(J)	driver rehabilitation and community mobility;

(K)	enhancing eating and feeding performance; and

(L)

applying physical agent modalities, managing wound care, and using manual therapy techniques to enhance an individual's performance skills, if the occupational therapist has received the necessary training as determined by division rule in collaboration with the board. See Utah Code 58-42a-102

State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5

United States: includes each state, district, and territory of the United States of America. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5

(a)

submit an application in a form as prescribed by the division;

(b)	pay a fee as determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;

(c)

graduate with a bachelor’s or graduate degree for the practice of occupational therapy from an education program accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a predecessor organization, or an equivalent organization as determined by division rule;

(d)	if applying for licensure on or after July 1, 2015, complete a minimum of 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience;

(e)

pass an examination approved by the division in consultation with the board and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, or by another nationally recognized credentialing body as approved by division rule, to demonstrate knowledge of the practice, skills, theory, and professional ethics related to occupational therapy; and

(f)

if the applicant is applying to participate in the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact under Chapter 42b, Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-42a-302.1 and any requirements established by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.

(2)

All applicants for licensure as an occupational therapy assistant shall:

(a)	submit an application in a form as prescribed by the division;

(b)	pay a fee as determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;

(c)

graduate from an educational program for the practice of occupational therapy as an occupational therapy assistant that is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a predecessor organization, or an equivalent organization as determined by division rule;

(d)	if applying for licensure on or after July 1, 2015, complete a minimum of 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience;

(e)

(f)

(3)

Notwithstanding the other requirements of this section, the division may issue a license as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant to an applicant who:

(a)	consents to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-42a-302 and any requirements established by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; and

(b)

(i)	meets the requirements of receiving a license by endorsement under Section 58-1-302; or

(ii)

has been licensed in a state, district, or territory of the United States, or in a foreign country, where the education, experience, or examination requirements are not substantially equal to the requirements of this state, if the applicant passes the applicable examination described in Subsection (1)(e) or (2)(e).

Amended by Chapter 221, 2022 General Session

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