Mountain View College has received accreditation for its Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®).
Mountain View's OTA program was established in 2018 with 12 students. The program's coursework provides students with the knowledge and skills to enter the field of occupational therapy through rigorous classroom instruction and clinical experiences. On Dec. 11, five students were pinned as the first graduating cohort of Mountain View's OTA program.
"We are so proud to earn our accreditation and continue growing MVC's OTA program," said Dr. Cherlyn Shultz-Ruth, Mountain View's executive dean of Allied Health and Nursing. "Our graduates will now be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist assistant administered by the National Board for Certification."
Occupational therapy helps people of all ages participate in activities they want to do through the therapeutic use of everyday tasks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 31 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Mountain View's OTA program is under the leadership of Dr. Candice Freeman, program director; Dr. Shultz-Ruth and Dr. Lori Doddy, vice president of Instruction. For more information on Mountain View's OTA program, visit the website here.
ABOUT ACOTE:
ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE is an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ACOTE currently accredits 409 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs in the United States and its territories. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org.