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USC School-Based Occupational Therapy Training Project

The purpose of this U.S. Department of Education sponsored grant is to provide services for children with high-incidence disabilities in school settings. Shortages of school-based occupational therapists are noted across the nation, with an acute need documented in California. The project will train 42 (14 per year) entry-level Master’s occupational therapy students from diverse backgrounds to meet the needs of children with high-incidence disabilities. Unique project features include 1) two semester seminar utilizing research based, integrated course work that promotes clinical reasoning, 2) concurrent nine month fieldwork placement incorporating inclusive school sites in rural, urban, culturally diverse, and high poverty settings, 3) leadership in-service project developed in conjunction with the California Department of Education, Special Education Local Plan Areas, and local school district administrators, and 4) multidisciplinary advisory council to ensure best-practice and clinically relevant training.

Funding

Type	Source	Number	Amount
Federal	U.S. Department of Education	H325H980110	$568,130

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.