LAC 46:XLV.4927. Occupational Therapy Assistant Service Competency and Supervision Documentation

A. Occupational Therapy Assistant Service Competency 1. Any occupational therapist supervising an occupational therapy assistant must have documented service competency on the occupational therapy assistant. Service competency assessment is a continuous process which should be completed for an OTA new to a setting (initial competency), annually (annual competency), and when a new modality, intervention, assessment tool, or piece of therapeutic equipment is introduced to the setting. a. Initial service competency. Following acceptance of responsibility to supervise an occupational therapy assistant, but prior to utilization of such assistant in the implementation of any client program plan or other administration of occupational therapy to a client, the supervising occupational therapist shall ensure that the occupational therapy assistant's competency to administer all occupational therapy services which are to be performed under their supervision and direction has been assessed and documented. If not, the OT must assess and document the competency of the OTA. The service competency is designed to document the occupational therapy assistant’s ongoing skill set. b. Current and annual service competency. Service competency assessment of the OTA should be ongoing, assessing new skills that are needed as they arise, and re-assessed at least annually. c. Documentation of service competency. All competency documentation shall include the date the competency assessment was performed, a description of the tasks assessed, and the name, signature and Louisiana license number of the assessing occupational therapist conducting the service competency; a service competency sample is provided on the LSBME website. 2. In practice settings where an occupational therapy assistant is supervised by more than one occupational therapist, all documented service competencies performed by one occupational therapist will satisfy the requirements of this Section for all occupational therapists supervising the occupational therapy assistant in the performance of the same services, provided that the assessing occupational therapist’s name, signature and Louisiana license number appears on the competency documentation; 3. Service competency documentation is maintained by the occupational therapy assistant and made accessible to all supervising occupational therapists upon request at each site or agency where the assistant is employed. A supervising occupational therapist is responsible for and must be capable of demonstrating compliance with the requirements of this Chapter and AOTA supervision guidelines regarding supervision of occupational therapy assistants. B. Documentation of OT Supervision of an OTA 1. In each intervention note, the occupational therapy assistant must include the name of an occupational therapist who is readily available to answer questions about the client's intervention at the time of the provision of services. Co-signing of OTA documentation is not required. The occupational therapist in the intervention note may be different from the occupational therapist who wrote the plan of care. The occupational therapy assistant may not provide services unless this requirement is met. 2. Documentation of the client care conference will be recorded by the OT in the client’s medical record. 3. Mutual Obligations and Responsibilities. A supervising occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant shall bear equal reciprocal obligations to ensure strict compliance with the obligations, responsibilities and provisions set forth in this. 4. The administration of occupational therapy other than in accordance with the provisions of this Section and §4919 shall be deemed a violation of these rules, subjecting the occupational therapist and/or an occupational therapy assistant to suspension or revocation of licensure pursuant to §4921.B.18.