LAC 46:XLV.4928. Supervision of Unlicensed Personnel and Volunteers

A. The rules of this Section govern supervision of all unlicensed personnel or volunteers that are supervised by an occupational therapy practitioner in any setting. B. The supervising occupational therapist shall at all times be responsible for all services provided by unlicensed personnel or volunteers. C. The supervising occupational therapy practitioner has a continuing responsibility to follow the progress of each client, provide direct care to the client, and assure that the unlicensed personnel do not function autonomously. D. An OTA, under the direction of the occupational therapist, is permitted to supervise unlicensed personnel or volunteers. E. Unlicensed personnel or volunteers may only be delegated to perform non-skilled tasks. F. Direct supervision is required for all unlicensed personnel and volunteers when completing client-related tasks at all times. The occupational therapy practitioner must be in the visual range of the client and the unlicensed personnel or volunteer and available for immediate physical intervention. Videoconferencing is not allowed for direct supervision. G. Non–client-related tasks include clerical activities and preparation of the work area or equipment. H. Client-related tasks are routine tasks during which the unlicensed personnel or volunteer may interact with the client. The following factors must be present when an OTP delegates a selected client-related task to the unlicensed personnel and volunteers: 1. The outcome anticipated for the delegated task is predictable. 2. The client’s condition and the environment are stable and will not require that judgment, interpretations, or adaptations be made by the aide. 3. The client has demonstrated previous performance ability in executing the task. 4. The task routine and process have been clearly established. I. When delegating client-related tasks, the supervisor must ensure that the unlicensed personnel or volunteer: 1. Is trained and able to demonstrate competence in carrying out the selected task and using related equipment, if appropriate; 2. Has been instructed on how specifically to carry out the delegated task with the specific client; 3. Knows the precautions, signs, and symptoms for the particular client that would indicate the need to seek assistance from the OTP; and 4. Is not used to perform billable functions that are prohibited by the payment source of the client being served. J. The competence of the unlicensed personnel or volunteer needs to be documented for all client-related tasks (e.g., orientation checklist, performance review, skills checklist, in-service participation).