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Continuing Competency Learning Activities

Licensees may engage in the following learning activities to meet New York State’s continuing competency requirement.

  1. Formal Academic Study, Continuing Education Courses, and/or Workshops
    1. Definition: Courses, workshops, seminars or employee in-service training programs offered by an approved continuing education sponsor, and credit-bearing academic study offered by an accredited college or university, and self-study. Self-study is structured study based on audio, audio-visual, written, on-line and other media offered by an approved sponsor. No more than 24 hours of the continuing competency requirement may be completed through self-study.
    2. Limitations: A minimum of 50 minutes of non-credit-bearing formal continuing education courses/workshops shall equal 1 continuing competency hour.
      1. For activities that carry continuing education units (CEUs): 0.1 CEU = 1 continuing competency hour.
      2. For credit-bearing university or college courses: 1 semester-hour of credit = 15 continuing competency hours, and 1 quarter-hour of credit = 10 continuing competency hours.
  2. Independent Study
    1. Definition: Self-initiated, goal-driven individualized professional study that is based on reading and research and may include supervision of students engaged in occupational therapy education program sponsored fieldwork.
    2. Verification: Licensee must create a narrative account of what he or she learned from the independent study and an overall written evaluation of the learning activity.
    3. Limitations: 3 hours of independent study = 1 continuing competency hour. No more than 12 continuing competency hours may be completed through independent study.
  3. Mentoring
    1. Definition: Experience-based learning through a one-on-one mentorship, during which both the mentor and the learner may earn continuing competency hours. The mentorship shall provide a minimum of 15 hours of direct contact between the mentor and the learner.
    2. Verification: A record of the name of the mentor and learner, the mentorship goals, the mentor’s teaching plan and evaluation of the learner, and the learner’s narrative account of what was learned along with an evaluation of the mentorship should be retained by both the mentor and the learner.
    3. Limitations
      1. The mentor must be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, and have at least 5 years of post-licensure experience in the subject of the mentorship.
      2. The learner must be licensed as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.
      3. Each mentoring relationship may earn a maximum of 10 continuing competency hours.
      4. No more than 18 continuing competency hours can be completed through mentorship.
      5. 5 hours of mentoring shall equal one continuing competency hour.
  4. Publication of a field related article or textbook
    1. Definition: Authorship of an article published in a peer-reviewed journal, professional article in a non-peer-reviewed journal, or textbook related to occupational therapy.
    2. Verification: A copy of the published article or textbook.
    3. Limitations
      1. A maximum of 10 continuing competency hours can be earned for work as primary or co-author for an article published in a peer-reviewed journal or a textbook related to occupational therapy.
      2. A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for work as primary or co-author for a professional article in a non-peer-reviewed journal related to occupational therapy.
      3. No more than 18 continuing competency hours may be completed through aforementioned publications.
    4. Related Activities
      1. A maximum of 10 continuing competency hours can be earned as primary or co-primary investigator in research activities.
      2. A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for developing instructional materials, including but not limited to training manuals, multimedia or software programs, the subject of which shall be a professional subject.
      3. A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned for the peer review of an article in a journal or textbook.
  5. Participation in a Professional Presentation
    1. Definition: A presentation by the licensee at a professional conference sponsored by an approved organization that has an established record of sponsoring conferences for a profession licensed in Occupational Therapy.
    2. Limitations: A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned through professional presentation.
  6. Participation in a Professional Association and/or Practice Committee
    1. Definition: Chairing a professional practice committee of an international, national, state or local professional association that has an established record of providing support and guidance for the practice of occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.
    2. Limitations: A maximum of 5 continuing competency hours can be earned by a licensee serving as chair for a professional association or practice committee. Said chairpersonship must be for a duration of at least 1 year within the registration period.
  7. Participation in a Professional Study Group
    1. Definition: The professional study group shall be composed of 3 or more licensed occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants. The study group must have written goals for what it expects to accomplish along with a written study plan to meet these goals. The study group shall evaluate the learning activity in writing when the group has met its study goals. The study group shall maintain attendance records and meeting notes for what transpired at each meeting of the study group.
    2. Verification: Records including a list of participants, an attendance record, group goals, study plan, notes of meetings, and the evaluation of the learning activity must be retained by all participants.
    3. Limitations: 2 hours of participation in a study group = 1 continuing competency hour. No more than 18 continuing competency hours can be completed through participation in a study group.