http://www.nbcot.org/

Welcome to the Fall 2015 edition of Certification Matters, the annual newsletter of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

12 South Summit Ave., Suite 100

Gaithersburg, MD 20877 USA301-990-7979

info@nbcot.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OUR MISSIONServing the public interest

by advancing client care and professional practice through evidence-based

certification standards and the validation of knowledge essential

for effective practice in occupational therapy.

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Introduced earlier this year, the NBCOT Navigator™ has broadened the road for occupational therapy professionals in

their continuing-competency quest.Navigator, NBCOT’s continuing-competency

assessment platform, was launched in June as a way for OTR® and COTA® certificants to identify professional development goals in the most up-to-date and time-efficient evidence-based resource.

“NBCOT Navigator is a suite of competency tools built upon the latest practice standards and evidence-based research,” said Paul Grace, NBCOT’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We launched this new resource earlier this summer and are already seeing tremendous engagement and positive feedback from professionals who have used it.”

‘Cutting-Edge Tool’Michael Graham, a 14-year OTR certificant,

says Navigator is essential for therapists to ensure competency meets the highest standard possible.

“Simply stated, Navigator is a cutting-edge tool that will provide each therapist an opportunity to improve their skills and improve the overall delivery of occupational therapy across practice settings,” Graham said.

NBCOT Navigator complements current professional development plans, but also provides customized information to identify areas of professional growth or chart a course to move into new practice areas.

‘Abreast of Current Trends’The tool suite enables certified

occupational therapy professionals to earn Competency Assessment Units (CAU) toward their next certification renewal. These interactive tools are also designed to help employers facilitate the ongoing professional development and certification process of their occupational therapists and therapy assistants.

“NBCOT already gives PDU for activities such as book reviews, small study groups and teaching a course, so it’s just another addition to the wide range of activities that enable people to stay abreast of current trends,” said Dee Berline, the owner of a small private

practice, an OTR for nearly 40 years and current NBCOT board member.

Beyond that, employers are promoting Navigator to their staff as a resource that can be used to assist in identifying continuing competency goals, skill acquisition and tools for today’s contemporary practice.

“It is an excellent ‘one-stop-shopping’ experience for certificants to use in planning their professional development activities,” said Christopher Alterio, the owner of a private pediatric clinic, a 28-year OTR and former NBCOT board member. “I am so excited to have this tool available, and I am especially excited to use it as a professional development tool with my employees.”

‘Therapists On the Go’Navigator is accessed through the

MyNBCOT portal on www.nbcot.org and is available to all OTR and COTA certificants. The multi-purpose tool suite not only prepares occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants for certification renewal, but also keeps them current in their practice areas year round.

“I think this system will help target areas for continued professional growth in a fun and engaging manner,” said Katherine Mennenga, 18-year OTR who works in a public school system. “It will help therapists reflect on practice and guide the lifelong learning process.”

Continued on Page 3

An Inside Look At NBCOT’s Competency-Assessment Tools

2An Inside Look At NBCOT Navigator

3ProQuest: A Value Added Benefit

4An Energizing Volunteer Opportunity

72015: Year In Review

102016 Renewal: Join The Online Trend

10Practice Blog: Join The Conversation

10Preparing Entry-Level Candidates

11The Growing Need For OT

From Page 2

Navigator combines continuing competency with convenience by allowing professionals to access the tools from anywhere they have internet access.

“Therapists are on the go, and the Navigator will be available to us whenever it is convenient to focus on our continuing competency,” Mennenga said.

‘Evidence-Based Methods’After logging on to the MyNBCOT portal,

users begin the Navigator by completing the self-reflection questionnaire, which provides a customized list of tool recommendations to help reach continuing-competency goals.

Users then verify practice strengths by completing case simulations, knowledge match games and mini practice quizzes that result in customized feedback with recommendations for follow-up reading.

The recommended reading list provides users with an opportunity to educate themselves on the areas they did not answer correctly during the exercises through ProQuest and RefWorks.

‘Phenomenal’Use of Navigator and all of its

components are a value-added benefit of maintaining OTR® and COTA® certification.

“It is a tremendous asset for all of us especially in settings that have experienced cut backs in continuing-education allotments,” Graham said.

“Navigator is a fitting name for the tool as it will take you on a journey to improve your skills as a therapist and implement evidenced based practice in your setting.

“Navigator is phenomenal.”

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SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONNAIRE: Narrow down relevant practice

areas and make recommendations for tools to better help a user reach

his or her continuing competency goals.

BALLOON MATCH GAMES: Match balloons to the correct

clouds in a limited time.

MINI PRACTICE QUIZZES: Range up to 20 questions and test users on how to respond to different scenarios and situations.

CASE SIMULATIONS: Guide certificants through

different scenarios where they will learn about a case, interact

with patients and decide which tests and strategies to use.

PICO: In the evidence-based

research component, professionals are asked to use the PICO method to assess

four clients and to find existing research based on client needs.

As an included benefit of certification, all OTR® and COTA® certificants have 24/7 access to ProQuest—a trove of evidence-based research to support you in your commitment to evidence-based practice and documentation.

“Using the ProQuest access as a complementary tool, therapists are now more able to employ much-needed evidence-based methods into their work,” said Dr. Christopher Alterio, OTR, a former NBCOT board member and owner of ABC

Therapeutics, a private pediatric clinic.

Current certificants can simply register for an account with MyNBCOT to access ProQuest, which comprises the most up-to-date studies, clinical trials, practice information and research in the OT field.

“I used ProQuest and was happily surprised at the ease and number of relevant articles that I was able to access,” said Justine Faghihifar, OTR.

ProQuest is just one way NBCOT invests in your national certification.

ProQuest: A Value-Added Benefit For Certificants

Brandy Adkins, COTA was scouring the NBCOT® website.

“I guess you could say I found it by accident,” she said.

The OTA program coordinator at Brown Mackie College in Hopkinsville, Ky., was searching for tools to help her students, when she stumbled upon something unexpected.

“I saw this wonderful thing that said volunteer opportunities,” Adkins, an NBCOT certificant for 15 years, said. “I clicked on it and said, ‘Oh that sounds interesting. Let’s give it a shot and see what happens.”

That was a year ago. Now Adkins is one of more than 100 OTR® and COTA® professionals volunteering for NBCOT.

Each year, NBCOT recruits volunteers throughout the country working in a variety of practice environments and population settings.

A Way to Give BackAmong its many benefits, volunteering

for NBCOT provides certificants a rewarding way to give back to the industry.

“I remember wanting to do something where I could give back to the profession, but learn more at the same time,” said Ginger Brath, OTR, who’s been an occupational therapist for more than 20 years. “Volunteering for NBCOT is rewarding because I’m giving back.”

Brath, the regional director at Greenfield Rehab in Milwaukee, said volunteering gives her a great sense of accomplishment.

Sanna Beerman, OTR, works for a public school district in a small city in Montana. Volunteering fills her with a sense of pride.

“I’m passionate about OT,” she said. “There’s a sense of pride in having the opportunity to promote a competent profession.”

The involvement of passionate volunteers sharing their expertise is a vital asset to NBCOT in fulfilling its mission of serving the public interest.

An Opportunity to GrowAs the program director in occupational

therapy at Texas Tech University, Dawndra Sechrist signed up to attend an NBCOT item-writing course held in San Jose (Calif.).

“I went to that and was just really impressed with the people from NBCOT who were there leading the workshop.”

When Sechrist commented how much she was enjoying herself, one of the event’s coordinators suggested she become a volunteer.

Initially, Sechrist was hesitant to become a volunteer – there was a sliver of uncertainty in her mind.

“But I thought, this is an opportunity,’ she said. “I was wanting to continue to grow, and I’ll take advantage of this opportunity.”

And once she started volunteering, her uncertainty was quickly put at ease. Now, with plenty of NBCOT volunteering experience under her belt, Sechrist has, without question, seen the professional benefits.

“Sometimes you get in a comfort zone and don’t think about other areas of occupational therapy. With every volunteer meeting, I am learning something new – about current and best OT practice.”

A Re-Energizing ExperienceThe MOT program director at the

University of Indianapolis, Julie Bednarski, OTR, OTD says she understands the significance of making sure students are prepared when they enter the occupational therapy field. That’s one of the things she loves about her time volunteering for NBCOT.

“What we’re doing is helping NBCOT to ensure the people coming out of OT school and taking the test are truly competent occupational therapists,” she said.

A volunteer since 2011, Bednarski says she comes away from volunteer meetings with a sense of accomplishment in the work that has been completed.

“When we go to these meetings, we have a purpose,” she said. “We know what we’re going there to do. We really focus and get work done. You feel like you’re very productive, and, by the time you leave, you’ve really made an impact. I like that.”

Beerman says volunteering for NBCOT helps her to sharpen her skills to do her OT job better.

Continued on Page 5

Volunteering with NBCOT: An ‘Energizing’ Opportunity

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From Page 4

“It’s an opportunity for me to stay on top of what’s current and what’s being taught, so that helps me sharpen my skills and be a better therapist.”

Bednarski says while the meeting themselves are hard work, she returns invigorated and professionally refreshed.

“The whole focus is on OT,” Bednarski said. “I’m with people who have a passion for OT. Everybody has the same goal – you just get that energy – so you come home and you’re re-energized about OT.”

Creating an OT NetworkBeerman will be the first to admit her

home state of Montana is not usually the epicenter of occupational therapy breakthroughs. So spending time with industry professionals from throughout the United States has a tremendous upside.

“I have found that it’s a great opportunity for me to network with occupational therapists from across the country,” she said. “In Montana, you’re somewhat isolated from what’s going on in the rest of the country. Often times, what’s new and great on the east coast takes a couple of years, literally, for us to grasp and take off with.

“Volunteering gives me an opportunity to see what therapists from Chicago, Florida, Oregon or wherever are doing, what kind of practices they use, and what evaluation tools they find really rewarding.”

“I don’t do a lot of pediatrics,” Brath added “so, if I have a query in that area, now I have someone that I know, or that I’ve met (through my volunteering), with expertise in that area whom I can contact.”

Comfort ZoneWith every new opportunity comes

a certain level of uncertainly. First-time NBCOT volunteers often have questions about whether they’re up to the challenge.

“I was nervous,” Bednarski said of her first time volunteering. “I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what if I get there and I don’t know everything, and everybody else is smarter than me.’”

But she said once she arrived, her doubts and fears began to subside.

“As you start to get into it, you get more comfortable,” she said. “Naturally, I was

nervous at first – you don’t know what to expect – but as you get into it, you realize, ‘OK, I know this.’ And I’m learning as I go, too.”

Beerman said that she had to wrestle with her own insecurities, but, once she arrived, she felt welcome.

“When I first went, I was very intimidated and, quite frankly, scared to death,” she said. “That was my own insecurity because I hadn’t traveled a lot on my own to a large city. I was still, what I would consider, fairly new to the profession.

“They welcomed us in, they told us what they were all about, and we got to work.”

Beerman said NBCOT was helpful from the start to make her feel at home with the new experience.

“It really kind of boosted my own sense of self,” she said. “It helped me feel more confident with what I am doing and what I am capable of.”

Why Not? “I feel like it’s a great service for the

profession. If people want to get involved in service to the profession, this is a great

way to do it.” Bednarski said.NBCOT has volunteer opportunities

in several areas including assisting with product development for the initial certification and continuing competency program areas. The Item Writer Program recruits volunteers to assist with development of examination items for the OTR and COTA examinations. The Certification Examination Committees review and validate the OTR and COTA examinations. Both the Item Writer Program and the Certification Examination Committees recruit OTR and COTA volunteers.

The Continuing Competency Project Development Committee creates competency assessment tools for the continuing competency program.

“I would encourage anybody who has a passion for the profession and wants an opportunity to travel and meet therapists from across the country to give it a try,” Beerman said.

Having completed her first year as a volunteer, Adkins says she would most certainly recommend the experience.

“You’ve got to try it,” she said. “You’re going to be blown away when you do it.”

VolunteeringCommittees• Item Writer Program• OTR® and COTA® Certification Examination Committees • Continuing Competency Project Development Committee

(OTR only):

Criteria• Current OTR or COTA certification• Good writing, reviewing and editing skills• Commitment to working within a scheduled timeline• Ability to work well in teams• Computer literate• Willing and able to travel to meetings if necessary

For more information on volunteering for NBCOT, check out www.nbcot.org/volunteer

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2015: Year In Review

NBCOT ANNUAL NEWSLETTER 2015 7

2015: Year In Review

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2015: Year In Review

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Geared to prepare students for the OTR® and COTA® certification exams, NBCOT Aspire™ is a multi-faceted entry-level competency development suite built to guide candidates through their journey.

Exam BlueprintsThe OTR and COTA examinations are

constructed based on the results of practice analysis studies. The studies identify the domains, tasks and knowledge required for occupational therapy practice relative to the respective credential.

Self-Assessment ToolsThe free OTR and COTA Entry-level Self-

assessment Tools are an excellent resource to help students identify a self-perceived indication of their knowledge, skills and experience in relation to the validated domains and tasks of OT practice.

Flash Card AppWith the official NBCOT Exam Prep

Flashcard App, students will be able to

study for the NBCOT exam anywhere, at any time. The mobile- and tablet-friendly app contains more than 500 terms and definitions across the domain areas of the exam blueprint.

Knowledge Match GameStudents can test their speed and

recall ability with the NBCOT Entry-level Knowledge Match Game. This tool has an interactive game environment where candidates can test their OT knowledge.

NBCOT Study GuidesA complete resource for exam

preparation, the Official NBCOT Study Guides contain all the information candidates will need to know about the certification exam.

Practice TestsCandidates can simulate their exam-day

experience. Designed to mirror the format and flow of taking the examination on a computer for OTR and COTA candidates.

For those due to renew their NBCOT® certification in 2016, renewing

online is now easier than ever.Certificants who have not already

signed up for online renewal should keep an eye out for an email from NBCOT with a link to sign up, so they can say goodbye to the days of waiting for a paper application in the mail.

The 2016 renewal season kicks off January 4, and runs through March 31, 2016. Those choosing to renew online will receive an email January 4, 2016, with instructions on how to complete the online renewal. Those choosing to renew by mail will receive a paper application in early January.

Why Renew?When an OTR® or COTA® renews

their national certification, it shows a commitment to the NBCOT mission of serving the public interest. It also shows they place value in professional development and evidence-based practice.

NBCOT partners with certificants in promoting excellence in practice throughout their career. Not only does NBCOT set the national standard for certification, it also offers certificants

the tools needed to identify practice strengths and weaknesses to better advance continuing competency.

NBCOT certification is granted for a three-year period.

By maintaining NBCOT certification, certificants have access to Navigator, NBCOT’s continuing competency assessment platform that supports continuing competency goals of OTR and COTA certificants.

Featuring summaries of evidence-based research, professional spotlights, industry updates and how-to guides, the NBCOT® Practice Blog gives certificants an opportunity to read up on occupational therapy-related issues and join the conversation.

At practiceblog.nbcot.org, certificants can read research summary blogs on a variety of different practice-related topics. The blogs include self-reflection and peer discussion questions. Certifcants can also access the full evidence-based study through ProQuest, a value-added benefit of certification.

Professional spotlights highlight OTR® and COTA® certificants answering a number of occupational therapy-related questions to share more about their background and experiences in the industry.

The blog’s industry updates provide relevant information on occupational therapy matters, while how-to guides give certificants insight into taking advantage of their certification with a breakdown on using certain features, like Navigator, NBCOT’s continuing competency-assessment platform.

Join The Conversation with NBCOT’s Practice Blog

2016 Renewal: The Online TrendReasons to Renew• With Online Renewal,

it’s easier than ever.• Access to Navigator,

NBCOT’s continuing-competency assessment platform.

• Read up with included access to ProQuest and RefWorks.

• Show the value you place in your certification credential.

NBCOT Aspire: Preparing Entry-Level Candidates

Find us on Social Media

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Growing Need For OTThe need for occupational therapy care

is growing.The United States is facing an

increasing shortage of educated, nationally certified occupational therapist registered (OTR®), who are state licensed. The aging of the U.S. population and a growing number of people living with disabilities that can be addressed by OT care is outpacing the number of OTR professionals currently generated by U.S. schools.

As a result, many Americans – especially the elderly with various disabilities such as stroke, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease; children with disabilities such as developmental disorders or autism; and returning veterans with serious injuries to their arms and legs and many with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – are unable to get needed occupational therapy intervention.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population aged 65 and over will continue to increase and is projected to comprise more than 20 percent of the U.S. population by 2030.

At the same time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), currently estimate 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has reported many military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have returned to the U.S. with physical and emotional needs that require the care of occupational therapists.

While demand is growing, the supply of occupational therapists in the U.S. is lagging. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, by 2022, the need for occupational therapy will increase by 29 percent with openings projected to increase to 146,100 total positions from its current openings of 113,200. U.S.-based occupational therapy educational programs are not producing enough occupational

therapy master’s degree (MOT) graduates to keep up with this rising demand. In 2013-14, a study from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies stated that only 5,268 U.S. Occupational Therapy graduates entered the work force.

NBCOT® has analyzed the state-by-state supply and demand for

occupational therapists and identified 23 states and Puerto Rico with significant shortages, with only one occupational therapist for every 3,000 or more people. Of those 23 states, nine have a population of over six million. In an additional 20 states, there is only one occupational therapist for every 2,000 to 3,000 people.

Demand for OT Certificants On The Rise

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