Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes and the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RSA), each licensee applying for license renewal shall complete a minimum of 24 contact hours of qualifying continued competency activity during the preceding two-year period for which the license is being renewed. A contact hour is a minimum of 50 minutes of continued competency activity.
Continued competency activities completed in one registration period shall not be carried over to a subsequent registration period. Please note that the Department does not review or approve individual courses or provders. The CE must meet the criteria below to meet the requirements for license renewal.
Award of Competency Units
1 contact hour for each hour of attendance at academic courses, institutes, seminars, programs, structured didactic in-service training, and scientific meetings directly related to the practice of occupational therapy.
A maximum of 6 continued competency contact hours per registration period, shall be awarded for courses taught as an appointed faculty member at a school of occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), provided that teaching is not the licensee’s primary role.
10 contact hours per semester credit hour shall be awarded for full-time post-graduate attendance throughout the registration period in an advanced educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
12 contact hours shall be awarded for the successful completion of the Certification Examination for Occupational Therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) if taken five years or more after graduation.
1 contact hour shall be awarded for each first presentation of a paper, essay or formal lecture in occupational therapy at a training program, an educational meeting or providing professional in-service training or instruction for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and related professionals.
1 contact hour for each hour of presentation to a maximum of 12 contact hours per registration period shall be awarded for the first presentation only of a scientific or educational exhibit at a professional meeting.
10 contact hours per article in a peer-reviewed professional publication or chapter in an occupational therapy or related professional textbook.
5 contact hours per first article in a non peer-reviewed publication.
10 contact hours per project for clinical activities in a research project shall be awarded for appointment as a research assistant to a research project in occupational therapy which is funded by state, federal or institutional grant.
8 contact hours per registration period for appointment as a teaching assistant at a school of occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
1 contact hour for each week of supervision per student supervised by the licensee to a maximum of 12 contact hours per registration period for time served as the primary direct clinical supervisor of a 12-week field work placement for an occupational therapy student or an 8-week field work placement for an occupational therapy assistant student enrolled in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
1 contact hour for 5 hours of review to a maximum of 12 contact hours per registration period for professional manuscript review or editing for journals or textbooks.
2 contact hours per 15 clock hours to a maximum of 12 contact hours per registration period for auditing formal academic coursework.
Successful completion of an entire continued competency activity shall be required for award of any continued competency contact hours.
Activities which will not qualify for award of continued competency contact hours include: professional organizational business meetings; speeches delivered at luncheons or banquets; the reading of books, articles, or professional journals; correspondence courses, and other mechanisms of self-instruction except when used as a component of a home study program; and audio-visual materials, except when audio-visual materials are used as a component of a qualifying continued competency activity identified above.
Qualifying Activities
Competency Activities are acceptable provided:
The activity involves face-to-face instruction or a home study program. Home study program means continued competency activities clearly related to maintaining skills necessary for the safe and competent practice of occupational therapy that require successful completion of a proficiency examination, and may include distance learning and internet-based educational programs;
The provider implements a mechanism to monitor and document physical attendance at face-to-face instruction or to verify that a licensee completed a home study program as defined above;
The provider retains written records for a period of three years including but not limited to: content description; instructor, date(s) of activity; location of activity; list of participants; and number of contact hours;
The provider implements a mechanism to evaluate participants’ attainment of competency objective and/or participant’s assessment of the competency activity. The certificate shall include the participant’s name, provider’s name, title or subject area of the activity, date(s) and location of attendance; and number of contact hours completed;
The activity focuses on content specified above.
Record Retention
Each licensee shall obtain a certificate of completion for those activities properly completed, from the provider of continued competency activities. Each licensee shall maintain written documentation of completion. Certificates of completion and other required documentation shall be retained by the licensee for a minimum of three years following the license renewal due date for which the activity satisfies license renewal requirements.
Certificates of completion and other required documentation shall be submitted by the licensee to the department only upon the department’s request. Such records shall be submitted to the department by the licensee within 45 days of the department’s request. It is not necessary for the licensee to submit documentation of completion of the continuing competency activities in order to renew the license.
A licensee who fails to comply with the continued competency requirements may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, Section 20-74g and Section 4-177.
Exemptions/Waivers
A licensee who is applying for license renewal for the first time is exempt from the continuing education requirements.
A waiver of the continued competency requirements may be extended to a licensee who is not engaged in occupational therapy during a given continued competency registration period provided the licensee submits, prior to the expiration of the registration period, a notarized application. The application shall contain a statement that the licensee shall not engage in active practice until the licensee has shown proof, to the satisfaction of the department, of completion of 24 contact hours of qualifying continued competency activity.
The department may, in individual cases involving a medical disability or illness, grant waivers of the minimum continued competency requirements or extensions of time within which to fulfill the requirements. The application for a waiver or extension of time shall be accompanied by a document signed by a licensed physician detailing the nature of the medical disability or illness. Waivers of the minimum continued competency requirements or extensions of time may be granted by the department for a period not to exceed one (1) year. If the medical disability or illness, upon which a waiver or extension of time is granted continues beyond the period of the waiver or extension of time, the licensee may reapply for an additional waiver or extension of time.
A licensee who has received a waiver for a medical disability or illness shall submit to the department evidence of successful completion of 12 contact hours within six months after returning to active practice.
Reinstatement of a Lapsed License
Applicants for reinstatement of a lapsed license must meet the requirements outlined below:
If the license has been lapsed for two years or less, a minimum of 24 contact hours of qualifying continued competency activity during the two-year period immediately preceding the application for reinstatement;
If the license has been lapsed for more than two years, a minimum of 48 contact hours of qualifying continued competency activity during the four-year period immediately preceding the application for reinstatement.
Should you have questions regarding continuing competency requirements, please email the department at oplc.dph@ct.gov.