Department of Occupational Therapy

Ericksen (Chair), Achenbach, Hample, Humbert, Leimbach, Panchik, Potter, Salvadia, Steadman, Waltermire

For more information, please visit the Department’s website or check your course syllabi, which are available through the course instructor or at the High Library.

Occupational Therapy is a health profession that helps to improve the well-being and functions of people with developmental delay and physical and psychological dysfunction. The student in occupational therapy undertakes a program that integrates the humanities and the behavioral and physical sciences with professional study. The primary objective is to prepare the student as a generalist practitioner who is qualified for employment in hospitals, community agencies, schools, rehabilitation centers, extended-care facilities and related human services agencies. With this foundation, the beginning therapist can progress to specialized areas of clinical practice as well as research, administration and academia.

Degree Program

Elizabethtown College offers a combined BS/MS Occupational Therapy program that requires five years of academic study and six months of clinical fieldwork. The program awards both a Bachelor of Science in Health and Occupation and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy .

Mission

To educate students to become highly qualified occupational therapy practitioners who can actively contribute to the profession through service, scholarship and leadership and to promote occupational justice for all people.

Core Values

The Core Values of the Occupational Therapy (OT) program are:

Exceptionally prepared entry-level master’s occupational therapy practitioners. Educating practitioners who are able to engage in reflective practice based on clinical reasoning; who have a solid foundation of skills and knowledge; who demonstrate a thorough understanding of research and its relation to evidenced-based practice; and who value the ethos of professionalism and the ethics of lifelong learning.

Human occupation. Emphasizing the understanding of human occupations across cultural and social groups and as they relate to the therapeutic process and healthy well-being. Occupational Therapy courses bridge the understanding gap between occupational performance and liberal arts learning through case studies, discussion and active learning.

Occupational justice. Emphasizing the right that all individuals have to maintain a healthy balance of meaningful occupations. This involves helping others to participate in meaningful and balanced occupations.

Globally aware students. Emphasizing the need for multicultural awareness and international understanding as a prerequisite for occupational therapy practice. International and service experiences enable our students to interact effectively in culturally diverse practice settings. Service-learning and civic engagement are valued components of our program.

Liberal arts foundation. Emphasizing the role of the liberal arts education in developing personal character, critical thinking, ethical problem solving and communication. Occupational therapy at Elizabethtown College has a proud tradition of educating students for a professional discipline in a liberal arts environment.

Honors in the Discipline

The Department of Occupational Therapy supports many opportunities for students and academic recognition. The Department participates in the College Honors in the Discipline Program. Bachelor of Science students are notified of Honors eligibility during the junior year. Students with an Occupational Therapy grade point average of 3.50 or higher also are considered candidates for the national occupational therapy honor society, Pi Theta Epsilon.

Level II Fieldwork

Fieldwork provides the student with the opportunity to apply clinical skills in occupational therapy practice settings. Fieldwork experiences usually occur the summer between the fourth and fifth year and following the fifth year. Elizabethtown College has established relations with more than 300 clinical sites locally and throughout the United States. Fieldwork Coordinators match students with appropriate settings based primarily on student career goals, student learning needs, and geographical considerations. Additional expenses for living and housing often are incurred as students complete Level II Fieldwork assignments. Individual fieldwork sites also may require students to meet health requirements (e.g., TB test, current immunizations, etc.), participate in training for Universal Precautions, and pass criminal and child safety background checks. Students must achieve a score of “Pass” from clinical supervisors in order to be eligible to attain the Master of Science degree. Students are required to complete 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork or its equivalent of Level II fieldwork within 12 months of completing graduate coursework.

Professional Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy program has maintained a fully-accredited status since the initial in 1976 by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The organization can be contacted at ACOTE, c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449; (phone) 301-652-2682; (fax) 301-652-1417; www.aota.org.