New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 13 - LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Chapter 44K - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Subchapter 4 - TEMPORARY LICENSES
Section 13:44K-4.1 - Temporary license
Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code 13:44K-4.1
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) A temporary license shall be available to an applicant for examination as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant with his or her initial application for examination. The holder of a temporary license may practice only under the direct supervision of a licensed occupational therapist.
(b) A temporary license shall be available to an applicant for licensure as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant who has completed all academic and administrative requirements for a degree or certificate in occupational therapy but has not had the degree or certificate conferred by the university or college, provided that the applicant satisfies the requirements of (c) or (d) below.
(c) An applicant for temporary licensure as an occupational therapist shall submit the following to the Council:
1. A completed application form, which
contains the following:
i. Documentation of
the applicant's education, including official transcripts, which indicate that
the applicant received a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in occupational
therapy from an accredited college or university approved by the Commission on
Higher Education or its successor, which shall be forwarded to the Council
directly by the college or university. If the applicant has completed all
academic and administrative requirements necessary for the degree, but has not
had the degree conferred by the university or college, the applicant may submit
a letter from the director of the occupational therapy program, until the
official transcript becomes available, verifying that all requirements for the
academic degree have been completed;
ii. If the applicant has received a
bachelor's degree or its equivalent in any field other than occupational
therapy, documentation, including official transcripts, which indicate that the
applicant has completed the academic requirements of an educational program in
occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the World
Federation of Occupational Therapy or other nationally recognized programmatic
accrediting agency, which shall be forwarded to the Council directly by the
educational program. If the applicant has completed all academic and
administrative requirements necessary for completion of an educational program
in occupational therapy, but has not had the program certificate conferred by
the educational institution, the applicant may submit a letter from the
director of the occupational therapy program, until the official transcript
becomes available, verifying that all requirements of the educational program
have been completed;
iii.
Documentation that the applicant has successfully completed at least 24 weeks
of supervised fieldwork experience, with a minimum of 720 hours, approved by
the educational institution at which the applicant completed the occupational
therapy education program in accordance with (b)1i or ii above, which shall be
submitted to the Council directly by the educational institution. The applicant
shall have completed the 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience within 24
months of completing the academic requirements of the educational
institution;
iv. A "Confirmation of
Examination Registration and Eligibility to Examine Notice," sent to the
Council directly by the National Board for Certification in Occupational
Therapy (NBCOT) indicating that the applicant is eligible to sit for his or her
initial examination for licensure;
v. Evidence of good moral character, as set
forth in (e) below, which shall be an ongoing requirement for
licensure;
vi. A "Verification of
State License" form from any state in which the applicant is now or has ever
been licensed to practice as an occupational therapist, which shall be
forwarded to the Council by the state in which the license is or was
held;
vii. A certified verification
of name change, if applicable; and
viii. An Initial Verification of Supervision
form;
2. The
application fee set forth in
13:44K-11.1;
3. One two inch by two inch, recent head and
shoulder photo of the applicant, certified by a Notary Public, and signed by
the applicant; and
4. The
applicant's name, address and fingerprints for purposes of a criminal history
background check to be conducted by the State of New Jersey pursuant to
45:1-28 et seq., to determine
whether criminal history record information exists, which may be considered by
the Council in determining whether the applicant shall be licensed in the
State.
(d) An applicant for temporary licensure as an occupational therapy assistant shall submit the following to the Council:
1. A completed
application form, which contains the following:
i. Documentation of the applicant's
education, including official transcripts, which indicate that the applicant
received an associate's degree or its equivalent in occupational therapy from
an accredited college or university approved by the Commission on Higher
Education or its successor, which shall be forwarded to the Council directly by
the college or university. If the applicant has completed all academic and
administrative requirements necessary for the degree, but has not had the
degree conferred by the university or college, the applicant may submit a
letter from the director of the occupational therapy program, until the
official transcript becomes available, verifying that all requirements of the
educational program have been completed;
ii. If the applicant has received an
associate's degree or its equivalent in any field other than occupational
therapy, documentation, including official transcripts, which indicate that the
applicant has completed the academic requirements of an educational program in
occupational therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the World
Federation of Occupational Therapy or other nationally recognized programmatic
accrediting agency, which shall be forwarded to the Council directly by the
educational program. If the applicant has completed all academic and
administrative requirements necessary for completion of an educational program
in occupational therapy, but has not had the program certificate conferred by
the educational institution, the applicant may submit a letter from the
director of the occupational therapy program, until the official transcript
becomes available, verifying that all requirements of the educational program
have been completed;
iii.
Documentation that the applicant has successfully completed at least 12 weeks
of supervised fieldwork experience, with a minimum of 360 hours, approved by
the educational institution at which the applicant completed the occupational
therapy education program in accordance with (c)1ii above, which shall be
forwarded to the Council directly by the educational institution. The applicant
shall have completed the 12 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience within 12
months of completing the academic requirements of the educational
institution;
iv. A "Confirmation of
Examination Registration and Eligibility to Examine Notice," sent to the
Council directly by the National Board for Certification in Occupational
Therapy (NBCOT) indicating that the candidate is eligible to sit for his or her
initial examination for licensure;
v. Evidence of good moral character, as set
forth in (e) below, which shall be an ongoing requirement for
licensure;
vi. A "Verification of
State License" form from any state in which the applicant is now or has ever
been licensed to practice as an occupational therapist, which shall be
forwarded to the Council by the state in which the license is or was
held;
vii. A certified verification
of name change, if applicable; and
viii. An Initial Verification of Supervision
form;
2. The application
fee set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1;
3. One two inch by two inch, recent head and
shoulder photo of the applicant, certified by a Notary Public, and signed by
the applicant; and
4. The
applicant's name, address and fingerprints for purposes of a criminal history
background check to be conducted by the State of New Jersey pursuant to
45:1-28 et seq., to determine
whether criminal history record information exists, which shall be considered
by the Council in determining whether the applicant shall be licensed in the
State.
(e) In determining whether the applicant shall be licensed in this State, the Council shall consider evidence, which demonstrates that the applicant:
1. Is presently engaged in drug or alcohol
use that is likely to impair the ability to practice occupational therapy with
reasonable skill and safety. For purposes of this section, the term "presently"
means at the time of application or any time within the 365 days prior to the
time of application;
2. Has been
convicted of violating any law of this State or any other state relating to
controlled dangerous substances or other habit-forming drugs;
3. Has been convicted of violating any law
relating to the practice of occupational therapy or occupational therapy
assisting consistent with
N.J.S.A.
45:1-21(f);
4. Has been convicted of a crime involving
moral turpitude; and/or
5. Has had
disciplinary action taken against his or her license by any licensing
board.
(f) An applicant for temporary licensure shall complete the New Jersey Jurisprudence Orientation.
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