Statement of Scope
Occupational Therapists
Affiliated Credentialing Board
Relating to: | Supervision and practice of occupational therapy assistants |
1. Finding/nature of emergency (Emergency Rule only):
N/A
2. Detailed description of the objective of the proposed rule:
The Board will review and possibly revise the requirements for supervision of occupational therapy assistants.
3. Description of the existing policies relevant to the rule, new policies proposed to be included in the rule, and an analysis of policy alternatives:
Current rules provide that, when general supervision is allowed, the supervising occupational therapist shall have direct contact with the occupational therapy assistant and face−to−face−contact with the client by every tenth session of occupational therapy and no less than one time per calendar month. The Board will review and possibly revise this requirement as it pertains to circumstances, particularly in the practice areas of home health and birth to 3, when a client is only seen once per month.
4. Detailed explanation of statutory authority for the rule (including the statutory citation and language):
Section 15.085 (5) (b), Stats., provides that affiliated credentialing boards such as the Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board, “[s]hall promulgate rules for its own guidance and for the guidance of the trade or profession to which it pertains. . .” The proposed rule will provide guidance concerning the supervision and practice of occupational therapy assistants. Section 448.965 (2), Stats., provides the Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board “may promulgate rules that define the scope of practice of occupational therapy or the scope of assisting in the practice of occupational therapy.” 5. Estimate of amount of time that state employees will spend developing the rule and of other resources necessary to develop the rule:
State employees will spend approximately 80 hours developing the proposed rule.
6. List with description of all entities that may be affected by the proposed rule:
Licensed occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants and their patients.
7. Summary and preliminary comparison with any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the proposed rule:
None.
8. Anticipated economic impact of implementing the rule (note if the rule is likely to have a significant economic impact on small businesses):
The proposed rule will have minimal to no economic impact on small businesses and the state’s economy as a whole.
