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Administrative Code

Virginia Administrative Code
10/15/2024

Part IV. Practice of Occupational Therapy

18VAC85-80-90. General responsibilities.

A. An occupational therapist renders services of assessment, program planning, and therapeutic treatment upon request for such service. The practice of occupational therapy includes therapeutic use of occupations for habilitation and rehabilitation to enhance physical health, mental health, and cognitive functioning. The practice of occupational therapy may include supervisory, administrative, educational or consultative activities or responsibilities for the delivery of such services.

B. An occupational therapy assistant renders services under the supervision of an occupational therapist that do not require the clinical decision or specific knowledge, skills and judgment of a licensed occupational therapist and do not include the discretionary aspects of the initial assessment, evaluation or development of a treatment plan for a patient.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-08-1 § 4.1, eff. January 31, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 19, Issue 1, eff. October 23, 2002; Volume 26, Issue 11, eff. March 3, 2010; Volume 29, Issue 1, eff. October 10, 2012.

18VAC85-80-100. Individual responsibilities.

A. An occupational therapist provides assessment by determining the need for, the appropriate areas of, and the estimated extent and time of treatment. His responsibilities include an initial screening of the patient to determine need for services and the collection, evaluation and interpretation of data necessary for treatment.

B. An occupational therapist provides program planning by identifying treatment goals and the methods necessary to achieve those goals for the patient. The therapist analyzes the tasks and activities of the program, documents the progress, and coordinates the plan with other health, community or educational services, the family and the patient. The services may include but are not limited to education and training in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL); the design, fabrication, and application of orthoses (splints); the design, selection, and use of adaptive equipment and assistive technologies; therapeutic activities to enhance functional performance; vocational evaluation and training; and consultation concerning the adaptation of physical, sensory, and social environments.

C. An occupational therapist provides the specific activities or therapeutic methods to improve or restore optimum functioning, to compensate for dysfunction, or to minimize disability of patients impaired by physical illness or injury, emotional, congenital or developmental disorders, or by the aging process.

D. An occupational therapy assistant is responsible for the safe and effective delivery of those services or tasks delegated by and under the direction of the occupational therapist. Individual responsibilities of an occupational therapy assistant may include:

1. Participation in the evaluation or assessment of a patient by gathering data, administering tests, and reporting observations and client capacities to the occupational therapist;

2. Participation in intervention planning, implementation, and review;

3. Implementation of interventions as determined and assigned by the occupational therapist;

4. Documentation of patient responses to interventions and consultation with the occupational therapist about patient functionality;

5. Assistance in the formulation of the discharge summary and follow-up plans; and

6. Implementation of outcome measurements and provision of needed patient discharge resources.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-08-1 § 4.2, eff. January 31, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 17, eff. June 11, 1997; Volume 19, Issue 1, eff. October 23, 2002; Volume 26, Issue 11, eff. March 3, 2010; Volume 29, Issue 1, eff. October 10, 2012.

18VAC85-80-110. Supervisory responsibilities of an occupational therapist.

A. Delegation to an occupational therapy assistant.

1. An occupational therapist shall be ultimately responsible and accountable for patient care and occupational therapy outcomes under his clinical supervision.

2. An occupational therapist shall not delegate the discretionary aspects of the initial assessment, evaluation or development of a treatment plan for a patient nor shall he delegate any task requiring a clinical decision or the knowledge, skills, and judgment of a licensed occupational therapist.

3. Delegation shall only be made if, in the judgment of the occupational therapist, the task or procedures do not require the exercise of professional judgment, can be properly and safely performed by an appropriately trained occupational therapy assistant, and the delegation does not jeopardize the health or safety of the patient.

4. Delegated tasks or procedures shall be communicated to an occupational therapy assistant on a patient-specific basis with clear, specific instructions for performance of activities, potential complications, and expected results.

B. The frequency, methods, and content of supervision are dependent on the complexity of patient needs, number and diversity of patients, demonstrated competency and experience of the assistant, and the type and requirements of the practice setting. The occupational therapist providing clinical supervision shall meet with the occupational therapy assistant to review and evaluate treatment and progress of the individual patients at least once every tenth treatment session or 30 calendar days, whichever occurs first. For the purposes of this subsection, group treatment sessions shall be counted the same as individual treatment sessions.

C. An occupational therapist may provide clinical supervision for up to six occupational therapy personnel, to include no more than three occupational therapy assistants at any one time.

D. The occupational therapy assistant shall document in the patient record any aspects of the initial evaluation, treatment plan, discharge summary, or other notes on patient care performed by the assistant. The supervising occupational therapist shall countersign such documentation in the patient record at the time of the review and evaluation required in subsection B of this section.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-08-1 § 4.3, eff. January 31, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 17, eff. June 11, 1997; Volume 19, Issue 1, eff. October 23, 2002; Volume 26, Issue 11, eff. March 3, 2010.

18VAC85-80-111. Supervision of unlicensed occupational therapy personnel.

A. Unlicensed occupational therapy personnel may be supervised by an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant.

B. Unlicensed occupational therapy personnel may be utilized to perform:

1. Nonclient-related tasks including, but not limited to, clerical and maintenance activities and the preparation of the work area and equipment; and

2. Certain routine patient-related tasks that, in the opinion of and under the supervision of an occupational therapist, have no potential to adversely impact the patient or the patient's treatment plan.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 11, eff. March 3, 2010.

18VAC85-80-120. (Repealed.)

Historical Notes

Derived from VR465-08-1 § 5.1, eff. January 31, 1991; amended VR465-08-1 § 5.1, eff. January 31, 1991; Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 17, eff. June 11, 1997; Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998; Volume 16, Issue 13, eff. April 12, 2000; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 1, eff. October 23, 2002.

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