Department of Occupational Therapy

Kelly Alig, PhD, LOTR
Department Head

LOCATION: 1900 Gravier St. 8D3
PHONE: (504) 568-4302
FAX (504) 568-4306
WEB: http://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/OccupationalTherapy/

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). ACOTE is located 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA. Graduates of the Master of Occupational Therapy program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Following successful completion of this examination, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). This national certification is a prerequisite for obtaining a license to practice occupational therapy in most states, including Louisiana. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Completion of the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program prepares a graduate to practice occupational therapy. Twenty-seven months are needed to complete a total of 90 semester hours of coursework on-campus at the Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, and off-campus at practice sites within and out of the state. Included in these semester hours are six months of Level II Fieldwork. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months following completion of didactic course work. Extensions may be granted by the Department Chair for good cause.

Occupational therapy enables people to do the day-to-day activities that are important to them despite impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions. Occupations are another name for these day-to-day activities. Occupations are goal-directed pursuits that typically extend over time, have meaning to the performer, and involve multiple tasks. Areas of occupation include activities of daily living, work, education, play/leisure, and activities that support social participation. In therapy, a holistic philosophy is employed to assist individuals across the lifespan whose function has been impaired by disease, injury, or disorders of a physical, mental, or social nature. Occupational therapists, through their interventions, enable people to regain health as well as function. Intervention involves therapeutic use of meaningful and purposeful occupations, adaptation of environments, promotion of health and wellness, use of assistive technology and ergonomic principles, consultation, and education. Employment opportunities for occupational therapists are available in a variety of institutional, (e.g., inpatient hospitals, nursing facilities), outpatient (e.g., outpatient clinics, partial hospitalization), and home and community settings (e.g., home care, schools, day-care centers, wellness centers).

Department of Occupational Therapy

Programs