Accreditation: OTA & PTA EAP
If you are interested in finding more information about the accreditation process for OTA and PTA education programs, your best source of information is the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Education Accreditation Program (OTA & PTA EAP).
http://otapta.ca/english/index.php
The OTA & PTA EAP is responsible for the accreditation of occupational therapist assistant and physiotherapist assistant education programs in Canada. On the OTA & PTA EAP site, you will find information such as:
- Policies and guidelines in references to the accreditation process
- Sample reports to guide you in the accreditation process
- List of accredited programs in Canada
Practice standards
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) and Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) have both developed practice standards for rehabilitation assistants in their respective fields. These standards support therapists and assistants in knowing their role within their practice
Essential Competency Profile: http://npag.ca/PDFs/Joint%20Initiatives/PTA%20profile%202012%20English.pdf
Practice Profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants: https://caot.in1touch.org/uploaded/web/Accreditation/OTAProfile_Update2018.pdf
Professional associations
Educators want to be up to date with professional practice to better prepare students for the clinical world. CAOT and CPA’s websites have a multitude of tools that could be useful as educators
CPA (https://physiotherapy.ca/)
- Practice workshops
- Professional development
- Risk management resources
- Evidence-based publications
CAOT (https://www.caot.ca/)
- Professional development webinars
- Position statements (on end of life, community care, mental health…etc)
- Professional responsibility in fieldwork education
NPAA (https://physiotherapy.ca/national-physiotherapist-assistant-assembly)
- Benefits of NPAA:https://physiotherapy.ca/sites/default/files/site_documents/NPAA_PDFs/benefits-of-npaa-membership-en.pdf
COPEC
COPEC is made up of members from various colleges and universities across Canada. Contact us if you are interested in becoming a member.
Find more educator resources and technology help in our Members Only Area!