Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)

Occupational Therapy- Builds the Bridge Between Injury and Independence, Through Clinical Skills and Creative Solutions.

Casper College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, believe that “doing” is the best form of healing. We are looking for the next generation of students who see themselves as Visionaries—students who have the grit to solve problems and the vision to see a path toward independence for their neighbors and communities.   In Wyoming, independence is a way of life. As an OTA, you make that independence possible for others. If you have the heart of a healer and the hands of a doer, your journey starts here.

OTAs are the hands-on “doers” of the healthcare world. We don’t just help people recover; we help them live. Whether it’s helping a rancher return to work after an injury or teaching a child with a disability how to get dressed for school, or educating a veteran or neighbor  struggling with anxiety to discover routines that ground them, an OTA uses creativity and clinical science to break down barriers.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy is the only healthcare profession that uses the “occupations” of everyday life as the path to healing. In the Casper College OTA program, we don’t just look at a diagnosis; we look at the whole person, mind, body and environment. We are a community of creators, problem-solvers, and doers dedicated to helping our neighbors reclaim their independence by overcoming developmental, physical and/or social challenges.

OTA Role: Creative Engine

As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), you are the creative engine of the therapy team. You work in a collaborative, “intraprofessional” partnership with a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR). While the OTR directs the initial evaluation, you are the specialist who brings the treatment to life.

What’s the Difference? Registered Occupational Therapist vs. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.

The COTA: Innovation in Action

Training at Casper College prepares you to use a diverse range of evidence-based interventions. Following education in these areas, you become a generalized skilled occupational therapy assistant. You will leave Casper College with the skills to work in traditional clinics, but also in schools, workplaces, and community centers—wherever people need the “Science of Living” to stay at their best.

• Modify & Adapt: Using assistive technology, or environmental modifications to make a home safer, feed yourself, paint a picture, be successful at work/school.
• Establish & Restore: Developing motor skills, social interaction, and cognitive function to live life to its fullest for any age or diagnosis of a person.
• Orthotics & Modalities: You will learn to evaluate a client’s anatomy and fabricate custom thermoplastic orthotics that protect healing tissues or improve functional grasp. You will also learn to apply Physical Agent Modalities (PAMs), such as thermal treatments, to decrease pain and increase range of motion.
• Create/Promote: As a COTA, you don’t just wait for a problem to occur—you help create lifestyles that promote success from the start, by providing new ways to engage in activities that enhance a person’s health and happiness. Example: Creating a “Sensory Play” group at a local park to help all children develop social skills, or design a community garden program that encourages seniors to stay active and connected to their neighbors.
• Prevention:Prevention is about identifying potential barriers and stopping them before they limit a client’s independence. OTA’s lead interventions that help to preserve a person’s current abilities and prevent the emergence of new injuries or illnesses. Example: “Ergonomic Check-ups” for office workers to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, or lead “Fall Prevention” classes for seniors to ensure their homes remain safe environments for aging in place.
• Advocacy: Empowering clients to advocate for their own “Occupational Justice” and community participation.Whether you are advocating for a student’s rights in a school IEP meeting or helping a veteran access local frontier resources, you are trained to be a leader who promotes the value of the OT profession and the well-being of the populations you serve.

Where Do COTA’s Work?

The OT scope of practice is incredibly broad, allowing you to find a niche that matches your passion:

• Pediatrics: Schools, early intervention, and outpatient sensory labs.
• Adult Rehab: Hospitals, hand therapy clinics, and neuro-rehabilitation.
• Gerontology: Skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care.
• Mental Health: Community behavioral health and transitional housing.
• Emerging Fields: Aquatic therapy, hippotherapy (equine-assisted), and low-vision rehab.

Employment info

The occupational therapy assistant program is an associate of science degree major designed to prepare students to obtain employment as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA); or a related field.

Occupational Therapy Assistants work in a wide variety of settings, however, they are primarily employed in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, community programs and public schools. Our graduates enjoy a high percentage of employability within months after graduation. Over 85% of our graduates are currently employed as COTAs.

The salary for entry level OTAs in this area (Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska) is usually $25-33 per hour.

The COTA Impact:

At the end of the day, a COTA is a champion for Occupational Justice. We believe that every individual has the right to participate in the activities that make life worth living, regardless of their disability or diagnosis.

The end result of your work isn’t just a healed injury—it is participation. Whether you are helping a veteran return to a meaningful career or teaching a child the confidence to tie their own shoes, you are doing more than just helping people “get better.” You are improving their Quality of Life and Well-Being by helping them get back to who they are.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program began offering class in 1996 and graduated  its first class in 1997, with initial ACOTE accreditation obtained in 1997.  August 2022, Casper College continued its full ACOTE accreditation status with the next onsite evaluation scheduled for 2031/2032.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Casper College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Pass Rates.

Feedback from fieldwork sites and employers indicated the graduates are well prepared for the positions they have been hired to work. The Casper College Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814. The AOTA’s phone number and website are 301-652-AOTA (2682),  www.acoteonline.org.

NOTE: To ensure that occupational therapy practitioners meet ethical and professional standards prior to entering the profession, all applicants for initial certification are required to provide information and documentation related to any illegal, unethical or incompetent behavior. Persons with a felony history may not be eligible to sit for the certification examination. When you apply to write the certification examination with the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy, you will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of felonies. For further information on these limitations, you can contact NBCOT at:

• National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
  One Bank Street, Suite 300
  Gaithersburg, Maryland   20878
• NBCOT Pass Rate

Program outcomes

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program will graduate students who are able to:

1. Demonstrate adaptation and mastery over academic challenges as demonstrated by successfully completing their education at the associate level to earn their Associate of Science degree, in Occupational Therapy Assistant.
2. Demonstrate mastery of academic and experiential learning and apply this knowledge to successfully pass the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy exam.
3. Demonstrate professionalism and life-long learning by obtaining and maintaining licensure in the state of Wyoming and/or their chosen state of practice.
4. Demonstrate integrity and professionalism while following American Occupational Therapy Association’s Code of Ethics, which is essential to work as a generalist occupational therapy assistant.
5. Appreciate and implement evidence-based practice through client centered, occupation-based activities when serving the needs of a person, population and community.
6.  Are self-directed, adaptive, and holistic generalist practitioners.
7. Are lifelong learners and demonstrate stewardship to the occupational therapy  profession, populations served, and their communities.

Graduation Requirements

Graduates of the Casper College occupational therapy assistant program are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®). After passing the exam, graduates become Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs). All states also require licensure to practice, and state licensure is usually based on NBCOT certification exam results. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to take the NBCOT certification exam or obtain state licensure.

To be eligible for graduation from the OTA Program and to sit for the NBCOT certification exam, students must:

1. Complete all required 46 credits of COTA and KIN 2050 prefix courses with a grade of C or higher.
2. Complete all general education requirements for the Associate of Science degree with a grade of C or higher.
3. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
4. Successfully complete both Level II Fieldwork rotations within 12 months of finishing academic coursework.
5. Demonstrate consistent professional behaviors as outlined in the Professionalism Policy.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Education Roadmap

In alignment with the Student-First mission of Casper College, the Occupational Therapy Assistant program is built on the belief that a supportive environment is the foundation for professional excellence. We recognize that becoming a top-tier COTA requires a deep mastery of academic knowledge and the dedicated time to apply that content in a clinical context. Our curriculum is designed to help students adapt to the demanding role of a healthcare provider by balancing life’s responsibilities with the rigors of professional education.

While the program is primarily on-campus, we utilize a Hybrid Model specifically designed to accommodate the busy lives of our students while prioritizing academic success. By concentrating our intensive in-person labs and classroom instruction into three days (Monday–Wednesday), we provide the breathing room necessary for students to synthesize complex materials and engage in the higher-level critical thinking required of modern practitioners.

This structure is not just about convenience; it is a strategic learning design. It reserves Thursdays and Fridays as dedicated time for students to process information, engage in independent study, and access personalized, one-on-one mentorship from faculty. This provides the ‘Occupational Environment’ needed for students to practice their own adaptation skills, ensuring they don’t just ‘pass’ their exams, but emerge as holistic, occupational beings with a deep appreciation for how occupation-based activities improve the lives of every individual they encounter.

This journey of Occupational Adaptation fosters a transformation: by the end of the program, students are not just clinicians—they are professionals deeply invested in lifelong learning and stewardship. They leave Casper College ready to serve as advocates for the occupational therapy profession, the diverse populations they serve, and the unique frontier communities they call home.