CHAPTER 207
CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS
645—207.1(148B) Definitions. For the purpose of these rules, the following definitions shall apply:
“Active license” means a license that is current and has not expired.
“Audit” means the selection of licensees for verification of satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements during a specified time period.
“Board” means the board of physical and occupational therapy.
“Continuing education” means planned, organized learning acts designed to maintain, improve, or expand a licensee’s knowledge and skills in order for the licensee to develop new knowledge and skills relevant to the enhancement of practice, education, or theory development to improve the safety and welfare of the public.
“Hour of continuing education” means at least 50 minutes spent by a licensee in actual attendance at and completion of an approved continuing education activity.
“Inactive license” means a license that has expired because it was not renewed by the end of the grace period. The category of “inactive license” may include licenses formerly known as lapsed, inactive, delinquent, closed, or retired.
“Independent study” means a subject/program/activity that a person pursues autonomously and that meets standards for approval criteria in the rules and includes a posttest.
“License” means license to practice.
“Licensee” means any person licensed to practice as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in the state of Iowa.
645—207.2(272C) Continuing education requirements.
	207.2(1) The biennial continuing education compliance period shall extend for a two-year period that begins on the sixteenth day of the licensee’s birth month and ends two years later on the fifteenth day of the birth month.
	a. 	Requirements for occupational therapist licensees. Each biennium, each person who is licensed to practice as an occupational therapist in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education approved by the board.
	b. 	Requirements for occupational therapy assistant licensees. Each biennium, each person who is licensed to practice as an occupational therapy assistant in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education approved by the board.
	207.2(2) Requirements of new licensees. Those persons licensed for the first time shall not be required to complete continuing education as a prerequisite for the first renewal of their licenses. Continuing education hours acquired anytime from the initial licensing until the second license renewal may be used. The new licensee will be required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education per biennium for occupational therapists and 15 hours for occupational therapy assistants each subsequent license renewal.
	207.2(3) Hours of continuing education credit may be obtained by attending and participating in a continuing education activity. These hours must be in accordance with these rules.
	207.2(4) With the exception of continuing education hours obtained by new licensees, no hours of continuing education shall be carried over into the next biennium. A licensee whose license was reactivated during the current renewal compliance period may use continuing education earned during the compliance period for the first renewal following reactivation.
	207.2(5) It is the responsibility of each licensee to finance the cost of continuing education.
645—207.3(148B,272C) Standards.
	207.3(1) General criteria. A continuing education activity which meets all of the following criteria is appropriate for continuing education credit if the continuing education activity:
	a. 	Constitutes an organized program of learning which contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee;
	b. 	Pertains to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of the profession;
	c. 	Is conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training and experience by reason of which said individuals should be considered qualified concerning the subject matter of the program. At the time of audit, the board may request the qualifications of presenters;
	d. 	Fulfills stated program goals, objectives, or both; and
	e. 	Provides proof of attendance to licensees in attendance including:
	(1)	Date, location, course title, presenter(s);
	(2)	Number of program contact hours; and
	(3)	Certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course provided by the course sponsor.
	207.3(2) Specific criteria.
	a. 	Licensees may obtain continuing education hours of credit by:
	(1)	Presenting professional programs which meet the criteria listed in this rule. Two hours of credit will be awarded for each hour of presentation. A course schedule or brochure must be maintained for an audit;
	(2)	Providing official transcripts indicating successful completion of academic courses which apply to the field of occupational therapy. Credit hour equivalents are:
1 academic semester hour = 15 continuing education hours of credit
1 academic trimester hour = 12 continuing education hours of credit
1 academic quarter hour = 10 continuing education hours of credit
	(3)	Authoring research or other activities the results of which are published in a recognized professional publication. The licensee shall receive five hours of credit per page;
	(4)	Viewing videotaped presentations if the following criteria are met:
	1.	There is a sponsoring group or agency;
	2.	There is a facilitator or program official present;
	3.	The program official may not be the only attendee; and
	4.	The program meets all the criteria specified in this rule;
	(5)	Participating in home study courses that have a certificate of completion and a postcourse test;
	(6)	Attending courses/activities that have business-related topics: marketing, time management, government regulations, and other like topics;
	(7)	Attending courses/activities that have personal skills topics: career burnout, communication skills, human relations, and other like topics;
	(8)	Attending courses/activities that have general health topics: clinical research, CPR, child abuse reporting, and other like topics;
	(9)	Attending workshops, conferences and symposiums which relate directly to the professional competency of the licensee.
	b. 	The maximum number of hours in each category in each biennium is as follows:
	(1)	Fifteen hours of credit for occupational therapists and eight hours of credit for occupational therapy assistants for presenting professional programs.
	(2)	Fifteen hours of credit for occupational therapists and eight hours of credit for occupational therapy assistants for participating in research.
	(3)	Fifteen hours of credit for occupational therapists and eight hours of credit for occupational therapy assistants for viewing videotaped presentations and electronically transmitted material that have a postcourse test.
	(4)	Fifteen hours of credit for occupational therapists and eight hours of credit for occupational therapy assistants for business-related topics, personal skills topics and general health topics.
	(5)	Fifteen hours of credit for occupational therapists and eight hours of credit for occupational therapy assistants for home study courses.
	c. 	Each biennium, a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education for occupational therapists and a minimum of 8 hours for occupational therapy assistants shall be of a clinical nature.
645—207.4(148B,272C) Audit of continuing education report. Rescinded IAB 12/17/08, effective 1/21/09.
645—207.5(148B,272C) Automatic exemption. Rescinded IAB 12/17/08, effective 1/21/09.
645—207.6(272C) Continuing education exemption for disability or illness. Rescinded IAB 12/17/08, effective 1/21/09.
645—207.7(148B,272C) Grounds for disciplinary action. Rescinded IAB 12/17/08, effective 1/21/09.
645—207.8(272C) Continuing education exemption for disability or illness. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
645—207.9(272C) Reinstatement of inactive practitioners. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
645—207.10(272C) Hearings. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 272C.2 and chapter 148B.
[Filed 11/9/00, Notice 7/26/00—published 11/29/00, effective 1/3/01]
[Filed 2/14/02, Notice 10/3/01—published 3/6/02, effective 4/10/02]
[Filed 8/22/05, Notice 6/22/05—published 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05]◊
[Filed 11/30/07, Notice 9/26/07—published 12/19/07, effective 1/23/08]
[Filed 11/26/08, Notice 9/24/08—published 12/17/08, effective 1/21/09]
◊	Two or more ARCs