Professional Organizations

AOTA- Provides the essential resources and guidance that inspire occupational therapy practitioners and students to be their passionate, creative best as they create solutions that
facilitate participation in daily living for clients

Team of volunteer leaders—including a Board of Directors (President, VP, Secretary, treasurer, 6 directors), a Representative Assembly and other advisory committees and commissions—who set priorities for the Association.
Volunteer leaders, along with full-time staff with diverse professional expertise, work together with a focus on advancing the occupational therapy profession.

Who are the members?
Students, professionals, future professionals, and volunteers (230,000 members)

OTAC- The collective voice that serves, promotes, and supports the profession of occupational therapy and its practitioners.
protects the livelihood of OT in California advocates for the profession of occupational therapy safeguards practice issues within the profession provides support to practitioners through their committee of political action represents occupational therapy practitioners on reimbursement issues with third-party payers, workers' compensation, and others

Member-driven
Nonprofit - funded by membership dues
Governed by Board of Directors - elected officers and regional directors
Officers elected by members across the state and regional directors elected by members in their region
Board of Directors approve appointment of committee chairs
Committee chairs and Board of Directors work together to accomplish the Association’s Strategic Plan
Committees

CBOT- Licenses Occupational Therapists (OTs) and certifies Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) in California. It also investigates allegations of violations of the OTPA by licensees and certificate-holders.

Dictates how OTs are licensed and upholds professional standards. It also investigates allegations of violations of the OTPA by licensees and certificate-holders.

The steps of getting licensed in California.
1. Submit application fee of $50
Pay $49 fingerprinting fee (See step #4 for fingerprinting)
2. Submit license application questions
3. Submit a completed Live Scan form
4. (if you live outside of CA and will not be traveling to CA during licensure process) submit fingerprint cards with application for licensure
5. Find a NBCOT Verification of Certification or Score Transfer Report
6. Submit a 2” x 2” passport photo taken within the last six months
7. Request a verification of licensure from each jurisdiction in which you hold/held a license
8. Submit an official transcript, with degree posted, from the qualifying degree program (accredited college or university)

NBCOT- Ensure that those certified are able to help the public by having the practicing occupational therapists equipped with the necessary knowledge to practice to the best of their abilities.

Certified through an exam, based on evidence practice analysis studies. Certification required.
U.S. Educated
^ need an OT degree that corresponds with degree requirements (currently that's a masters degree)
Internationally Educated
^ apply for Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED®) process, which is used to measure whether you have completed an equivalent of education and fieldwork needed to meet the requirements
as you continue practicing as an occupational therapist, you have to renew it. Renewal every 3 years.

WFOT- Their goal is to promote occupational therapy as an art and science internationally

Members: Anyone who is a OT, OTA, or MSOT are all welcome to join if they are already members of their own national organization
WFOT Executive Team:
President: Samantha Shann (MSc, PGCert, Dip COT) executive liaison: Europe and Africa
VP: Margarita Gonzalez (MScErgo, PGDipSP, PGDipT, PGDip, SI, OT, FWFOT) executive liaison: Americas
Finance VP: Tracey Partridge-Tricker (MScOT, NZROT) executive liaison: Asia Pacific
Executive Director: Ritchard Ledgerd (MSc, BScOT, FWFOT) executive liaison: Europe and Middle East

If you are interested in participating on the global scale, then this is a good organization to join. However, if you would rather limit yourself to just staying within your own sphere then it probably wouldn’t benefit you as much. Most national organizations already enroll you in WFOT when you sign up with them, so it’s up to you to activate your membership and utilize the global information that WFOT provides.
Members can apply for dedicated research funding through WFOT.

Research funding, professional representation internationally, allows profession to influence international policy, hosts World Occupational Day, coordinates translations of publications into different language maintains status with United Nations and World Health organization