Kan. Admin. Regs. § 100-54-12 - Supervision of occupational therapy assistants

(a) For the purposes of this regulation, each of the following terms shall have the meaning specified in this subsection:

(1) "Full-time" means employed for 30 or more hours per week.

(2) "Supervision" means oversight of an occupational therapy assistant by a licensed occupational therapist that includes initial direction and periodic review of service delivery and the provision of relevant instruction and training.

(b) Supervision shall be considered adequate if the occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant have on-site contact at least monthly and interim contact occurring as needed by other means, including telephone, electronic mail, text messaging, and written communication.

(c) Each occupational therapist who supervises an occupational therapy assistant shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Be licensed in Kansas;

(2) be actively engaged in the practice of occupational therapy in Kansas;

(3) be responsible for the services and tasks performed by the occupational therapy assistant under the supervision of the occupational therapist;

(4) be responsible for any tasks that the supervised occupational therapy assistant delegates to an occupational therapy aide, occupational therapy technician, or occupational therapy paraprofessional;

(5) delegate only those services for which the occupational therapist has reasonable knowledge that the occupational therapy assistant has the knowledge, experience, training, and skill to perform;

(6) document in the patient's chart any direction or review of occupational therapy services provided under supervision by the occupational therapy assistant; and

(7) report to the board any knowledge that the occupational therapy assistant has committed any act specified in K.S.A. 65-5410, and amendments thereto. The occupational therapist shall report this information to the board within 10 days of receiving notice of the information.

(d) An occupational therapist shall not supervise more than the combined equivalent of four full-time occupational therapy assistants. This combination shall not exceed a total of eight occupational therapy assistants.

(e) Each occupational therapist's decision to delegate components of occupational therapy services under this regulation to an occupational therapy assistant shall be based on that occupational therapist's education, expertise, and professional judgment.

(f) An occupational therapy assistant shall not initiate therapy for any patient or client before the supervising occupational therapist's evaluation of the patient or client.

(g) An occupational therapy assistant shall not perform any of the following services for a patient or client:

(1) Performing and documenting an initial evaluation;

(2) developing or modifying the treatment plan; or

(3) developing a plan of discharge from treatment.

(h) Any occupational therapy assistant, under supervision, may perform the following services for a patient or client:

(1) Collecting initial patient data through screening and interviewing;

(2) assessing initial activities of daily living by administering standardized assessments;

(3) performing a chart review;

(4) implementing and coordinating occupational therapy interventions;

(5) providing direct services that follow a documented routine and accepted protocol;

(6) grading and adapting activities, media, or the environment according to the needs of the patient or client;

(7) contributing to the reassessment process; and

(8) contributing to the discontinuation of intervention, as directed by the occupational therapist, by implementing a discharge plan and providing necessary client discharge resources.

(i) Failure by any occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant to meet the applicable requirements of this regulation shall constitute evidence of unprofessional conduct.

Notes

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 100-54-12

Authorized by K.S.A. 65-5405; implementing K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 65-5402 and 65-5410; adopted by Kansas Register Volume 35, No. 17 effective 5/13/2016