Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Update!

On March 18th, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law Senate Bill 1189, enacting Virginia’s membership in the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, effective January 1, 2021. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed Senate Bill 7, making Ohio the second state to join the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact., effective June 30, 2021. The OT Compact takes effect when it is enacted by 10 states.

For more information, click here! 

House Bill 100

In order to provide adequate prevention and support services to Delaware students, schools need trained and experienced mental health professionals to provide programming. Currently, 86% of elementary schools do not employ a school social worker. Current ratios of students to school counselors and school psychologists far exceed national best practices. This bill is intended to lower ratios and increase access to mental health services for elementary school students.  The overall goal of HB 100 is to provide Delaware’s youth and families with the mental wellness resources they need to ensure student success both in and out of the classroom.

Updated: 3/23/21

Currently in DE, we are monitoring - DE H 218 relating to licensed professional art therapists- reimbursement act to expand consumers' access to mental health care and placing professional art therapists as reimbursement-eligible under health insurance contracts in the state. 

We do need volunteers to monitor the state legislature for bills that may come up which encroach on the Occupational Therapy Practice Act (71 Del. Laws, c.293) as well as representation of our profession at the monthly Delaware Health Care Commission meetings. Decisions made at these meetings will directly effect our profession as the Affordable Care Act is implemented in Delaware.
Please contact Lauren to be part of our effort to advocate for occupational therapy in Delaware. Lauren Janusz       lauren.janusz@yahoo.com

Encroachment Concerns:

Language added to state physical therapy practice acts that physical therapy addresses activities of daily living within the context of movement and mobility. Of particular concern is the addition of “functional training in self-care and in home, community, or work integration.” This language does not specify that physical therapy is confined to functional training in physical movement and mobility, which may mislead consumers and encroach on the traditional domain of occupational therapy.

Revisions to or the deletion of the definition of athlete and athletic injury within athletic trainers practice acts. These changes expand who and what athletic trainers are able to treat and be reimbursed for.

Increased legislation and regulations to license behavioral analysts because of the growing demand for coverage of intensive services (including applied behavior analysis and occupational therapy) for children with autism spectrum disorder. The envisioned scope of practice for behavioral analysts includes traditional areas of occupational therapy, which could restrict the practice of occupational therapy practitioners. While there are many examples of behavioral analyst and OT collaborations, there continues to be concern in some states. For example, behavioral therapists may be acting as gatekeepers by denying families a comprehensive evaluation and recommending only ABA therapy, or telling families that they can do everything OTs can do and that they have better outcomes than OTs.

Updated: 1/2020