Occupational Therapy

Math, Natural and Health Science Division

Program Coordinator: Sister Marie Buckley

Office Telephone:

Administration Assistant: Rochlle Mezoff, (845) 574 - 4436

Secretary: Gloria Collazo, (845) 574 - 4541

Fieldwork Coordinator: Kathy Babcock, (845) 574 - 4028

Full-Time Faculty:

Adjunct Faculty: Kathleen Babcock, Barbara Berry, Jennifer L. Ekizian, Donna Knoebel, Barbara Mills, Marie Morreale, Lois Struble

Occupational Therapy seeks to improve functioning and independence level in activities of daily living for those who have been disabled by illness, injury, aging, or birth accident. Graduates of the Rockland Occupational Therapy Assistant Program are prepared at the technical level to enter occupational therapy practice. They may go directly into practice in hospitals, schools, nursing homes and day treatment settings. They may also continue their education in a professional program. By majoring in biology, psychology, education or gerontology at the bachelor's level for example, a graduate may enter a master's degree program in Occupational Therapy.

Occupational therapy practice requires discipline and empathy. To graduate from the SUNY Rockland program, students must have a minimum passing GPA of 2.0 or C in all courses in the curriculum. Fieldwork requires that students be available full-time during the day for a period of at least four months. OTA students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of all academic courses. The SUNY Rockland Occupational Therapy Program has its laboratory and classrooms at the Spring Valley Extension Center.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. AOTA's phone number is (301) 652-AOTA. Graduates of the program are able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). New York State and most other states, require licensure in order to practice, in addition to national certification.

The Occupational Therapy program has an admissions process that a student must complete prior to beginning the course of study. Contact the program's coordinator at (845)574-4312 for questions.