New Rule Changes for Florida Board of Occupational Therapy

Florida Board of Occupational Therapy PracticeOccupational Therapy Board Rule 64B11-5.001, F.A.C., Requirements for License Renewal of an Active License; Continuing Education, was updated in July 2014 with significant changes. Please note that these changes will not be implemented until the 2015 – 2017 licensure biennium and will go into effect March 1, 2015, to avoid any potential adverse impacts on licensees and providers who took/offered courses under the version of the rule in effect when this current biennium began on March 1, 2013.

Specifically, the rule change references the courses that are considered live.

At least fourteen (14) of the required hours per biennium must be in person or from interactive, real-time courses. An interactive, real-time course may be a web-based, satellite transmitted, telephone or video conference, or online instruction program that allows or requires the licensee to interact in real time, including live chat, with the instructor during the presentation of the program.

Home Study – A licensee may receive continuing education credit for no more than twelve (12) hours of home study education per biennium. Home study education is a self-paced, non-interactive independent study that requires a certificate of completion. Taking a computerized exam at the end of the study, or being able to email the instructor with a question, does not qualify home study as a live or interactive course.

If a course does not allow or require live interaction with the presenter then it is not considered a live course. Courses that allow a licensee to contact the presenter via email are homestudy courses, not live courses.

If you have any questions, please contact the Board directly via email at mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov or by calling 850-245-4373.

Professional Development Resources is an American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) approved provider of home study continuing education (#3159). The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the Florida Board of OT Practice (#34) and is CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within 1 week of completion). Florida-licensed OTs/OTAs may earn up to 12 hours per renewal through courses offered @ www.pdresources.org.