Frequently Asked Questions

No. There is no additional cost for making a credit card payment online.

Verify that you are using the email address: MedicalQualityAssurance@flhealth.gov Also, If you have SPAM blocker on your computer, you will not be able to receive emails from Licensure Services without updating your SPAM blocker to allow emails from the Department. Please update your SPAM blocker to receive emails from @doh.state.fl.us or contact our Licensure Support Services at (850)-488-0595, for Account ID and Password renewal information.

If the provider does not have specific approval by the Board, AOTA or FOTA, you would need to consider whether the certification you are seeking meets the Board’s CE acceptance criteria for other courses relevant to the practice as defined in Board Rule 64B11-6.001, Florida Administrative Code.  Please compare the information from the course you are considering to the outlined criteria in this rule to determine whether it meets the stated requirements.  If you determine it is relevant to the practice of occupational therapy and to take the course, you will need to self-report the course to your personal CEBroker account according to the instructions below.  You are not required to have a paid account to self-report in Ce Broker.  You would need to login to your CEBroker dashboard, where you will see the option to self-report CE.  You would report under the category “Course/Program Relevant To The Practice Of Occupational Therapy”.

Questions

1. What is the name of the continuing education provider?
   A:/ Short Answer
2. What is the name of the course as indicated on your course completion certificate?
   A:/ Short Answer
3. Was the course presented by an instructor possessing education and/or experience relevant to the subject matter of the course?
   A:/ Short Answer
4. Please indicate, from the selections below, how this course was most relevant to the practice of occupational therapy as defined by Florida law?
   A:/ Multiple Choice:
   1. Most relevant to achieving functional outcomes by maximizing the independence and maintenance of an individual limited by a physical injury or illness.
   2. Most relevant to achieving functional outcomes by maximizing the independence and maintenance of an individual limited by a cognitive impairment, a psychosocial dysfunction, a mental illness, a developmental or a learning disability, or an adverse environmental condition.
   3. Most relevant to occupational therapy skills related to the observation or the administration and interpretation of standardized or non-standardized tests and measurements to identify areas for occupational therapy services.
   4. Most relevant to occupational therapy services involving treatment, education, consultation or interventions directed toward developing daily living skills, work readiness or work performance, play skills or leisure capacities, or enhancing educational performance skills.
   5. Most relevant to occupational therapy services providing for the development of sensory-motor, perceptual, or neuromuscular functioning; range of motion; or emotional, motivational, cognitive, or psychosocial components of performance.

Attachments: If submitting documentation, be prepared to attach your certificate of completion.

Attestation: I hereby certify that the answers on this application are true and correct.

Pursuant to Section 456.072(1), F.S., making misleading or fraudulent representations shall constitute grounds for which disciplinary actions specified in Section 456.072(2)(3), F.S., may be taken.

No, you must apply for licensure and receive a Florida OT or OTA license to work legally. OTR or COTA Certification alone is not sufficient; it is only a requirement for Florida licensure. Anyone working with only a certification in the state is subject to Unlicensed Practice charges/discipline.

Rule 64B11-4.001 Use of Prescription Devices explains the training required for students, postgraduates, and licensees to qualify for the use of an electrical stimulation or an ultrasonic stimulation devices must include didactic training of at least four (4) hours for each modality and performance of at least five (5) treatments under supervision for each modality. The required training may be obtained through educational programs, workshops, or seminars offered at a college or university approved for training of occupational therapists by the American Occupational Therapy Association or of physical therapists by the American Physical Therapy Association or at clinical facilities affiliated with such accredited colleges or universities or through educational programs offered by the American Society of Hand Therapists or Florida Occupational Therapy Association. Online courses are not approved for the didactic or performance training.

Supervised treatment sessions to be conducted under the personal supervision of licensed occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants who have completed four (4) hours of coursework in the use of an electrical stimulation or an ultrasonic stimulation device and five (5) supervised treatments or licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants trained in the use of electrical stimulation devices. Treatment supervisors must have a minimum of 24 months prior experience in the use of electrical stimulation devices. Personal supervision means that the supervisor is in the room with the trainees and actively provides guidance and supervision of the performance treatments.

There are no formal papers or certificates to be filed with the Board. You must take the 4 hours of didactic (educational) training, complete and document 5 supervised treatments. You must maintain documentation in the event you need to verify you are certified to provide services. Any occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant who uses such electrical stimulation or an ultrasonic stimulation device must upon request of the Board, or the Department, present proof that he or she has obtained the training required.

You must determine whether the certification requirements taken in another state meet the certification requirements as required by Florida’s  Rule 64B11-4.001 Use of Prescription Devices.

You may claim credit for any courses that are “relevant to the practice of occupational therapy”. Continuing Education Rule 64B11-6.001 (b) states that CE credit will be awarded for completion of courses that… “Shall be relevant to the practice of occupational therapy as defined in Section 468.203(4), Florida Statutes, must be offered for the purpose of keeping the licensee apprised of advancements and new development in occupational therapy, and shall be designed to enhance learning and skills consistent with contemporary standards for occupational therapy practice.”    Continuing Education is for the purpose of making one a better OT or OTA “therapist or therapy assistant”, and not necessarily  a better “healthcare provider” or “healthcare employee”.

For Applicants Seeking Reentry into the Profession: Rule 64B11-2.012, F.A.C., requires any applicant seeking licensure, who has not been in active practice within the last five years, to submit documentation of 50 continuing education hours, relevant to the practice of occupational therapy. Twelve (12) of these 50 hours may be completed as home study. At least 38 hours must be completed as “live” interactive (in real time) courses. These may be online or physical attendance courses. Courses must be completed within the year prior to licensure and verification must be submitted before a license can be issued. Submit proof of continuing education hours with a detailed list of courses, hours and dates, taken when submitting an application.

This requirement only applies to applicants who have held an OT or OTA license, had a break in active practice, and are now re-entering the profession.

It is not required, but strongly advised to take a Florida Board approved Laws and Rules course as a part of the 50 re-entry continuing education hours.

Yes, please visit our website at: http://www.floridahealth.gov/licensing-and-regulation/latest-laws/index.html NOTE: The information on this page is about felony convictions that prohibit licensure, including controlled substances offenses, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, etc.
For more information on offenses that may prevent you from obtaining a medical license, see statutes and rules below:
– s. 456, F.S. (health professions and occupations)
– s. 458, F.S. (medical practice)
– s. 766.301 through 766.316, F.S. (medical malpractice and related matters)

Yes, but only up to 6 hours per biennium are allowed, and approval must be requested prior to services being rendered.  See the Board’s CE Rule 64B11-5.001 (15) Performance of Pro Bono Services – A licensee may receive up to six (6) hours per biennium of continuing education credit through the performance of pro bono services to the indigent as provided in Section 456.013(9), F.S., or to underserved populations, or in areas of critical need within the state where the licensee practices. In order to receive credit under this rule, licensees must make a written request to the Board and receive approval in advance. One (1) hour credit shall be given for each two (2) hours worked. In the written request, licensees shall disclose the type, nature and extent of services to be rendered, the facility where the services will be rendered, the number of patients expected to be serviced, and a statement indicating that the patients to be served are indigent. If the licensee intends to provide services in underserved or critical need areas, the written request shall provide a brief explanation as to those facts.

To find approved Continuing Education courses, follow these instructions:

1. Go to www.cebroker.com
2. Select “Course Search”.
3. Select “Florida Department of Health” and enter your preferred selections.
4. Once you have entered your criteria, click on the search button and the system will produce a list of approved courses.