Student Supervision

Effective supervision is a critical element of fieldwork.  The OTA Program provides general supervision guidelines and resources to fieldwork educators as well as individualized coaching and support as needed. 

The Pima OTA Program on the Denver campus uses the Colorado State Practice Act for Occupational Therapists as the foundation for supervision guidelines.  General guidelines for supervision are provided by AOTA. 

Generally, supervision should progress from close (daily one-on-one contact) to more routine (once to twice weekly) by the conclusion of the fieldwork experience.  The amount of supervision depends on factors such as the type of setting, acuity of the clients, and the abilities of the student. If you represent a fieldwork site outside of Colorado, you should consider requirements of your state practice act as well as reimbursement guidelines that affect supervision of students. These will vary depending on your state and setting. 

Level I students may be supervised by a professional credentialed in another field (e.g., nursing, psychology, physical therapy). In these cases, the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC) from Pima Medical Institute will collaborate with the professional to determine appropriate guidance for the student. 

Supervision during Level II Fieldwork must be provided by an OT practitioner (may be an OT or OTA) who is initially credentialed by NBCOT as well as according to their state’s practice act. The Pima Program requires that the fieldwork educator have at least one year of experience in the practice area for which they are providing supervision. 

Students can also be supervised by a professional other than an occupational therapy practitioner and who is credentialed according to state and other regulations. In such a situation, additional supervision is provided by an occupational therapist external to the site. This is frequently the case in sites representing “emerging practice setting” for occupational therapy practitioners. 

Some additional resources:

The Collaborative Model of Fieldwork Education

Medicare Supervision Requirements

CMS Medicare Billing and Coding