02-477-5 Me. Code R. § 2

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 477-5-2 - Supervision of Occupational Therapy Assistants and Temporary Licensees

1. Principles of Supervision

The occupational therapist has the ultimate responsibility for occupational therapy treatment outcomes. Supervision is a shared responsibility. The supervising occupational therapist has a legal and ethical responsibility to provide supervision, and the supervisee has a legal and ethical responsibility to obtain supervision. Supervision is required even when the supervisee is experienced and/or highly skilled in a particular area. A supervisor is legally and ethically responsible for the professional activities of an occupational therapy assistant or temporary licensee under his or her supervision.

2. Knowledge of Client

The supervising occupational therapist must have knowledge of the client, or the occupational therapy services received by the client, and the problems being discussed.

3. Supervision of Occupational Therapy Assistants

Supervision consists of "initial directions and periodic inspection of the service delivery and provision of relevant in-service training. The supervising licensed occupational therapist shall determine the frequency and nature of the supervision to be provided based on the clients' required level of care and the COTA's caseload, experience and competency." 32 MRSA §2272(14)

4.Supervision of Temporary Licensees

For temporary licensees, supervision "includes initial and periodic inspection or written assessments, written treatment plans, patient notes and periodic evaluation of performance. The reviews and evaluations must be conducted in person by a licensed occupational therapist." 32 MRSA §2272(15)

5. Supervision Requirement; Supervision Forms

A. Each occupational therapy assistant and temporary licensee must have a supervisor of record for each facility or work setting at or in which the occupational therapy assistant or temporary licensee is employed. The supervising occupational therapist must agree in writing, on a form provided by the board, to provide supervision to the named supervisee pursuant to the laws and rules governing the practice of occupational therapy. Any change of supervisor must be documented by a replacement or supplemental supervision form, as the case may be.

B. All supervision forms must be must sent to the board no later than 10 days after execution by the supervisor and supervisee. The supervisor and supervisee are equally responsible for sending the forms to the board and ensuring that accurate, up-to-date supervision forms are on file with the board at all times.

02-477 C.M.R. ch. 5, § 2