Vermont Occupational Therapists

Continuing Education Requirements

Vermont-licensed occupational therapists have a biennial license renewal with a May 31st
deadline, even years.
Twenty (20) continuing education hours are required to renew a license every two years.
There are no limits for online continuing education courses, if AOTA approved. There must
be a posttest.
A minimum of ten (10) hours must relate to the delivery of occupational therapy services.

Professional Development Resources is approved to offer online continuing education

by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified
Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); theAlabama State

Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health
Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics &
Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice;
the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology
and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; and by
the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social
Worker Examiners.

Occupational Therapists Continuing Education Courses

Ethics for Occupational Therapists
Ethics for Occupational Therapists is a 3-hour online continuing education
course that teaches OTs how to handle ethical and moral dilemmas in
practice. Ethical and moral issues pervade our lives, especially in the
healthcare arena. Occupational therapists are frequently confronted with
a variety of ethical and moral dilemmas, and their decisions can have long-range effects
both professionally and personally. Why does one decision win out over another? What
does the decision process involve? How do these decisions impact those involved? This
course will address these questions from the framework of ethical decision models and the
American Occupational Therapy Associations Code of Ethics.

Improving Social Skills in Children & Adolescents

Improving Social Skills in Children & Adolescents is a 4-hour online
continuing education course that discusses the social skills children and
adolescents will need to develop to be successful in school and beyond.
It will demonstrate the challenges and difficulties that arise from a deficit
of these crucial skills, as well as the benefits and advantages that can
come about with well-developed social skills.This course will also provide practical tools that

teachers and therapists can employ to guide children to overcome their difficulties in the
social realm and gain social competence. While there are hundreds of important social skills
for students to learn, we can organize them into skill areas to make it easier to identify and
determine appropriate interventions. This course is divided into 10 chapters, each detailing
various aspects of social skills that children, teens, and adults must master to have
normative, healthy relationships with the people they encounter every day. This course
provides tools and suggestions that, with practice and support, can assist them in
managing their social skills deficits to function in society and nurture relationships with the
peers and adults in their lives.

Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course
that reviews evidenced-based research for identification, management
and prevention of cyberbullying in children, adolescents and
adults. Bullies have moved from the playground and workplace to the
online world, where anonymity can facilitate bullying behavior. Cyberbullying is intentional,
repeated harm to another person using communication technology. It is not accidental or
random. It is targeted to a person with less perceived power. This may be someone
younger, weaker, or less knowledgeable about technology. Any communication device may
be used to harass or intimidate a victim, such as a cell phone, tablet, or computer. Any
communication platform may host cyberbullying: social media sites (Facebook, Twitter),
applications (Snapchat, AIM), websites (forums or blogs), and any place where one person
can communicate with or at another person electronically. The short and long-term
effects of bullying are considered as significant as neglect or maltreatment as a type of
child abuse. This course will describe specific cyberbullying behaviors, review theories that
attempt to explain why bullying happens, list the damaging effects that befall its victims,
and discuss strategies professionals can use to prevent or manage identified cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is a fast-growing area of concern and all healthcare professionals should be
equipped to spot the signs and provide support for our patients and clients, as well as keep
up with the technology that drives cyberbullying.

Caffeine and Health

Caffeine is a rapidly absorbed organic compound that acts as a stimulant
in the human body. The average amount of caffeine consumed in the US
is approximately 300 mg per person per day - the equivalent to between
two and four cups of coffee - with coffee accounting for about threefourths of the caffeine that is consumed in the American diet. This is
considered to be a moderate caffeine intake, which, according to many studies, can
promote a variety of health benefits. But some studies claim otherwise, even suggesting
that one or two cups of coffee a day may negatively impact our health. So, what are we to
believe? This course will analyze the potential health benefits, as well as the negative side
effects, of caffeine consumption on a variety of health conditions, including: dementia and
Alzheimers disease, headache, cancer, Parkinsons disease, gallstones, cardiovascular
disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fibrocystic breast conditions,
premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy and lactation, osteoporosis, athletic performance, and
weight control.

Animal-Assisted Therapy and the Healing Power of Pets

This is the first course in a three-part series and includes the story of
Deirdre Rands journey with her animal companions and the lessons
learned from the challenges and rewards of those relationships. Also
discussed are temperament, socialization and training; the role of the
neurohormone oxytocin in strengthening the human-companion animal
bond; the founding of the three major organizations which register
volunteer handler/therapy teams, along with the contributions of key historic figures in
developing animal-assisted therapy as we know it today; examples of animal-assisted
interventions with dogs, cats and other animals; and attributes of a great therapy animal
and a great handler.