Policies
 
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Registration of Additional Qualifications

Revised April 2007

Declaration

The Occupational Therapists Registration Board seeks to clarify the types of postgraduate qualifications that it deems to be appropriate to record on the Register in accordance with the Occupational Therapists Act 1980.

Background

Section 13(2) of the Act refers to the details that may be included in the Register of Occupational Therapists, and in particular, item (c) states "an approved educational qualification".

This section enables the Board to record on the register, qualifications held by a registered occupational therapist. Section 13 (3) goes on to say that these particulars may be amended in the Register if the Board is satisfied that the amendment may properly be made.

Section 13 must be read in conjunction with Section 40(5), which states:

"No registered occupational therapist shall in relation to occupational therapy use or notify on any name-plate or sign or in any advertisement or notice published by or for him any titled words, letters, addition, or description, either in full, or in abbreviation or in combination, other than that or those in the Register in relation to his registration."

Consequently, only those qualifications that are on the Register may be used by occupational therapists in relation to their practice as occupational therapists. The Board is concerned that members of the public may be:

  • misled into believing that qualifications unrelated to the practice of occupational therapy, if noted in advertisements and on stationery used by occupational therapists, are in fact occupational therapy qualifications and
  • given the false impression that the occupational therapist concerned is more qualified in occupational therapy than other practitioners who may hold the same occupational therapy qualifications.

Objectives

  • To clarify what type of qualifications the Board considers can be properly recorded in the Register,
  • To ensure that members of the public are not misled.

Policy

  • The Board will register as additional qualifications, only postgraduate qualifications in occupational therapy awarded by tertiary educational institutions recognised by the Board.
  • The only exception to this policy relates to occupational therapists who hold a PhD, due to the change in titles arising from being entitled to use the term "Doctor". The occupational therapist still needs to have the PhD recorded on the Register before it may be used.

Procedure

  • Applicants must provide the original postgraduate degrees or certified copies thereof.
  • Where the original is provided, a copy will be taken by the Board and the original will be returned to the applicant.
  • Complete the Application Form.

If/when the additional qualification(s) are approved by the Board, the applicant is then allowed to state them on their business cards/stationary relevant to the practice of occupational therapy.

Please be aware that any occupational therapist can request that an additional qualification be approved by the Board, by completing the required process, but the final approval and subsequent inclusion on the Register rests with the Board.