Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

liza in Dayton, Ohio said: Hi Terri! I'm in Ohio... I was the one that wrote about the hispanic population in Florida. I'm looking to go south; I'm sick of snow. It seems like the older I get the less tolerance I have for it. Friends have died, my sisters have moved out of state and there's no real reason to live here anymore.

I used to live in Panama City, Florida before it became the spring break capital of the universe. The job market was bad then but I've been told it's a lot better now. I just need to find a place where I can work and then retire. I honestly don't know that much about the remainder of the state. I want to find some place east of the Mississippi. It's a daunting task.

Look at website: www.rehaboptions.com Follow the instructions and make your selections. It tells you what's available for your discipline within a specific state, zip and even if it's FT, PT or PRN. I have suggested this site to many people...it's also free.

thanks!

You're welcome

COTA in Fort Myers, Florida said: Look at website: www.rehaboptions.com Follow the instructions and make your selections. It tells you what's available for your discipline within a specific state, zip and even if it's FT, PT or PRN. I have suggested this site to many people...it's also free.

All rehaboptions does is take your resume and puts it out there for every employer to see. This could make you un-marketable in the future and lead to a short career. Anyone who's been in this field very long knows that.

Jeremy said: All rehaboptions does is take your resume and puts it out there for every employer to see. This could make you un-marketable in the future and lead to a short career. Anyone who's been in this field very long knows that.

And the people that call you are very pushy.

I agree, all rehaboptions does in mass e-mails or puts your resume out there for everyone to see. They are nothing more than a third-party recruiting company that charges employers a fee for finding potential candidates. All they do is take you're name, go through a skills check list, and have you send your resume to them. Then, you just sit back and hope someone sees your resume online and calls you. It's kind of like putting an ad in the newspaper... not a good career move.

If you want a lot of real interviews and real offers just post your resume on the following web-site:
www.healthjobsusa.com/

Lucy in Mililani, Hawaii said: If you want a lot of real interviews and real offers just post your resume on the following web-site:
www.healthjobsusa.com/

This site goes to the same place as Rehaboptions.com.

COTA in Fort Myers, Florida said: This site goes to the same place as Rehaboptions.com.

If it goes to the same site then use it if you are looking for work. I have been a traveler for 9 years and have never been unemployed. I use this site towards the end of each assignment and only run my resume 24 hours. I get so many interviews and offers I just pick the best fit and move on. I'm not scared of pushy recruters.

Now that's what I'm talking about people. That's another way to use the site. I've been a COTA 15+ years and traveled for over 6 of those 15. Way to go Hawaii!! Another intelligent therapist has spoken!!!

And most of those jobs on healthjobsusa are either out-dated or just there to reel you in.

COTA in Fort Myyers, FL. I really doubt you have been a COTA for 15 years, if you were, you would know better than to use a recruiting firm like rehaboptions or to even believe that the jobs posted on their site are even real. Do use all a favor and take a chill pill!!

Formercotanowengineer said: Every once in a while I come back to this forum to see nothing has changed. I worked as a COTA for 27 years before I changed careers two years ago. I now work for Pratt & Whitney and get on the job training while being paid a full-time salary, plus, get my engineering degree paid for by them. It was the best career move I ever made. After PPS came along, I went through so many jobs I was totally depressed. Now that I've made the change, I could not be happier. Anyone out there looking for job security with a good paycheck, look into engineering...its one of the hottest careers out there.

Just out of curiosity what is your annual salary as an engineer formercotanowengineer?

Hello guys,
I'm new and currently attending Keiser University here in FL for their COTA program. I am currently doing my pre-reqs classes and will be in the COTA core classes in August of next year. I have read some of the not so encouraging comments about the future of this career and I do feel uneasy because Keiser is expensive and I did this because I really needed a future for me and my newborn daughter and fiance. I am tired of mowing lawns and have always been interested in health/rehab field. I thought about trying for nurse but felt I needed something quick and chose COTA. Can somebody please tell me what they would do if they were in my place? Should I go on with COTA? I have read about how pay is according to minutes? Explain this please. So it's not hourly? What is the biggest regret you have about being a COTA? Keep in mind that I am 100% focused in my schoolwork and I actually so far in my General classes have 3 A and 2 B. I have 3 more to go before I will wait till August next year for COTA classes to start.

Ed, go to nursing school, there are more jobs out there with better job security. How do you figure you will finish an OTA program faster than a nursing program. Here in California you can get an LVN degree in 9 months and then go 1 more year and get you're RN degree after 6 months on the job experience. Or, you can get you're RN degree in 2 and a half years without getting an LVN degree. The OTA program will take you 2 years at least and thats after you complete all you're prerequisites. COTAs here start out at $18 to $22 an hour, well seasoned OTAs get about $35 an hour. New grad nurses start at $25 an hour and seasoned RNs get up to $55 an hour, thats what a friend of my moms makes. That's why I leaving OT for Nursing also the fact there are more jobs here for nurses than COTAs.

I have been an OTA for the last four years and can say, I too, am tired of this field. I live in Arizona and the need for qualified Nurses is out of this world with most making $35 to $40 an hour. Here, an OTA make abouts $25 to $28 an hour. The market for COTAs is slow and continues to decline. If a company is hiring they usually want OTs not OTAs. I am also letting my NBCOT expire because you don't need it to practice in the state of Arizona. It's nothing but a waist of time and money IMO. In fact, the amount of money it costs to stay in this fioeld is getting outrageous.

Are there any travelers out there that have worked for a company that bothers them all the time to take an assignment and gets mad if you don't I've work two companies (Salus Solutions and Travel Med USA) and they both get very upset if I don't take an assignment. I though this would be a great way to get some diverse experience and work where and when I want, but I am finding out thats not things work.

Ed in Orlando, Florida said: Hello guys,
I'm new and currently attending Keiser University here in FL for their COTA program. I am currently doing my pre-reqs classes and will be in the COTA core classes in August of next year. I have read some of the not so encouraging comments about the future of this career and I do feel uneasy because Keiser is expensive and I did this because I really needed a future for me and my newborn daughter and fiance. I am tired of mowing lawns and have always been interested in health/rehab field. I thought about trying for nurse but felt I needed something quick and chose COTA. Can somebody please tell me what they would do if they were in my place? Should I go on with COTA? I have read about how pay is according to minutes? Explain this please. So it's not hourly? What is the biggest regret you have about being a COTA? Keep in mind that I am 100% focused in my schoolwork and I actually so far in my General classes have 3 A and 2 B. I have 3 more to go before I will wait till August next year for COTA classes to start.

Pay according to minutes isn't referring to your paycheck. Its referring to the reimbursment the company receives for your services. You will be paid hourly, or, in rare situations like mine, on salary. I can't tell you what you should do between nursing and COTA. That is your decision alone. I can tell you that there are nay sayers on this site, but not many people that enjoy the job as a COTA. BUT, OTA lovers are often blasted on this site, and rarely speak up because the nay sayers are sometimes mean and hateful. Have you done some observation of a COTA or talked to one about what they do? I am willing to let you know what I do if your interested. My email: otas513@yahoo.com Just put COTA in the subject line so that I don't assume its junkmail. Have a blessed day!

I don't know if anyone's realized it or not but it seems the ones who speak positively about OT are the middleaged housewives who live in the middle of nowhere. OT can be a wonderful career, but the politics will soon burn you out and you will be looking for a new career in four or five years.

Barbi in Sherevport, LA said: Are there any travelers out there that have worked for a company that bothers them all the time to take an assignment and gets mad if you don't I've work two companies (Salus Solutions and Travel Med USA) and they both get very upset if I don't take an assignment. I though this would be a great way to get some diverse experience and work where and when I want, but I am finding out thats not things work.

I have been an OTR for about 8 years and traveled for two years after I got out of college. Travel companies can be very pushy because when you work you make them money. Kind of like working for a registry. People will promise you the moon in this industry, but never deliver. I gave up tarveling because it was to stressful and the way other therapists looked at me when I traveled to their facility. Traveling can be a great way to make money, but it can be a career killer at the same time if you stay in it for too long. I do home health now, and even though it's a lot of paperwork, I don't have to deal with all the politics of a facility, arrogant therapists, Medicare fraud, or pushy travel companies.

Does anyone else on here work in school-based OT ?

no, I work in a SNF. School based OTA positions do not exist where I live. Despite this, I still had to do an internship at a school but that's another story. In other counties in Ohio, these positions exist but it is very, very hard to get one.

Amen

AbileneOT said: I have been an OTR for about 8 years and traveled for two years after I got out of college. Travel companies can be very pushy because when you work you make them money. Kind of like working for a registry. People will promise you the moon in this industry, but never deliver. I gave up tarveling because it was to stressful and the way other therapists looked at me when I traveled to their facility. Traveling can be a great way to make money, but it can be a career killer at the same time if you stay in it for too long. I do home health now, and even though it's a lot of paperwork, I don't have to deal with all the politics of a facility, arrogant therapists, Medicare fraud, or pushy travel companies.

I have been looking for a job all this week and all I kind find is SNFs work. I've heard therapists talk about home health, but don't know if I would like it. I talked to a recruiter yesterday and I have an appointment to see her on Monday. Can you tell me what the job details and what the average day is like. I really don't want to get burned out in some nursing home.

Candice in San Diego, California said: I have been looking for a job all this week and all I kind find is SNFs work. I've heard therapists talk about home health, but don't know if I would like it. I talked to a recruiter yesterday and I have an appointment to see her on Monday. Can you tell me what the job details and what the average day is like. I really don't want to get burned out in some nursing home.

Your day generally consists of seeing anywhere from 6 to 8 patients a day ranging from 30 to 45 minutes a treatment. You just see how they are doing in their ADL/IADL's and encourage modifications to their environment. Sometimes you just do UE exercises with them. I like it because it breakes up the manontany of working in a SNF and you don't have to deal with a lot of people all day. The only drawback is the driving but you are reimbursed for it. Sometimes the patient is not there when you arrive but you still get paid if the patient did not cancel four hours before your arrival. I also work in Hippotherapy with Autistic children on the weakends when I have time. I really enjoy that too. Give it a try and see if you like it. If you don't, look for something else. My best advice is to try a little of everything and see what you like and don't like and get as much experience in all areas of OT so you don't get burnt out like a lot of therapists do.

Ooooh, one thing. The worst part of this job is the paperwork. You may have to take it home with you and complete it. Generally, I spend about an hour of my own time on it, but in the end, it's worth it to me.

liza in Dayton, Ohio said: no, I work in a SNF. School based OTA positions do not exist where I live. Despite this, I still had to do an internship at a school but that's another story. In other counties in Ohio, these positions exist but it is very, very hard to get one.

Really? Come to Pa. We have lots of open positions for school-based COTAs here. There aren't enough COTAs around here in general. Lots of per diem work.

AbileneOT said: Your day generally consists of seeing anywhere from 6 to 8 patients a day ranging from 30 to 45 minutes a treatment. You just see how they are doing in their ADL/IADL's and encourage modifications to their environment. Sometimes you just do UE exercises with them. I like it because it breakes up the manontany of working in a SNF and you don't have to deal with a lot of people all day. The only drawback is the driving but you are reimbursed for it. Sometimes the patient is not there when you arrive but you still get paid if the patient did not cancel four hours before your arrival. I also work in Hippotherapy with Autistic children on the weakends when I have time. I really enjoy that too. Give it a try and see if you like it. If you don't, look for something else. My best advice is to try a little of everything and see what you like and don't like and get as much experience in all areas of OT so you don't get burnt out like a lot of therapists do.

Thanks! I think the only thing I might not like about home health is the driving.

Thanks, CotaGrl, but I like snfs... well, not like them exactly but geratrics is preferable over pediatrics. I graduated with a few people who wanted to do schools and it was just out of the question.

LinCOTA in Wyoming said: Pay according to minutes isn't referring to your paycheck. Its referring to the reimbursment the company receives for your services. You will be paid hourly, or, in rare situations like mine, on salary. I can't tell you what you should do between nursing and COTA. That is your decision alone. I can tell you that there are nay sayers on this site, but not many people that enjoy the job as a COTA. BUT, OTA lovers are often blasted on this site, and rarely speak up because the nay sayers are sometimes mean and hateful. Have you done some observation of a COTA or talked to one about what they do? I am willing to let you know what I do if your interested. My email: otas513@yahoo.com Just put COTA in the subject line so that I don't assume its junkmail. Have a blessed day!

Ed I haven't been on here for a while now because I got tired of the negativity and school is keeping me very very busy but listen to LinCOTA she's a great person and I feel she knows what she's talking about and is very trustworthy.

Aegis therapies does not have a travel company. They are the sister company to Aedon Staffing which has the travel portion of Beverly Interprise. Both Aedon and Medical Connections are one of the worst companies you can work for. Aedons idea of private housing is a cheap $25 a night hotel, and Medical Connections gets mad if you get too picky with the assignments they offer you. I like Comp Health and Reflectx Staffing, they both have the lowest pay in the industry but they have some of the best jobs. I guess it depends on what you are looking for.

Has anyone here completed the COTA program at LaGuardia Community College in NYC? What was your experience like? Were you able to get a job? What was or is your salary? How much should I expect after graduation?

Maybe you're the one who misinformed... Aedon Staffing, 360 Healthcare there both sister companies of Beverly Interprise. They change their name all the time. If you knew anything about this field you would know that Beverly had the biggest Medicare Fraud rate in the industry. That's why all their employees have to fill out tons of paperwork and watch all those Medicare videos to be in compliance. Personally, I have worked for Reflectx and they are a good company. They don't mass-email my resume to every company out there, they ask first. They don't push me to take an assignment. Also, I am not burnt out like you accuse me of... how dare you judge someone before you even know them. Get a life! Maybe theres a forum for misinformed people like you because all the information you give people here in misleading and incorrect. Before you start preaching the word of OT, you should get your facts straight.

Don't worry about people like COTA in Fort Myers,Florida Jeremy, I believe what I see with my own eyes. She's just one of those people who thinks she knows everything about OT and everyone else knows nothing. There's a lot of advice she and a few others give thats so misleading and uninformative. Personally, I think there are good and bad things about this job. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder how you see things.

What is SNF?

nancy45000 in Forest Hills, New York said: What is SNF?

SNF= Skilled Nursing Facility a/k/a nursing home

Carrie Prejean~
Thank you for your honest insight and not slamming anyone. You mentioned my name in your response to Ed. I appreciate your post more than you can know. It seems sometimes I get blasted for being pro-COTA, but you were matter of fact. AND I agree with everything you said. I am one of the lucky ones that work for the state, and with an awesome OT. I don't have the PPS issues or RUG issues in my full time job. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. Have a great day!
Lin

thank you COTA in Fort Myers

You are welcome.

liza in Dayton, Ohio said: no, stephanie, I worked for an area hospital. They hired a compnay headquartered in Toledo, who openly admits they send the work to India. India has a different time zone than we do so by the time the doctors came in in the morning, their work would be done. All I had to do was proof and print. I couldn't compete with multiple people doing the one job I was doing for much lower wages.

whoa it really does seem like you work for Sprint their sending all their jobs to India as well. It's very sad I never even know if I'll have a job from day to day They have literally gotten rid of 50 people a week sometimes

Jeremy said: I have been an OTA for the last four years and can say, I too, am tired of this field. I live in Arizona and the need for qualified Nurses is out of this world with most making $35 to $40 an hour. Here, an OTA make abouts $25 to $28 an hour. The market for COTAs is slow and continues to decline. If a company is hiring they usually want OTs not OTAs. I am also letting my NBCOT expire because you don't need it to practice in the state of Arizona. It's nothing but a waist of time and money IMO. In fact, the amount of money it costs to stay in this fioeld is getting outrageous.

What career would you suggest to be the best in AZ? my inlaws live in Phoneix I just came back from meeting them and they seem like a real loving family. Unfort. most of my family is too concerned with what designer name your wearing than whats in your heart. I also loved the weather out there I live in K.C and it's either colder than cold or hot and suffocating. Before I blab on endlessly I'd really like to relocate to AZ. Any help I'd greatly appreciate. T.Y

Has or does anyone work with diabetics? I'm hoping with a career in COTA I can work with them. I am diabetic and have numerous diabetics in my family. It is a daily struggle that I wouldn't wish on my enemy if I had any.

I have a lot of diabetic patients but therapy really doesn't treat that. At least not where I'm working at.

liza in Dayton, Ohio said: I have a lot of diabetic patients but therapy really doesn't treat that. At least not where I'm working at.

I know that loseing limbs and or use of their limbs is a major concern for diabetics I was really waanting to help people with this issue and learn how to help them since I'll unfort. probably need to know the information in later years with my mom. Thank you for the response.

Atlanta OT in Atlanta, Georgia said: Well, you're right Stephanie - OTs work with patients with diabetes as part of their overall diagnosis as a lot of patients have diabetes as well as suffered a stroke for instance. And, many times they're seen in rehab post surgery for amputation of generally lower extremities - so, are seen by PT and OT for therapy. That's why it's so important for pts. with diabetes take care of their health, monitor blood sugar, stick to diet etc. It's a wear and tear on all organs and general circulation.

Thank you for your reply.

Ainsley in Austin in Texas said: Sorry you're wrong, genius. There's no hyphen between "choice" and "and."
Jennifer's sentence is correct - you're just too ignorant to know the difference. All of you need to go back to fourth grade and start over with basic English and maybe then you'll sound a bit more intelligent with writing your posts.
I suggest that you all go back to school and gain some real skills so to be useful in the real world vs. continuing to drain the Medicare system with your COTA "sklls."

Cota skills? The only thing ignorant is name calling. Associate degree, Bachelores, Masters, or PHd, each person worked they're a$$ off to obtain they're degree. College on any level is an accomplishment. I'm going to school to obtain my associates in OT, as a single mother with a child who has autism. I'll be damned if someone tells me indirectly that my dedication and hard work is worthless. I plan on pursuing my masters later on in life, but for now, the COTA program is the best option for me. I respect any person on any degree level, and I deserve the same.

cota student said: Cota skills? The only thing ignorant is name calling. Associate degree, Bachelores, Masters, or PHd, each person worked they're a$$ off to obtain they're degree. College on any level is an accomplishment. I'm going to school to obtain my associates in OT, as a single mother with a child who has autism. I'll be damned if someone tells me indirectly that my dedication and hard work is worthless. I plan on pursuing my masters later on in life, but for now, the COTA program is the best option for me. I respect any person on any degree level, and I deserve the same.

Amen!

LinCOTA in Cody, Wyoming said: Amen!

I couldn't agree with you more!!!!! I'm going forst for my associates degree I'm working part and full time to be able to afford to do so. So I not only have a crapload of homework I also have to balance my work and my school. Somedays it's VERY hard.

Candice in San Diego, California said: Oooooh God, Jennifer's is back. Why don't U get a real life

candice you go girl!!!! I've been working all morning doing my janitorial business and had to deal with an office being broken into so I was running later than usual I had to change at this job and now get to work till 12a.m. Jennifer needs to realize we all are in the same boat and people need to be respected.

Question: can anyone tell me what traveling is like? can we bring our partners/spouses with us? are we all just bunched together in one house? how do we get back and forth from the place we work and where we stay? any details I would greatly appreciate. T.Y

yes can bring anyone with you
housing is provided; I however in florida (renting very easy and competitive ) requested housing allowance and rented furnished apt