31203 Occupational therapists

What this occupation covers

Occupational therapists develop individual and group programs with people affected by illness, injury, developmental disorders, emotional or psychological problems and aging to maintain, restore or increase their ability to care for themselves and to engage in work, school or leisure. They also develop and implement health promotion programs with individuals, community groups and employers. They are employed in health care facilities, in schools, and by private and social services agencies, or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 7 main duties for this code.

• Analyse clients' capabilities and expectations related to life activities through observation, interviews and formal assessments
• Develop intervention programs to address clients' needs related to self-care, work and leisure activities
• Maintain clients' records
• Establish personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
• Consult and advise on health promotion programs to prevent disabilities and to maximize independent function in all activities of life
• May supervise support personnel and students and provide training.
• Occupational therapists may specialize in working with specific populations such as children or adults, or persons with distinct problems such as dementia, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, or provide special interventions such as return-to-work programs.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 7 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 30010 Managers in health care
• 42203 Instructors of persons with disabilities

Excluded from this code

• Director of occupational therapy (See 30010 Managers in health care)
• Orientation and mobility instructor (See 42203 Instructors of persons with disabilities)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

case manager occupational therapist · clinical occupational therapist · clinical occupational therapy specialist · community occupational therapist · community practice occupational therapist · home care occupational therapist · occupational therapist (OT) · occupational therapist vocational evaluator · occupational therapy rehabilitation consultant · research and development occupational therapist · research occupational therapist · vocational evaluator occupational therapist

Employment requirements

• A university degree in occupational therapy including supervised fieldwork is required.
• Completion of a national or provincial certification examination is required.
• Licensure with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.
• Membership in the national association, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, is required in some provinces.
• Occupational therapists may obtain expertise in a particular area through additional training or experience.