California Business and Professions Code 2570.18 – (a) A person shall not represent to the public by title, …
(a) A person shall not represent to the public by title, education, or background, or by description of services, methods, or procedures, or otherwise, that the person is authorized to practice occupational therapy in this state, unless authorized to practice occupational therapy under this chapter.
(b) Unless licensed to practice as an occupational therapist under this chapter, a person may not use the professional abbreviations “O.T.,” “O.T./L.,” or “O.T.D.,” “Occupational Therapist,” “Occupational Therapist Licensed,” “Occupational Therapist Doctorate,” or any other words, letters, or symbols with the intent to represent that the person practices or is authorized to practice occupational therapy.
Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 2570.18
- Association: means the Occupational Therapy Association of California or a similarly constituted organization representing occupational therapists in this state. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- Board: means the California Board of Occupational Therapy. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
- Occupational therapist: means an individual who meets the minimum education requirements specified in Section 2570. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- Occupational therapy: means the therapeutic use of purposeful and meaningful goal-directed activities (occupations) with individuals, groups, populations, or organizations, to support participation, performance, and function in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- Occupational therapy assistant: means an individual who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, who is in good standing as determined by the board, and based thereon, who is qualified to assist in the practice of occupational therapy under this chapter, and who works under the appropriate supervision of a licensed occupational therapist. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- Person: means an individual, partnership, unincorporated organization, or corporation. See California Business and Professions Code 2570.2
- State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
- Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
(c) A licensee who has earned a doctoral degree in occupational therapy (OTD) or, after adoption of the regulations described in subdivision (e), a doctoral degree in a related area of practice or study may do the following:
(1) In a written communication, use the initials OTD, DrPH, PhD, or EdD, as applicable, following the licensee’s name.
(2) In a written communication, use the title “Doctor” or the abbreviation “Dr.” preceding the licensee’s name, if the licensee’s name is immediately followed by an unabbreviated specification of the applicable doctoral degree held by the licensee.
(3) In a spoken communication while engaged in the practice of occupational therapy, use the title “Doctor” preceding the licensee’s name, if the licensee specifies that he or she is an occupational therapy practitioner.
(d) A doctoral degree described in subdivision (c) shall be granted by an institution and program accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Accreditation Council on Occupational Therapy Education, or by an accrediting agency recognized by the National Commission on Accrediting or the United States Department of Education that the board determines is equivalent to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
(e) The board shall define, by regulation, the doctoral degrees that are in a related area of practice or study for purposes of subdivision (c).
(f) Unless licensed to assist in the practice of occupational therapy as an occupational therapy assistant under this chapter, a person may not use the professional abbreviations “O.T.A.,” “O.T.A/L.,” or “Occupational Therapy Assistant,” “Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant,” or any other words, letters, or symbols, with the intent to represent that the person assists in, or is authorized to assist in, the practice of occupational therapy as an occupational therapy assistant.
(g) The unauthorized practice or representation as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant constitutes an unfair business practice under Section 17200 and false and misleading advertising under Section 17500.
(h) An occupational therapist that is serving as an educator in an education program for occupational therapists in California must be licensed. The licensure requirement also applies to an occupational therapist that is serving as an educator in an education program for occupational therapy assistants in California.
(i) An occupational therapy assistant that is serving as an educator in an education program for occupational therapy assistants in California must be licensed.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 490, Sec. 7. (AB 2221) Effective January 1, 2019.)