By Jeannie Peng Mansyur
San Jacinto College offers a new program in occupational therapy assistant in the high demand field of occupational therapy to help patients get back on track to leading independent lives.
The five-semester occupational therapy assistant program includes lectures, labs and clinical rotations that result in an associate (of applied science) degree. Texas boasts the highest employment level of occupational therapy assistants and top pay for the profession at an average of $35 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Occupational therapy assistants are hired in just about every health care environment. These include hospitals, pediatrics, long term care, home health, wherever there are individuals with injuries and disabilities. Assistants collaborate with occupational therapists to develop and carry out a treatment plan for each patient. Plans include diverse activities such as teaching skills to put on clothes and advising patients on how to safely prepare
a meal.
Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association.
“It’s a fun field because you get to use your creativity to help patients learn tasks,” said Dr. Kira Beal, program director of the San Jacinto College occupational therapy assistant program. “In the program, we incorporate crafts to get the creative juices going because it’s not all about the bones and muscles, it forces you to think creatively right from the start.”
The hands-on training is what attracted Kiara Arroyo Andrade to the program. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Houston-Downtown, Andrade decided occupational therapy assistant was her calling and enrolled in the San Jacinto College program for an associate degree. Andrade said a student can be in any stage of life and pursue this particular career with job stability.
“The jobs are there, and this program provides the training and support needed for hire,” said Andrade. “I’ve learned so much in this first year. It’s a very interactive program, and there’s a lot of collaboration in the classroom. Students apply everything they learn.”
For more information about the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at San Jacinto College, visit sanjac.edu/career/occupational-therapy-assistant.
