RADFORD –Radford University’s Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program, designed to be the first of its kind in the Commonwealth to focus on rural healthcare, has received Developing Program Status from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and will begin admitting its first class of students to start this fall.

According to Cynthia Creighton, founding director of clinical education, RU’s MOT program will progress to the next step in the accreditation process after the charter class has completed some coursework.

Occupational therapy, or skilled treatment that helps individuals with special needs achieve independence in all facets of their lives, is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase 23 percent over the next eight years. U.S. News & World Report named occupational therapy a best career in 2008 and again in 2009 because the field offers a high level of job satisfaction and a strong employment outlook. However, there is a significant national shortage of occupational therapists according to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

In an effort to locally combat that shortage, RU proposed the MOT program, which received approval by the Virginia General Assembly. The program features courses designed to prepare students to help clients return to their life occupations. Ultimately, the college hopes to produce graduates committed to serving the local community.

“Our mission is to attract students from the Southwest Virginia and Appalachian regions,” said Douglas Mitchell, founding chair of the MOT program. “We want to educate students who will stay in the area. This area has two of the biggest populations that need our services: the aging population and young children with disabilities. RU wants to address the needs of this community.”

The MOT program is designed to be interdisciplinary, providing students the opportunity to work with others from complementary programs, including RU’s Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology program, social work, speech-language pathology, recreation therapy and nursing. Mitchell has been working with university groups and local healthcare providers for the past year to design the program curriculum, remodel space on campus for a laboratory, and recruit faculty and students.

The MOT program is one of three new graduate programs to be implemented in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services in more than 15 years. A doctoral degree in physical therapy (DPT) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree have both received approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

To learn more about Radford University’s MOT program, visit http://ot.asp.radford.edu/ or contact Douglas Mitchell at (540) 831-7643 or dmmitchell@radford.edu or Cynthia Creighton at (540) 831-7638 or ccreighton@radford.edu