Occupational Therapist

Working in Ontario

Occupational therapists are health care professionals who assist individuals to develop or maintain life roles and activities at home, in the community and at the workplace. These individuals may be experiencing difficulties functioning on their own because of accident, disability, emotional problems, developmental difficulties or disease.

Occupational therapists in Ontario are regulated by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. You must register with the College if you want to practise in the province. If you are an internationally trained Occupational Therapist and you want to practise in Ontario read the Career Map below to find out how to register with the College.

Tools and Information

The Ontario Government has partnered with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario to create a Career Map for internationally trained Occupational Therapists. The Career Map explains in detail every step of the registration process including language requirements, labour market conditions, the credential assessment process, licensing fees and other important information.

Getting Help

If you are qualified in your profession but new to Ontario, you may benefit from a bridging program. Bridging programs help qualified immigrants move more quickly into their professions without duplicating what they have already learned.

Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators
Profession-Based Language Assessment in Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy

This project will develop an occupation-specific language test for the occupational therapy and physiotherapy professions.

Contact: Tabasom Eftekari
Director of Credentialing
Phone: (416) 234-8800 ext. 32
Fax: (416) 234-8820
E-mail: teftekari@alliancept.org

McMaster University - School of Rehabilitative Science
Occupational Therapy Examination Preparation Project (OTEPP)

To work as an Occupational Therapist in Ontario, you must pass a certification examination presented by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). This program prepares internationally educated occupational therapists to write the certification exam.

You will receive help from program faculty to design a self-study learning plan to be completed within 15 months, and will have access to courses that focus on:

• Occupational therapy theories and implementing them into practice in Ontario
• Ethics of practice for occupational therapists and practicing in a regulated environment

You will also have access to mentoring and job placement opportunities.

Contact: Elizabeth Steggles, Project Manager
Phone: (905) 525-9140 ext. 21096
E-mail: steggl@mcmaster.ca
Website: www.srs-mcmaster.ca/

George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology
Pre-Health Science Program for Internationally Trained Individuals

This program is adapting an existing high-demand George Brown Pre-Health Science program to better meet the particular needs of internationally trained individuals.

The changes include occupation-specific language training and core curriculum tailored to address the barriers and gaps that internationally trained individuals face when looking for work in the health care sector.

Participants gain workplace experience through an unpaid work placement and will have access to one-on-one career counselling throughout the program.

Contact: Paul Zanettos, Media Relations Consultant
Phone: (416) 415-5000 Ext. 3428
E-mail: pzanetto@georgebrown.ca
Website: www.georgebrown.ca

Mohawk College
Health Sector Pre-Bridging Language Acquisition Project

This project helps participants prepare to enter health sector bridging projects by improving their language from CLB 5 to CLB 7. Four online modules of fifty hours each will help participants develop language skills and improve interpersonal communications by presenting material in a Canadian health care context.

Contact:
Muzeria Nuredini
Phone: 905-575-2024
Email: muzeria.nuredini@mohawkcollege.ca

University of Toronto - Standardized Patient Program
Improving Medical Literacy: An Assessment and Training Program

Participants in this project will have their listening, speaking, writing and reading skills assessed.

The project includes a 40-hour language training program with online and in-class work.

This project builds on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s Communication and Cultural Competence project.

Contact: Lynn Russell, Project Manager
Phone: (416) 967-5547
E-mail: l.russell@utoronto.ca
Website: www.utoronto.ca

Regulatory Body

College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
20 Bay Street, Suite 900
Toronto, ON M5J 2N8
Phone: 416/214-1177
Toll Free in North America: 1-800-890-6570
Fax: 416/214-1173
Email: info@coto.org
Website: www.coto.org

Learning More

To learn about occupations in Canada, visit the Working in Canada website. This site will help you identify the name of your occupation in Canada. It will also give you important information about your profession in many regions of Canada, including job duties, skill requirements and wage rates. To learn about your occupation, visit the website and click the ‘Start’ button on the main page.

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