Occupational Therapy Practice Board

 

The mandate of the Occupational Therapy Practice Board is to protect the public's health and safety and to promote the welfare of the state by regulating the competency and quality of professional healthcare providers under its jurisdiction. The board accomplishes this mandate through a variety of activities working with the Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance division.

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Board Information

Description

The board consists of five members appointed by the governor, who may consider the persons who are recommended by appointment by occupational therapy associations of the state. The members of the board must be residents of the state. Four of the members must be engaged in rendering services to the public, teaching, or research in occupational therapy for at least five years immediately preceding their appointment. Three of these four board members must be occupational therapists who must at all times be holders of licenses for the practice of occupational therapy in the state, all of whom must fulfill the requirements for licensure. At least one member of the board must be an occupational therapy assistant licensed to assist in the practice of occupational therapy. The remaining member of the board must be a member of the public with an interest in the rights of consumers of health services.

Compensation and Travel Expenses

  • Reasonable allowances will be provided to cover reasonable and necessary subsistence and lodging expenses while engaged in official business.
  • Transportation expenses will be reimbursed or paid based on the method deemed most advantageous or economical to the state.
  • Each member is eligible to receive compensation in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for each day during which the member attends an official meeting of the group or performs statutorily prescribed duties approved by the chairperson of the group. 

Powers and Duties:

  • The board administers, coordinates, enforces, evaluate qualifications, and provides for supervision of examinations of applicants for licensure.
  • The board may adopt rules as it deems necessary.

Board participation expectation guidelines

The following expectation guidelines are intended to serve as a reference for current members and for prospective appointees of the board:

  • Attend regular board meetings, scheduled quarterly during business hours.
  • Participate in telephonic conferences to close cases. These take about two hours and are usually done between board meetings.
  • Participate in Settlement Conferences with respondent's attorney, staff attorney and/or board staff. Usually held at the convenience of the reviewing board member and can take several hours. The number held each year depends on the number of cases charged for that board member.
  • Participate on hearing panels from one day to several days two to three times per year. Hearings may be held in the respondent's practice area to accommodate witnesses. A panel of three board members is generally utilized to hear disciplinary cases. All board members are not required to participate in every hearing.
  • Prepare for all meetings by reading materials sent one to two weeks in advance of the scheduled meeting date. The packets take an average of two to four hours to read prior to each business meeting. In addition, between eight and 24 hours are spent reviewing complaint files prior to each meeting.
  • Assist newly appointed board members as necessary.

Total annual time commitment

  • Meetings/conferences: Four to six days per year
  • Meeting preparation: Two to four hours per meeting (about one day per year)
  • Complaint file review: Four to six hours per complaint assigned (about four days per year)
  • Hearing panels: Three to six days per year.

Become a Board, Commission, or Committee Member.

Board Members

Name and term expiration date of members

Members Term Expires
Mary Spores, occupational therapist, chairperson December 31, 2025
Ryan Wilson, occupational therapist December 31, 2025
Shari Roberts, general public, vice-chairperson December 31, 2024
Walter Gruenwald, occupational therapist December 31, 2024
Joaquin Olivas, occupational therapy assistant December 31, 2024
Board Meetings

All meetings are subject to change and start at 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Date and Location Activity Documents

October 20, 2023 at 9 a.m.

Microsoft Teams meeting

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Meeting ID: 244 187 293 451 
Passcode: QMEzxS 

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+1 564-999-2000,,19413161#   United States, Olympia

Phone Conference ID: 194 131 61#

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Regular meeting  
Meeting Minutes

2023

2022