Does The Fieldwork Educator Need To Be On-Site All The Time And/Or Every Day?
The new Standards state that “supervision should be direct, then decrease to less direct supervision as is appropriate for the setting, the severity of client’s condition, and the ability of the students.” Supervision should also be consistent with state licensure regulations, reimbursement guidelines such as Medicare and Medicaid, and facility policy. Unless specified by reimbursement guidelines or other regulatory requirements, supervision need not always be “line of sight.” Telephones, mobile phones, or other communications technologies may supplement on-site supervision. Remember that other professionals can participate in student supervision, but the primary supervisor must be an OT practitioner. The new Standards permit half of Level II Fieldwork to be in a setting where there is no occupational therapist on site, 12 weeks for OT student and 8 weeks for OTA student. In such cases, the program must document that there is a plan for the provision of occupational therapy services. O
