TOTA Continuing Education Review Committee (TOTA CERC)

The TOTA Continuing Education Review Committee (CERC) is part of the Education Committee and works under the guidance of the Executive Director and State Education Chair. The CERC was developed to support TOTA’s strategic priority to improve the efficiency and quality of the continuing education (CE) approval program. The CERC reviews submissions of CE courses from prospective providers and presenters to ensure approved CE offerings are relevant to occupational therapy practice and meet a standard of quality.

For each CE application submitted to TOTA, a pair of CERC reviewers with appropriate professional expertise will be assigned. Members of the CERC evaluate the compliance and quality of CE offerings including submissions for TOTA’s district CE events and annual conference as well as for the TOTA CE Approval Program (TOTA CEAP). This ensures that continuing education courses pre-approved by TOTA are relevant to occupational therapy practitioners and meet the standards for continuing education established for license renewal by the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE; Occupational Therapy Rules Chapter 367 Continuing Education).

Qualifications for TOTA CERC

TOTA CERC is a pool of trained reviewers from TOTA membership and includes occupational therapy assistants and occupational therapists from an array of educational and practice settings. A curriculum vitae (CV) submission is required to verify clinical experience.

To be eligible for consideration for the TOTA CERC, an applicant must:
1. Be a current or retired TOTA member
2. Hold active or retired license with TBOTE in good standing.
3. Have a minimum of 5 years of clinical experience in the designated area of practice
4. May serve concurrently on TOTA Board or another TOTA committee.

Responsibilities for CERC members include:
• Complete the required orientation and training (online)
• Review assigned CE applications within the required time frame and notify of approval or any deficiencies in the submission
• Follow CERC policies and procedures to consistently evaluate CE applications to ensure high quality and compliance with TBOTE CE regulations
• Participate in ongoing evaluation of the CE approval process for continuous improvement in collaboration with the Executive Director, State Education Chair, and Education Committee
• Average time commitment is estimated to be 1-2 hours per month

The TOTA CERC Terms:
The members of the CERC are asked to commit to a two year term for the role in up to two areas of practice.

Practice areas include:

• Academia: The pedagogy, education, ethics, or theory development of occupational therapy
• Billing, Documentation, and Reimbursement: Content related to documentation and reimbursement for occupational therapy practice. (Note: TBOTE specifically excludes courses that are designed to educate about topics such as professionalism, team building, and HIPPA compliance or the philosophy/policies/procedures of a specific work setting.)
• Children & Youth: Content relevant to pediatric occupational therapy practitioners providing services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth and their families across a variety of settings.
• Ethics: Content relevant to understand ethical standards or regulatory matters for occupational therapy practice.
• Health & Wellness: Content relevant to occupational therapy practitioners providing wellness-related services related to physical as well as emotional well-being of clients.
• Mental Health and/or Behavioral Health: Content relevant to occupational therapy practitioners providing mental health treatment and prevention across the lifespan and for those with mental illness.
• Productive Aging: Content relevant to occupational therapy practitioners working with a rapidly aging population to maintain independence and safety.
• Rehabilitation, Disability, and Participation: Content relevant to occupational therapy practitioners working to address the needs of clients with injuries, illness, or decreased occupational performance due to another cause.
• Research: Courses that integrates research, clinical expertise, and client preferences to inform occupational therapy practice. This content may also be applicable to another practice area.
• Work and Industry: Content relevant to occupational therapy practitioners promoting workplace success for those returning to work after an illness/injury or providing prevention supports.

Interested in joining CERC?
TOTA is currently seeking members for the TOTA CERC. Qualified occupational therapy practitioners are strongly encouraged to apply.

CE Evaluator Application