Our Mission

The NCOTA’s mission is to promote the continued and competent practice of occupational therapy; to impact health care, legislative, and reimbursement communities as advocates for the consumer and the profession; and to be responsive to the needs of the membership by promoting professional education, communication, and monitoring trends in health care and in the community that affect the practice of occupational therapy.

Our History

We are currently gathering information about some of the key events and timelines in our history. NCOTA was founded in 1957 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1976. In 1984 the association led the drive for licensure in NC. Since that time the field of OT in NC has grown from a few hundred licensed occupational therapy practitioners to over 5,400.

History of NCOTA

The North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association (NCOTA) was founded in 1957 and later incorporated in 1976. This 501c6 non-profit is North Carolina’s leading association for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students.

NCOTA Initiatives:

• 1984 - Passed OT Licensure Law
• 1990 - Expanded Coverage of Outpatient OT in State Employee Health Plan
• 2017 - Passed Choice of Provider Legislation for OT
• 2022 - Passed the OT Licensure Compact

Past NCOTA Presidents