Occupational Therapist

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application of the skills of the occupational therapist in a position as coordinator of a special vocational training program in a community college district. Duties described include program for limited-English-proficient adults. A major reason for a specialized educational approach for limited-English-speaking adults came from the large influx of non-native English speaking immigrants and refugees into the community college district, many of them without job skills. The resulting vocational linguistic program involves counseling, job-skill training and vocational English instruction. A summary of the procedures involved in evaluating language proficiency and vocational skills from enrollment to job-ready status is presented and explained. This role of the occupational therapist follows the trend to incorporate the generic skills of occupational therapy into new areas of practice.