Do you plan to take an occupational therapy career but worried about negative results with your background checks? Read this article to know how to help you out and to answer the basic questions you have about convictions and how these can impact your career possibilities. Backgrounds checks are one of the requirements given by the National Board in Certification for Occupational Therapy before any one can take the licensure exam. It may not be a requirement in Occupational Therapy Schools and Occupational Therapy Programs admissions but the NBCOT strictly implement it. If you are convicted with felony, it can affect your qualifications to take the NBCOT-administered licensure exam and be an Occupational Therapist. This does not mean that you are disqualified from taking the exam. The processes you have to undergo to qualify as an applicant vary in different states but there is a general process that applies in all states.

If you have a record of felony convictions, the NBCOT will conduct an Early Determination Review (EDR) which costs you $100. The review determines whether you will be allowed to apply for the licensure exam or not. If you receive a favorable reply, you will just have to submit to the council an “explanation” as your answer to the character questions that they will pose on you. The character questions basically seek to explain the event, in view of your character In addition to submitting the “explanation”, you will also be required to furnish official documents related to the incident, as well as other proofs.

The EDR is conducted prior to enrolling in an academic program to ensure that the individual has very good chance of qualifying to the licensure exam after years of training and study. This is to avoid putting disqualified students’ effort and time ears to waste. The certificate issued by the council in the end of the EDR is what you will present when you apply for the licensure test. To avoid hassles and possible grounds for disqualifications, make sure that no other incidents of similar nature took place after the first evaluation. You will not need to resubmit whatever information you have submitted to the council during the EDR. If you are guilty with smaller charges such as DUI (driving under influence) or violations of a traffic rule and even bad credit history, you have nothing to worry about. If you have committed crimes, other than felony, but with lesser gravity, there is a different procedure you need to follow. In some states like Florida, they will require you to secure certification from the Florida Department of Health- Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, aside from what you need to secure from NBCOT, stating that you qualify as an applicant for the licensure exam.