Approved Sponsor Process

The purpose of AOTA’s Approved Provider Program (APP) is to promote high quality and relevant professional development (PD) activities for occupational therapy practitioners that support best practice services to consumers. To that end, AOTA’s APP requires that PD activities reflect evidence-informed and occupation-centered practice. An AOTA Approved Sponsor has the ability to assign AOTA CEUs to co-sponsored PD activities.

AOTA Approved Provider Program (APP) Approved Sponsor: An organization or sole proprietor that is approved to submit co-sponsored PD activities for AOTA APP approval.

Co-sponsorship: A joint effort between an AOTA Approved Provider Program (APP) Approved Sponsor and a non-provider. The APP considers co-sponsorship as one or more entities working together, to present a PD activity that will offer AOTA CEUs in any of the following ways:

• planning
• organization
• development
• distribution
• branding
• implementation.

Entities serving as financial sponsors of a PD activity are not considered co-sponsors under this definition.

Co-organization: An organization that is not an AOTA Approved Provider who engaged in an agreement with an Approved Sponsor to assign AOTA CEUs to a PD activity.

Approved Sponsor Recognition Application: Application to become an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor. The application allows organizations or sole proprietors to demonstrate they have systems, policies, and procedures in place to meet APP Sponsorship Criteria and Guidelines. This application is available to Providers who have been in good standing for 1 year or more; have demonstrated the ability to comply with required systems, policies, procedures, and educational practices in a manner that meets AOTA Approved Provider Criteria and Guidelines; and are up to date with all annual requirements. An APP Approved Sponsor may submit co-sponsored PD activities for approval.

Approved Sponsor PD Activity Application: Application to obtain approval for a co-sponsored PD activity. This application is only available to AOTA Approved Sponsors in good standing.

Subsequent Approved Sponsor Offering Application: Application to obtain subsequent approval for a previously approved co-sponsored PD activity.

AOTA APP Co-sponsorship Agreement: An agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the co-sponsorship. The agreement is initiated by the Approved Sponsor and completed in collaboration with the co-organization; it is signed by both the Approved Sponsor and co-organization.

The Approved Sponsor Process is designed to verify that a current AOTA Approved Provider (organization or sole proprietor) has the required systems, policies, procedures, and educational practices in place to co-sponsor a PD activity for occupational therapy practitioners in a manner that meets AOTA Approved Provider Program Criteria and Guidelines. A Provider is eligible to apply to become an AOTA Approved Sponsor if the Provider:

• has been in good standing with the APP for 1 year or more,
• has demonstrated the ability to comply with required systems, policies, procedures, and educational practices in a manner that meets AOTA Approved Provider Criteria and Guidelines,
• is up to date and submits all annual requirements in a timely manner, and
• is not a product-based organization.

PD activities leading to certification are not eligible for co-sponsorship.

Co-sponsorship is not supported for Distance Learning-Independent (e.g., Internet enduring) activities.

Co-sponsorship opportunities are available for Live and Distance Learning Interactive or Blended/Hybrid events that contain a Live and Distance Learning–Interactive component.

Co-sponsorship delivery formats:

• Live: Course that takes place in a face-to-face format with both the instructor and learner in the same physical location.
• Distance Learning-Interactive: Course that occurs via the Internet, satellite broadcast, or telephone, in which an instructor is actively engaging the learner in a synchronous or asynchronous format.
• Blended/Hybrid: Activity that combines a Live and Distance Learning–Interactive format.

Note: If the provider is seeking recognition for more than one format, the process for each format must be reflected in the application. For example, cancellation policies are generally different for Live vs. Distance learning formats.

The approval process is a two-step process.

Step 1. The eligible Approved Provider applies to be approved as an AOTA Approved Sponsor by submitting an Approved Sponsor Recognition Application.

Step 2. The Approved Sponsor applies for individual activities to be approved by submitting an Approved Sponsor PD Activity Application. The approval for a co-sponsored activity is valid for one offering.

Note. The Approved Sponsor may submit a Subsequent Approved Sponsor Offering Application (this is an application to obtain subsequent approval for a previously approved co-sponsored PD activity).

The approval process is designed to verify that the proper procedures and processes are in place to ensure co-sponsored PD activities adhere to APP Criteria and Guidelines. Each Criteria includes an accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard.

Once approved, an APP Approved Sponsor must:

• Ensure the co-organization does not have ethical violations or be previously revoked from the APP.
• Remain in good standing by following the APP Criteria and Guidelines and submitting annual fees and requirements in a timely manner.
• Submit proposed co-sponsored PD activities for approval to demonstrate ongoing compliance.
• Submit PD activities at least 30 business days in advance of the starting date of the PD activity.
• Clearly identify the co-sponsorship relationship between the Approved Sponsor and co-organization in all promotional materials.
• Ensure the APP co-sponsorship statement is present on all promotional materials and the PD activity's letter and or certificate of completion.

[Name of organization] is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development and an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor. Co-sponsor PD activity approval ID# [number]. This [delivery format(s)] is offered at [number] CEUs, educational level, category/categories]. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

• Initial approval of an activity is granted for one offering only. An application must be submitted for subsequent Approved Sponsor PD activity offerings.

All PD activities that award AOTA CEUs must be approved prior to the delivery of the activity. CEUs may not be assigned retroactively.

Please review fees here.

*Approved Sponsor Recognition Applications are reviewed within 45 business days. Expedited reviews may be requested and are reviewed within 14 business days.

**Approved sponsor PD activity applications are reviewed within 21 business days. Expedited reviews may be requested and are reviewed within 7 to 10 business days.

Approved Sponsors will be required to include details regarding their Approved Sponsor status in their AOTA APP Annual Report. To remain an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor, annual reports must be completed, and annual fees must be paid in a timely manner. Non-compliance with APP Criteria and Guidelines and Co-sponsorship Standards may result in the loss of APP Approved Provider and or Approved Sponsor status.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The provider and co-organization must have an identifiable, mission-driven professional development entity with assigned responsibility and resources for delivering co-sponsored PD activities.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

It is the joint responsibility of the CE Administrator and OT Consultant (if the CE Administrator is not an OTP) to be involved in the planning, organization, development, distribution, branding, and implementation of the co-sponsored activity. It is also the joint responsibility of the CE Administrator to work cooperatively with the co-organization to initiate and complete an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor Agreement.

Before engaging in a co-sponsorship, the CE administrator, OT Consultant (if the CE Administrator is not an OTP) and co-organization must acknowledge the roles and responsibilities required by the APP and the completed AOTA APP Approved Sponsor Agreement outlining the additional roles and responsibilities of the AOTA Approved Provider Program (APP) Approved Sponsor and the co-organization involved in planning, organization, development, distribution, branding, and implementation of the co-sponsored activity.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The AOTA CE Administrator is primarily responsible for calculating CEUs for the co-sponsored event, to include provisions for partial credit.

The Approved Sponsor is responsible for determining the satisfactory completion requirements of the PD activity. The Approved Sponsor must issue the certificate of attendance or letter of completion and ensure the Approved Sponsor status is clearly marked on the certificate or letter of completion using the APP Approved Sponsor Statement.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor must ensure promotional materials clearly indicate contact information for the organization in which complaints may be directed and records will be available. The provider will maintain a complete, permanent (at least 7 years) record of complaints and a record for each learner who participated in the co-sponsored event. The Provider can provide a copy of that record on request.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

In advance of the activity, the Approved Sponsor must obtain financial and non-financial disclosures from the co-organization and the PD activity authors and instructors. Co-sponsorship may not be related to a product, an instrument, a device, or service promotion. The Approved Sponsor must ensure exhibits and advertising related to a product, an instrument, a device, or service promotion is not included in the PD activity.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor must ensure the co-organization, authors, and instructors of the PD activity have ownership or permission to use all materials used in conjunction with the co-sponsored PD activity as per the Guidelines established by the Copyright Clearance Center.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The CE Administrator (if an OTP) and OT consultant must analyze needs assessment data to determine a gap in education that would be narrowed secondary to the proposed PD activity.

The Approved Sponsor must work jointly with the co-organization to define the potential learners/target audience, educational level, and any prerequisites for each PD activity.

The Approved Sponsor is directly involved in the needs assessment process and/or reviews that demonstrate a need for the co-sponsored activity topic area.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor is responsible for reviewing the credentials and qualifications of the co-organization representative, and authors and instructors involved in planning, developing, and implementing PD to determine that they are qualified for each duty, respectively.

The Approved Sponsor must ensure that that the co-organization has internal policies related to unethical or illegal behavior, such as discrimination, deceptive advertising or claims, fraud, or misrepresentation. The Approved Sponsor also ensures the co-organization does not have any pending complaints, has not had legal action taken against it, and has not had participation in the Approved Provider Program revoked.

The Approved Sponsor must ensure that that the co-organization, authors, and instructors demonstrate high standards of professional conduct and refrain from unethical or illegal behavior such as discrimination, deceptive advertising or claims, fraud, or misrepresentation, along with defamatory or disparaging remarks about consumers or learners.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization to

• ensure an instructional environment and methods that enhance the learning process, and
• ensure resource or reference materials and instructional aids and equipment are current, appropriate for the PD activity, and support the intended learning outcomes.

The Approved Sponsor must ensure the learning environment will accommodate teaching strategies for and comfort of the learner in a supportive and non-threatening atmosphere, as well as the accessibility needs of learners with disabilities.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Provider must be clearly identified; the co-sponsor relationship must be clearly identified on all promotional material. The Approved Sponsor and co-organization must collaborate to develop a cancellation policy for both the learner and the Provider/co-organization.

The APP Approved Sponsor Statement for PD Activity Approval

[Name of organization] is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development and an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor. Co-sponsor PD activity approval ID# [number]. This [delivery format(s)] is offered at [number] CEUs, educational level, category/categories]. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

It is a joint responsibility of the provider (e.g., continuing education [CE] Administrator, OT Consultant), the planner(s), and the instructor(s) to review all content and ensure it meets APP Criteria and Guidelines, and that established content for each PD activity is relevant and meaningful to occupational therapy and the learning experience results in achieving the learning outcomes. The CE Administrator has oversight responsibilities for each activity and confers with the OT Consultant to ensure that PD activities are relevant to occupational therapy and meet the needs of occupational therapy learners.

The CE Administrator (if an OTP) or OT consultant must collaborate with the co-organization, authors, and/or instructors, to ensure the PD activity:

• Addresses relevance to OT practice and/or education within the presentation,
• Incorporates discussion groups, case examples, homework, or similar structured activities that facilitate incorporating knowledge and skills in OT practice,
• Discusses or demonstrate the distinct/specific contribution of occupational therapy, and or
• Integrates a reflective component to the course that facilitates learners’ ability to integrate material into their occupational therapy practice. This may be done within the PD activity and/or after engaging learners in reflective practices related to utilizing the new knowledge and skills within their OT practice.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor's CE Administrator and/or OT consultant must collaborate with the co-organization to ensure the PD activity's evidence is the most up to date and highest-level strength available.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization to create a learning outcome assessment that meets APP Criteria and Guidelines, Section 14. The Approved Sponsor collaborates with the co-organization to ensure learners achieve learning outcomes and satisfactorily meet all completion requirements.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

• Live
• Distance Learning Interactive
• Blended/Hybrid event that contains a Live or Distance Learning–Interactive component

The Approved Sponsor may only co-sponsor activities in delivery formats for which they are approved by the APP.

Co-sponsorship is not available for Distance Learning-Independent activities (e.g., Internet enduring activities).

The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization to ensure instructional methods and delivery format(s) are congruent with the identified learning outcomes of each activity.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship Standard

The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization to ensure the post-evaluation includes all required elements.

Accompanying Co-sponsorship standard

The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization to aggregate the data collected from the learning outcome assessment and post-evaluation to develop a summary evaluation. The Approved Sponsor must collaborate with the co-organization, authors, and instructors regarding the data to determine the PD activity's effectiveness and worth.

As an AOTA Approved Provider and Approved Sponsor of professional development, your organization agrees to:

1. Only assign AOTA CEUs to PD activities that have been approved by the APP. Provide accurate and truthful information to AOTA in all transactions to the best of its knowledge including, but not limited to, in the completion of the foregoing Annual Report and this Agreement.
2. Identify the subject matter on which your organization provides professional development and briefly describe the format, structure, and nature of the educational services provided. Require all authors and instructors to make their best efforts to monitor developments in the subject matter of their professional development activities and program and provide students with appropriate and current information and developments in the field.
3. Designate 1 or more persons who are the continuing education (CE) Administrator, OT Consultant, and Secondary Contact in your organization and provide their name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), and email address(es).
4. Maintain sufficient financial resources to be able to provide quality professional development and otherwise comply with the terms of this Agreement. For any program or professional development activities offered to the public, the organization will ensure that it has contracted with a sufficient number of available instructors who are fully qualified to teach the subject matter that they are designated to teach. Your organization must properly account for all funds collected from participants for services and refund any and all such funds collected from participants for cancelled or postponed courses or programs within 30 days of the cancellation date.
5. Conduct all professional development activities in a professional and ethical manner that respects the rights and worth of the individuals you serve. Ensure that all staff and instructors demonstrate high standards of professional conduct and refrain from unethical or illegal behavior such as discrimination; deceptive advertising or claims; fraud; or misrepresentation; along with defamatory or disparaging remarks about consumers or learners.
6. Provide full and accurate disclosure of information about your organization’s and/or co-organization's programs, services, and fees at all times in your promotion and advertising material, and comply fully with all representations and terms set forth in such materials.
7. Use the approved AOTA Approved Provider logo and Provider approval statement or Approved Sponsor statement in marketing or promotional materials without any modifications and only for those activities to which you assign AOTA CEUs. In the event AOTA approves this application, AOTA by this Agreement hereby grants to the entity submitting this application a nonexclusive license to use the AOTA Approved Provider name and logo “Marks” (which will be incorporated into this agreement upon approval in a lawful and appropriate manner) in any publication to publicize the entity’s status as an AOTA Approved Provider or Approved Sponsor. The Applicant, if approved, agrees not to communicate this Approved Provider and Approved Sponsor status in any manner other than using the exact Mark’s terms, words, or phrases approved by AOTA without AOTA’s prior written permission. The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that the Approved Provider logo and terms, words, or phrases approved by AOTA may only be used in advertising and marketing materials for PD activities after Step 2 approval and awarded AOTA CEUs by the applicant.
8. The Applicant may not use or publicize AOTA’s Approved Provider or Approved Sponsor status or use the AOTA Marks in any other way in any advertising and/or marketing activity. The Applicant shall not engage in any practice that could suggest or imply AOTA Approved Provider or Approved Sponsor status of other professional development activities or products.

It is permissible to use the following terms in marketing (or similar intent):

• AOTA approved CE; AOTA approved continuing education
• CE approved by AOTA
• AOTA CEUs (this should be used to designate credit awarded rather than as search term)
• AOTA Approved Provider CE; AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education
  

It is not permissible to use the following terms in marketing (or similar intent):

• AOTA CE; AOTA continuing education

1. The Approved Provider agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall give the Applicant any right, title, or interest in the Marks other than the right to use the Marks in accordance with this Agreement.
2. The Approved Provider refrains from maligning the title of AOTA, the Marks, or the validity of this Agreement.
3. The Applicant agrees to refrain from using AOTA Approved Provider status to assign AOTA CEUs to co-sponsored activities unless the Provider is an Approved Sponsor. The APP defines co-sponsorship as a joint effort between an approved provider and a non-provider. The APP considers co-sponsorship as one or more entities working together to present a PD activity that will offer AOTA CEUs in any of the following ways:

• planning
• organization
• development
• distribution
• branding
• implementation.

• Report to the AOTA APP within 30 days any change that may materially impact your organization’s ability to deliver services on which this application is based, including, but not limited to, the change of the CE Administrator or OT consultant.
• On notification of a review by AOTA, permit AOTA-designated representatives to monitor any offering of a PD activity for purposes of evaluating your organization’s compliance with the AOTA APP criteria, and to waive registration fees for such representatives.
• Furnish requested information, work cooperatively with the AOTA Professional Development staff, and pay associated non-refundable fees on a timely basis.
• On notification by AOTA, abide by any revision of the approval criteria or inform AOTA of intentions to withdraw as an Approved Provider.

AOTA reserves the right to reject or terminate any provider who has not fully met or maintained the Criteria and Guidelines of its Approved Provider Program, or who AOTA otherwise believes, in the exercise of its discretion, will not offer or has not maintained high quality, ethically sound, and topic appropriate professional development programming for occupational therapy practitioners. If your organization’s annual report is rejected or not approved, or Approved Provider status is terminated, AOTA will provide the reasons for the rejection, non-approval, or termination. Any AOTA decision to reject your annual report is not appealable.

By signing this agreement your organization agrees to indemnify and hold harmless AOTA against all losses arising from (a) any violation of this agreement by you; (b) any intentionally inaccurate or untruthful information provided by you to AOTA; or (c) the event of application rejection.

Applicants Denied Recognition as an Approved Sponsor

Applicants will be denied recognition as an AOTA Approved Sponsor if there is not sufficient evidence in the application to demonstrate compliance with the APP Criteria and Guidelines. The reason for denial of recognition will be specified in writing to the applicant. Applicants may only submit one clarification for the Approved Sponsor Application on one occasion.

By signing this agreement, your organization agrees to indemnify and hold harmless AOTA against all losses arising from (a) any violation of this agreement by you; (b) any intentionally inaccurate or untruthful information provided by you to AOTA; or (c) the event of application rejection.