Exploring Work Settings for Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists (OTs) have a wide range of career opportunities available across the healthcare system and beyond—but where do OTs work, physically speaking?

OTs fill various roles in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and countless other facilities. This is one of the main perks of a career in occupational therapy: OTs can find fulfilling work in diverse environments and help patients reach a wide variety of goals.¹

Given its wide range of opportunities and impactful work, many people wonder, is occupational therapy a good career? In this occupational therapist job outlook guide, we’re zooming in on just a few of the work settings available to OTs: fifteen prospective workplaces where OTs can find a niche. Whether you’re a seasoned OT looking for a fresh start in a new environment or a prospective OT getting a master’s in occupational therapy, this guide will help you explore your career options.

MOT Degree

Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centers 

Where can occupational therapists work? Many OTs love the fast-paced, ever-changing patient roster, and goal-oriented structure of the clinical environment. That said, occupational therapy practitioners have multiple clinical environments to choose from, including:

• Acute care hospitals – OTs play key roles in hospital settings. They help patients recover from surgeries, injuries, and illnesses and prepare them to return to their everyday lives after a hospital stay. In acute care settings, OTs might not have an ongoing role in patients’ lives long-term; however, they have a chance to make an immense impact during patients’ most challenging moments.
• Inpatient rehabilitation centers – OTs are also key to patient success in inpatient rehab centers: facilities where patients recover from severe physical or neurological conditions.² A rehab stay often gives a patient an opportunity to learn new skills, build strength, and establish new coping mechanisms after a significant medical event; they can take these assets with them once they return home. While OTs have the chance to support patients for longer than they might in a hospital setting, patients typically only stay in rehab centers temporarily.
• Outpatient clinics – For OTs looking to build longer-term relationships with patients while remaining deeply entrenched in the clinical environment, outpatient clinic work is a great match. Outpatient clinics help patients get rehabilitative help after they return home from a hospital or inpatient rehab stay. OTs help outpatient program participants build highly practical, cumulative skills that help them remain independent throughout their recovery.

Schools and Educational Settings

While clinical environments offer unique challenges to OTs, many professionals prefer to step outside of the clinical space to provide support to specialized patient groups—in schools, for instance.

Where do OTs work outside of hospitals? Occupational therapy services are an asset to educational environments in particular, some of which include:

• K – 12 schools – OTs in schools help students achieve educational and practical goals—especially students living with developmental delays, disabilities, and other physical and intellectual challenges. Who does an occupational therapist work with in school settings? In many cases, non-clinical workers like teachers, school administrators, and parents. OTs in K – 12 environments get the chance to contribute to well-rounded teams that support children of all ages.
• Early intervention programs – “Early intervention” describes any effort to address health, learning, or lifestyle challenges for very young children: even infants and toddlers.³ While early intervention programs can take many forms, programs are designed to help children overcome challenges at a key developmental stage.
• Higher education – OTs in higher education have multiple opportunities to make an impact—as instructors in occupational therapy education programs, student healthcare workers, or researchers. While academic work can either be patient-centered or more focused on advancing the field of occupational therapy as a whole, both paths can be highly rewarding for OTs looking to work outside of the typical clinical setting.

Community and Home-Based Settings

Where do occupational therapists work outside of the clinical setting and outside of the education system? Many OTs opt for at-home and community-based health settings. What do these options look like?

• Home health – Home health is a cornerstone of the OT field, especially for clinicians specializing in elder care. OTs visit patients in their homes, teach patients to navigate their home environments safely, and help them improve or maintain their overall quality of life. Home health provides the chance to build long-lasting, impactful patient relationships and work with a team of other home health professionals.
• Community health centers – Community health centers (local health departments, for instance) provide a wide range of services to the populations they serve—potentially including OT care. Community care can be highly rewarding, and OTs working in these settings will interact with numerous patients with varying needs. Since many community health centers specifically serve disadvantaged patients, working in this space can be especially fulfilling for OTs.
• Nonprofit organizations – The same can be said for nonprofit organizations—groups that provide care to or advocate for patients for low or no cost. Nonprofits are an excellent place for OTs to seek leadership roles or non-clinical positions: as team leaders, patient advocates, program coordinators, and so on. Nonprofit organizations seeking OTs (or OT expertise) typically include those supporting community health initiatives, providing disability services, or managing rehabilitation programs.

Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities 

For OTs looking to build long-lasting patient relationships and support patients in residential settings, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities offer a chance to find a fulfilling, impactful career. If these qualities sound like a good match for your career outlook and goals, seek positions in:

• Long-term care facilities – Long-term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living communities are all about balancing patients’ independence with their quality of life. So, OTs working in these spaces often help patients maintain self-care skills (like bathing and dressing) or build overall functional strength. Long-term care facilities don’t just serve elderly people; many live-in facilities are designed for adults and children with disabilities, people recovering from addictions, and other vulnerable populations. This OT career option offers exceptional opportunities for specialization and building hands-on skills.
• Geriatric care – Centers focused on elder care (inpatient, outpatient, or residential) have unique goals and require OTs with specific skills—experience or specialized knowledge related to aging populations. Geriatric patients face unique challenges, and OTs working in these spaces can help them as their needs change over time. Geriatric care offers OTs the chance to work as a part of a team, build long-term relationships with patients, and support patients’ family members and other caregivers.

Mental Health Facilities 

The overlap between occupational therapy expertise and mental healthcare is only growing—in fact, many mental health programs now integrate OT care to help patients accomplish everyday tasks and overcome the physical challenges created by mental health issues.⁴ Of course, this presents prospective OTs with a keen interest in mental health with unique career opportunities in facilities like:

• Psychiatric hospitals – Inpatient or residential psychiatric hospitals offer patients the chance to pursue diagnoses for complex conditions, receive intensive treatment, begin to recover from traumatic experiences, and more. OTs can play key roles in these spaces. Clinicians can introduce patients to physical and psychological techniques that can improve quality of life, boost daily functioning, or ease the transition out of inpatient care. Like physical rehab centers, psychiatric hospitals are a great fit for OTs looking to make an impact on many patients over time.
• Substance abuse rehabilitation centers – OTs can positively contribute to the healing and recovery process for people struggling with substance abuse. OTs can help patients build health habits, stick to routines, and develop physical strength—skills that can often fall by the wayside in the throes of active addiction. Patients in substance abuse rehabilitation centers are often highly motivated to create and maintain positive change; OTs looking to impart a sense of hope for patients might be particularly suited to this clinical environment. This illustrates why occupational therapy is important, as it helps individuals regain control of their lives and daily functions.

Corporate and Industrial Settings 

While all of the work environments above are somewhat related to clinical spaces, don’t forget that OTs often work in more traditional business settings: for large corporations or in industrial environments, for instance. This kind of work can take many different forms, and two include:

• Workplace wellness programs – Many large companies maintain workplace wellness programs: systems designed to promote employee health and well-being.⁵ Companies achieve and implement these in many different ways, and OTs can fill a variety of roles in these structures. They might help employees create customized fitness plans, coach on specific skills, teach group fitness classes, or educate employees on health and wellness topics. OTs in workplace wellness programs often get to build long-term relationships with employees and companies as a whole, ushering in positive change in the workplace.
• Ergonomics and injury prevention – In industrial environments in particular, OTs are especially well-suited to contribute to workplace safety efforts: teaching workers the best way to safely lift heavy items, identifying and mitigating injury risks in the workplace, and creating ergonomic tools to support worker comfort and boost efficiency. These are unique positions for OTs, and clinicians working in industrial spaces can make a huge impact on worker and facility safety.

Explore the Many Places Occupational Therapists Can Make a Difference 

So, where can occupational therapists work? Almost anywhere—any space where patients (or employees) face physical challenges or could benefit from quality of life improvements.

And nothing can better prepare prospective OTs for successful careers in these environments than a high-quality education program with comprehensive training and diverse fieldwork opportunities. If you’re looking for a master’s program that delivers all of this and more, turn to the master’s in occupational therapy program at Alliant International University.

Taught by foremost OT experts and bolstered by hands-on learning experiences, our program prepares the OTs of tomorrow to find solutions for patients in every work environment. It’s perfect for both existing OTs looking for a professional development opportunity and prospective clinicians seeking fulfilling careers in healthcare.

Ready to learn more? Reach out to our admissions counselors to explore our program in detail.

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Sources:

1. “What Is Occupational Therapy?.” American Occupational Therapy Association. 2024. https://www.aota.org/about/what-is-ot. Accessed August 29, 2024. 
2. “Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation.” HCA Florida. https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/specialties/inpatient-physical-reh…. Accessed August 29, 2024.
3. “What Is “Early Intervention?.” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 5, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html. Accessed August 29, 2024.
4. “Occupational Therapy for Mental Health.” Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/physical-medicine-rehabilitation/specia….  Accessed August 29, 2024.
5. “Wellness Programs.” Healthcare.gov. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/wellness-programs/. Accessed August 29, 2024.