Bay Path University Awarded $1.25 Million from U.S. Department of Education to Fund Occupational Therapy Doctorate Education
One of 13 programs nationwide to receive federal funding to improve services and results for children with disabilities
Longmeadow, Massachusetts—Bay Path University has been awarded $1,250,000 from the U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to help increase the number and diversity of occupational therapists serving school-aged children with disabilities and high-intensity needs.
Bay Path is among a limited number of universities nationwide selected to receive this competitive federal funding to strengthen the school-based therapy workforce and improve outcomes for students with complex learning and developmental needs.
Through the grant, titled Improving School-Based OT Practice: A Doctoral Program to Improve Outcomes for Children with High Intensity Needs, 32 scholars will obtain doctorate degrees in Bay Path’s post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, while also completing a Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders and the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) School-Based Practice Professional Certificate.
As part of the grant requirement, all scholars are required to work in a school-based setting for a minimum of four years upon completion of the program.
The program is designed to strengthen the preparation of OTs working in school systems by equipping them with advanced clinical, leadership, and evidence-based practice skills to better support students with complex needs. As part of the grant requirement, all scholars commit to working in school-based settings for a minimum of four years after completing the program.
The grant addresses a critical workforce shortage affecting schools nationwide. Last year, 42 states reported shortages of OTs and other related service providers, as the number of students with disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network reports that 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with ASD, highlighting the increasing demand for specialized providers who can support students’ academic participation, functional development, and social-emotional success in educational environments.
“School systems need highly trained occupational therapists who can address increasingly complex student needs and collaborate effectively with educators, families, and interdisciplinary teams,” said Tracy Bentley-Root, OT, DHSc, MS, OTR, Program Director of Bay Path University’s Occupational Therapy programs. “Through doctoral-level education, occupational therapists gain advanced skills in evidence-based practice, leadership, and systems-level thinking that can significantly improve outcomes for children with high-intensity needs in school settings.”
Bay Path University is well-positioned to lead this effort. The University has been educating OTs for more than twenty years, and its post-professional OTD program is delivered fully online to support working clinicians seeking advanced education while continuing their professional practice.
“Increasing the number of doctorally trained OTs working in schools is essential to meeting the growing needs of students with disabilities,” said Dr. Julie Watson, PhD, OTR/L, Assistant Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences and OSEP Project Director for the grant. “This initiative will strengthen the pipeline of highly prepared practitioners entering school systems and help ensure that children with high-intensity needs receive the specialized services they need to succeed academically and socially.”
As part of the program, scholars will participate in professional learning communities, receive mentoring during the program and for two years after graduation, and present their doctoral capstone projects at a national American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) conference. By supporting practicing OTs in earning their doctoral degrees, the program will strengthen school-based services and expand access to specialized support for children with disabilities and their families.