Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) Recruiters
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Hire a COTA who can carry out scheduled therapy work and document each visit within your supervision model.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
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- COTA
- COTA/L
- OTA
What does this hire really come down to?
A Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant works from the Occupational Therapist’s plan of care. On a typical shift, the COTA may guide assigned self-care, mobility, and functional activities, observe the patient’s response, document the visit, and bring changes or concerns to the supervising OT.
The right hire fits your setting’s patient mix, documentation process, and supervision arrangement.
A strong interview separates general rehabilitation experience from recent work that resembles your daily schedule. Ask what the candidate does when a patient declines an activity, arrives late, or needs a different level of cueing. Listen for clear observations, accurate documentation, and appropriate communication with the supervising OT rather than unsupported independent changes to the plan.
The setting matters. A COTA from a skilled nursing facility may be familiar with frequent schedule changes and same-day notes. A school-based COTA may know educational routines and student goals. A home health COTA may be used to working alone between visits.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Confirm current NBCOT COTA certification through the official registry. We ask the candidate about any lapse, renewal timing, and how they would address a status that does not match their application. Verify the required active state license or other credential before presenting a candidate.
- We also ask about prior discipline, restrictions, pending actions, or a planned license transfer, then provide that information for your credentialing review.
- Discuss supervision rules for your setting before interviews advance. Ask whom the COTA reports to, how the supervising OT reviews work, and what the candidate has done when the available supervision arrangement differed from a prior job.
- For skilled nursing facility searches, examine documentation experience closely. Ask how the candidate records the activity completed, patient response, barriers to participation, and communication with the OT when progress changes.
- Review the candidate’s experience with your patient population without treating one background as interchangeable with another. For example, ask for a recent example involving geriatric self-care or pediatric school routines and the observations documented after the session.
- Ask which electronic record systems the candidate has used and what they enter independently. Platform experience can shorten orientation, but your team still teaches its templates, sign-off process, and local documentation practices.
These are recruiting discussions about experience and stated credentials, not a substitute for clinical assessment. Your organization completes formal credentialing, license and privilege checks, and the hiring decision.
Where do we find them, and why would they move?
Our COTA search pool includes practitioners from skilled nursing facilities, schools, and home health. Some may consider a move for a different commute, schedule, patient population, supervision structure, or a permanent position with one employer. We also speak with graduates of ACOTE-accredited OTA programs and early-career COTAs who hold the needed credential.
New graduates can be a fit when your OT supervision structure, orientation plan, and documentation training match the role you are offering.
Which mistakes stall the search?
A common mistake is hiring on total years alone. Ask what the candidate documented after a missed visit, a refusal, or an observed change, not just how long they have practiced. Another is waiting until the offer stage to explain supervision. A candidate may have worked under a different model and need clear information before deciding whether the role fits.
Treating EHR familiarity as proof of accurate notes. Ask what information they record after a treatment visit and who reviews documentation in their current setting.
How would we run the search for this opening?
Tell us the setting, expected patient population, scheduled work, documentation timing, and supervising OT arrangement. We confirm NBCOT COTA status, state license information, employment history, and relevant setting experience. You meet selected candidates and assess clinical judgment, fit, and local workflow knowledge.
Define the daily assignment
We use that information to frame direct screening questions.
Screen credentials and work history
We ask how the candidate handles ordinary workday decisions and reports changes to the OT.
Interview and complete your review
Your organization completes credentialing and its own clinical assessment before any hire.
Tell us the role and setting. We will discuss the work and terms with you before a search begins. There is no fixed shortlist or placement promise.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
National median annual wage. SOC 31-2011, Occupational Therapy Assistants.
The published occupation matches Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025-05, released 2026-05-15. View source. See the full guide.
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How does the placement fee work?
No upfront fee. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Your manager should decide which background best matches the work the new hire will perform.
What should we ask a COTA from a different setting?
Ask how their daily assignment was organized and how they communicated with the supervising OT. Then compare those answers with your documentation timing, patient population, and supervision process.
How do we evaluate SNF documentation experience?
Ask the candidate to describe a recent therapy note from start to finish, without requesting protected patient information. Look for a clear account of the activity, response, barriers, and communication with the OT.
Should we consider a new COTA graduate?
Yes, if the candidate has current NBCOT COTA certification and the applicable state license. Review whether your team can provide the supervision, orientation, and documentation coaching a new graduate may need.
Can you help if we need coverage other than a permanent hire?
For temporary or other needs, describe the arrangement so we can discuss whether we can help. Before anyone starts, the parties confirm terms, licensing, credentialing, and malpractice arrangements; per diem means placement into your own pool.
What should you send us about this role?
Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.
Tell us how your COTAs are supervised, what they document, and which setting experience matters most. We will screen for that work before you spend time interviewing.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
Which other positions in this family should you consider?
Occupational Therapist (OT, OTR/L) · Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP, Speech Therapist)
What happens beyond the introduction?
We explain our recommendation in writing and flag what your team still needs to assess. We gather interview feedback, resolve practical questions and support offer discussions. The goal is the right person for the work, not simply a shortlist.
Read the full six-step search process · Compare recruiting models
How long will it take to see a short list?
That depends on the job, schedule, available people, and what your employer can offer. We discuss those constraints before outreach and update you as candidates respond. We do not promise a fixed shortlist date. We check the job brief before arranging interviews. Tell us which parts of the role you can change.
What if a candidate receives a counteroffer?
We ask why the person wants to move and discuss competing decisions before an offer. A counteroffer can still change their choice. Keep the duties and offer clear rather than assuming more money settles every concern. Tell us early if parts of your offer cannot change, so the candidate hears it from us first.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Ask us to walk through those terms before you sign, so you know how a replacement would work for your opening and who would start it.
What do we not do in a standard permanent search?
We do not bill standard contingency search by the hour or simply repost your job. Temporary coverage is a separate arrangement. Any retainer or different engagement must be agreed, not assumed. Tell us early if you need coverage while the permanent search runs.