Allied Health
Allied health professions include health care workers who provide a variety of diagnostic, technical, and therapeutic care that support other health care professionals. They work to prevent disease and diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate patients with physical, sensory, psychological cognitive, and social functions. The field of allied health includes a variety of professions, but the CSTEP program only supports students interested in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists work to restore or improve physical abilities, make behavioral changes, help patients adapt to new or existing surroundings, and/or teach new skills. They generally develop a plan in conjunction with a physician, physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. In New York State, licensed occupational therapists must have at least a bachelor's degree that includes studies in human anatomy, physiology, and medical and psychosocial conditions. Students wishing to attend Brooklyn College with the intent of pursuing occupational therapy can get their undergraduate degree in kinesiology and then apply to a master's degree program in occupational therapy. In addition, to become licensed in the State of New York, students must have six months of supervised experience and pass a state licensing exam.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist is a health care professional who evaluates, plans, and administers a patient's treatment to relieve pain, improve body functions and movement, help limit or rehabilitate disabilities, and restore and maintain optimal physical function. They generally work with a physician, physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Students at Brooklyn College will complete a bachelor's degree generally in kinesiology and then apply to a doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.) program to complete their training. In addition, students must complete clinical experience and pass a state exam to be licensed as a physical therapist in the State of New York.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy or speech-language pathology is a field of study that diagnoses, evaluates, and treats disorders of speech, voice, swallowing, and language. Speech pathologists work to identify speech and language problems in infants, children, adolescents, and adults. They work with patients who have speech impairments such as stuttering, slurred speech, and articulation. In New York State, speech-language pathologists must complete at a minimum a master's degree in speech-language pathology. This includes courses in basic communication processes, audiology, scientific areas of speech-language pathology, and language. In addition, they must pass a state exam and have at least 300 hours of supervised practice and nine months of paid supervised experience. Licensed speech-language pathologists are also required by law to complete 30 hours of continuing competency learning activities every three years. Brooklyn College offers both a bachelor's and a master's degree in speech-language pathology.
