Recertification by Professional Development Eligibility Requirements

CHTs seeking Recertification by Professional Development must satisfy these eligibility requirements within their accrual cycle:

To be eligible for recertification the CHT must:

  1. Be a current Active or Inactive CHT in good standing.
  2. Hold a current professional credential to practice as an OT or PT. (Depending on your profession and where you practice, a professional credential may include a license, certificate, or registration. In all cases, it is the credential that you need to legally practice in that location. This credential must be active and you must be in good standing with the agency that issued it).
  3. Obtain 2,000 hours of work experience in hand therapy and
  4. Accrue 80 contact hours of professional development.

A CHT must accumulate a minimum of 2000 hours of work experience during their five-year accrual period.

Please note: The nature of work experience differs when recertifying for the first time from what is allowed for subsequent recertification cycles.

a. First Time Recertifying: A CHT must have 2,000 hours of work experience in hand therapy (1,000 hours MUST be in hand therapy direct practice experience).

Direct Practice Experience is the direct provision of patient care through assessment and implementation of an individualized treatment plan including but not limited to orthotics/splinting, modalities and/or exercise/activities to prevent dysfunction, maximize functional recovery or influence the effect of pathology in the upper limb. It does not include time spent in administration, research, teaching or consultation.

Up to 1,000 hours may be accrued in one or more of the following areas:

  1. Formal teaching directly related to hand therapy;
  2. Research directly related to hand therapy;
  3. Direct supervision or administration of a hand therapy clinical program;
  4. Consultation related to hand therapy;
  5. Activities supporting professional organizations related to hand therapy (i.e. American Society of Hand Therapists, the American Hand Therapy Foundation, the International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapists, the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Hand Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, etc.).

b. Recertified Once or More: A CHT must have 2,000 hours of work experience in hand therapy (the 2,000 hours may consist of all or any combination of clinical practice, teaching, supervision, administration or consultation).

The 2,000 hours of work experience may be any combination of the following areas:

  1. Hand therapy Direct Practice Experience
  2. Formal teaching directly related to hand therapy;
  3. Research directly related to hand therapy;
  4. Direct supervision or administration of a hand therapy clinical program;
  5. Consultation related to hand therapy;
  6. Activities supporting professional organizations related to hand therapy (i.e. American Society of Hand Therapists, the American Hand Therapy Foundation, the International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapists, the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Hand Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, etc.).

CHTs must document 2,000 hours of Direct Practice Experience by using the Employment Verification signed by the employer/supervisor.

The Employment Verification Form can be:

You may download a form at any time to submit with your workhours or if you need to obtain verification before leaving an employer.

A CHT must accumulate a minimum of 80 contact hours of professional development activities during their five-year accrual period. HTCC assists therapists by allowing them to enter their hours and track them over the five-year period.

  1. Professional development hours may only be applied to the renewal cycle in which they are earned.
  2. There will be no retroactive credit, nor carry over of excess hours into the next accrual cycle.
  3. Credit will not be awarded for presenting the same course more than once per recertification cycle.
  4. Hours spent in teaching or researching that are applied to the 2,000-hour work eligibility requirement may NOT be applied toward professional development contact hours earned in Category E.
  5. Contact hours for professional education obtained outside the U.S. that meet the criteria described in each category may be included in contact hours for Recertification.