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Costello's Travel Caffe - Portland, Oregon

About costello's travel caffe.

For fourteen years, Costello's Travel Cafe has served Portlanders with pride. Breakfast and lunch are served at a full-service cafe! Among the selections are quiche, breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, scrambled eggs, salads, soup, muffins, and scones, among other things. In Portland, Oregon, at 2222 NE Broadway St., in zip code 97232.

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2222 NE Broadway, Portland, Oregon, 97232 United States of America

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Helping therapists find adventure and freedom through travel jobs

Travel OT: The Ultimate Guide

Have you heard about travel occupational therapy (also called Travel OT or travel therapy )? 

Travel OT may sound too good to be true, but it’s not! Travel occupational therapists traverse the United States and work short-term contracts. Yes, you can get paid to travel the country and work. 

If you have an adventurous soul or want to get paid big bucks, travel OT may be for you!

What is Travel OT?

Travel OTs take short-term contracts across the United States, and U.S. territories, for work. Typically, contracts are 13 weeks in length. Travel OTs work in the same places that permanent OTs work, they just do it for less time and switch locations every few months. Popular settings for travel OTs to work include skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), home health agencies, and outpatient clinics. 

Can Occupational Therapy Assistants Travel?

Yes, occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) can absolutely take travel assignments. There are typically fewer jobs available for COTAs, but if you’re flexible with where you work and the setting you work in, there are jobs out there for you.

How do you become a travel occupational therapist?

You do not need any extra certifications or experience to become a travel OT. In fact, you can travel as a new grad OT. Any OT at any point in your career can take travel assignments. 

Here are a few simple steps you can take to become a travel physical therapist:

• Determine why you want to be a travel OT 
• Educate yourself on how to be a travel OT. You can start here with these free online resources or with the premium Guide to Travel Therapy course
• Connect with travel therapy recruiters to help you find jobs
• Search for travel OT jobs directly over travel therapy jobs marketplaces
• Make sure that you’re licensed in any state that you want to work in
• Onboard with a travel therapy staffing agency prior to submitting to jobs
• Submit to jobs that interest you
• Interview for assignments over the phone
• Accept a job offer 
• Credential and do all of the onboarding you need to work the job
• Move to your new location and start your travel OT job!

Where Do You Find Travel OT Jobs?

Travel occupational therapy jobs are plentiful and not hard to find. There are 2 main ways you can search for jobs:

• Connect with a recruiter and review your goals with that recruiter. Let the recruiter know where you want to work, which settings, what kind of money you are looking for, and when your start date is. The recruiter will then communicate with you about open jobs.
• Search for jobs on online platforms and connect with a recruiter based on who has a job. We have a travel therapy job marketplace on this website where you can search. There are many other sites that have job boards as well, such as Nomadicare, Vivian, and Fusion Marketplace.

What Sets Travel OT Companies Apart from Each Other?

There are hundreds of travel therapy companies out there that staff travel OTs. So what makes one company special compared to another? 

In my opinion, the most vital part of a travel OT company is the recruiter that you work with. The recruiter is your advocate, mentor, and agent to get you through the travel therapy journey. Finding a recruiter that you click with is a key part of the travel therapy process.

Next, it’s important that the company you’re working for has the jobs that you want and need. Most travel therapy jobs are MSP (managed service provider) jobs, meaning that most companies have access to the same jobs. However, certain companies will have exclusive contracts with facilities that others don’t have. So, sometimes you need to find a company that staffs in a region or specialty that you’re interested in. For example, AMN has a lot of school jobs. If you’re interested in a school contract, it would benefit you to review jobs with AMN.

Some common travel OT companies include:

• Aureus/Medical Solutions

Travel Occupational Therapy Salary

According to Vivian , in October 2023 the national average for a travel OT salary was $2,027/week. The max weekly pay rate in certain states was over $3,000 a week.

Getting paid as a travel OT is different than what you are used to as a permanent staff OT. When pay is discussed in travel OT, we generally talk about gross weekly pay and NOT hourly pay. Because your pay rate is a combination of an hourly pay rate, and non-taxed weekly stipends for housing, meals, and incidental expenses while you travel. 

Learn more about travel OT pay and understanding travel therapy pay here .

Are there travel jobs for Certified Hand Therapists?

To be brief, yes, there are jobs for certified hand therapists (CHTs). However, they are few and far between. If you specialize in hands and only want to take hand travel jobs, you will not be in luck. Travel jobs tend to be more generalized jobs, such as skilled nursing facilities and home health. Specialized clinics tend not to use travel OTs so much. Having your CHT, or any specialization, is great for your resume and a great way to set you apart from other travel candidates. However, you probably will not find many jobs where you can only work in your specialty. 

What are the pros of travel OT?

• Ability to earn more money while working less time
• Can take unlimited time off in between contracts
• Explore the United States while getting paid to work
• Expand your clinical skills by working in new locations with new patients and peers
• Increase your own personal independence and interpersonal skills 

What are some of the cons of being a travel OT?

• Uncertainty of work and having to constantly find new jobs
• Finding housing on assignments and avoiding internet scammers
• Not having paid time off or other benefits that a permanent job may afford you
• Being alone and away from family/friends
• Needing licensure in each state that you work in

Can I work as a travel OT in Hawaii?

Yes, you can! There are travel OT jobs on all of the major islands in Hawaii. Hospitals, schools, skilled-nursing facilities, home health agencies, and clinics in Hawaii all need occupational therapists and hire travelers to regularly fill their staffing needs. 

I’ve personally worked as a travel SLP on Oahu and Hawaii Island (The Big Island) and have worked with many incredible travel OTs at all of my jobs. My Hawaii jobs were 100% my favorite travel assignments ever. If you have any desire to go to Hawaii to work as a travel OT I HIGHLY recommend it. You can find more resources for Hawaii here: Hawaii Travel Nurse & Therapist Guide .

Conclusions

Travel OT is an incredible opportunity for many therapists. If you think travel occupational therapy could be for you, you’re in the right place. This website is dedicated to providing resources for traveling therapists to succeed on the road. I recommend starting here with these free resources and posts about travel therapy. For longer-form content, check out this YouTube channel . Finally, if you want a step-by-step course to take you through everything you need to know to be a traveling PT, join The Guide to Travel Therapy .

Related posts:

• Travel Therapy Recruiter: The Basics
• How to Find Travel Therapy Jobs
• Travel Therapy Tax Questions
• How to Ace The Travel Therapy Phone Interview

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Four Tips to Know Before Becoming a Travel Occupational Therapist

Whether you’re a new grad or seasoned therapist nearing retirement, you’ve probably been curious about travel therapy at some point in your career. It’s hard not to see the flashy promises of doubling your salary and beautiful pictures of exotic locales and wonder if becoming a travel occupational therapist could be right for you.

While I think travel therapy is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and recommend that every therapist should try it at least once, it’s definitely not a decision you want to go into blind.

Here are four things that I’ve learned along the road (sometimes the hard way!) to help you figure out if now is the right time for you travel.

1. You will make more money – probably.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the ads. “Make $2,000 a week – take home!” or “Get paid to travel!” While this may sound too good to be true, I can confirm that these are real offers, though they don’t come without some caveats.

Generally, the reason that companies are able to offer such high rates is because a significant portion of your income may qualify to be untaxed . The reasoning behind this is that the government allows you to receive what is called stipend pay when you are temporarily traveling for work (loosely defined as working at a job site that is not within commutable distance of your home).

This stipend pay is broken down into two categories: housing and meals/incidentals. So, instead of just making one rate, such as $45 an hour, travelers typically have their pay broken down into their hourly rate (often called a taxable rate ) which may be much closer to $20 an hour, along with anywhere between $700 – $1300 in untaxed stipend pay a week.

While this may sound great, and many travelers (and even recruiters!) view this as “free money,” it is income that comes with stipulations.

One, that you must spend at least a portion of this money toward the expenses designated by the IRS (so no staying with family and socking away your entire housing stipend to pay off your student loans) and two, that in order to qualify for any stipend pay you must maintain a tax home .

This is a complex and somewhat vaguely defined designation, but for now, all you need to know is that maintaining a tax home will likely require you to duplicate expenses at your permanent residence. So while you may be bringing in $4000 a month just to pay for an apartment at your travel placement, you still have to find a way to pay your mortgage and bills at your tax home in order to qualify for this.

This is a complex subject, so we’ll go further into tax homes and pay packages in general in a future post, but for now, the best advice I have is to talk to an accountant about your personal tax situation to see what the financial implications would be for you. If you don’t yet have an accountant or tax professional, a great resource is traveltax.com .

2. A facility needs a traveler for a reason.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great people as a traveler and have found it to be overall a very rewarding experience. However, this is not guaranteed. Something to keep in mind is that facilities are likely paying big money for you – beyond what you see in your pay package, your recruitment company will also keep a sizable cut (generally anywhere between 20% – 25%).

It’s not always the case, but generally the number one reason a facility will go through a recruitment company in the first place is because they’ve had difficulty hiring or retaining an OT by themselves. Sometimes this is for something innocuous, like needing temporary coverage for a maternity leave, but sometimes it’s due to more sinister factors that may not be obvious until you’re actually working, like a toxic rehab director.

The best advice that I have to guard against this is to thoroughly vet the facility when you have your interview (you’re interviewing them just as much, if not more, than they’re interviewing you) and to have recruiters that you can trust to have your back.

I also like to keep in mind what I like to call the “pick two” triangle of travel therapy: setting, money, and location. If an awesome pediatric clinic is offering to pay $2,300 a week in the coolest part of Chicago, it might be too good to be true. Generally, a facility will offer more money for harder to fill settings (SNFs) or locations that are rural and don’t have much access to occupational therapists. And while it is possible to find more interesting placements like hand therapy or fun locations like San Diego, the pay may be considerably less as a result of having more therapists willing to take these jobs.

3. You should develop rapport with multiple recruiters.

While some travelers may hit it off with a recruiter right away and prefer to work for one travel company, I always advise new travelers to begin developing relationships with multiple recruiters for a couple reasons.

One, as sad as it is, not every recruiter has your best interests at heart. Remember: they are making money off you, and some people see this as an opportunity to be a sleazy car salesman type who will pressure you to take an assignment that may not be a good fit.

Others may try to keep more money from you by stretching the truth about what reimbursements you qualify for (hint: there are always companies willing to pay for your licensure, relocation, etc). Politely letting your recruiters know that you are working with other companies will ensure that the less-than-savory ones don’t take advantage of you, and that the good ones will work hard to earn your business. It also means that you can easily find out fair pay for an area by comparing packages from different companies.

And, no matter how great one recruiter may be, they aren’t going to have all the jobs, all the time. This may not be a factor if you’re happy to go anywhere, but if you are ever wanting placement in a specific setting or location, casting a wider net is not only useful, but sometimes necessary.

Many travel companies have exclusive contracts with facilities. For example, there is only one company that has a contract with the entire Hawaiian public school system, but some lackluster recruiters may try to dance around this subject.

I do want to impress that having great partnerships with your recruiters is invaluable. Even though you are working with multiple people, make an effort to develop good relationships with all of them. I’d recommend starting a document with your recruiters’ info, and keeping contact with no more than 3-5 recruiters at any given time for simplicity’s sake.

And of course, keep in mind that they are people too, and that their job is hard! While some travelers are shocked to learn how much a recruiter is making off of them, the best recruiters are definitely earning it.

4. Travel therapy requires flexibility and confidence.

I’ve known many people who discourage new grads from pursuing travel therapy right out of the gate. While I don’t agree with this, I do understand the hesitation. Once again, a facility needs a traveler for a reason, and oftentimes that reason is going to mean that not a lot of training will be provided.

While there definitely are facilities willing to train new grads, there are many more where you will be the only OT and are expected to start treating a full caseload on your first day.

My first travel placement was for a rural school district that hadn’t had an OT for the entire first semester. This meant that not only was I walking into a backlog of evaluations that needed to be completed, I was also required to make up all the missed therapy minutes from the first half of the year. Now, this was all above board and I wasn’t blindsided by this – but it was definitely intimidating as someone whose school experience was limited to 5 days during a Level I fieldwork.

Luckily, I had two years of experience in a pediatric outpatient clinic and a great friend who worked in the school system who let me bug her as much as I needed those first few months. My coworkers were also great and helped me as best they could with any questions that weren’t specific to OT. And there are some truly great Facebook groups aimed at specific practice settings that I still use to this day.

This is all to say that travel therapy isn’t impossible for a new grad , it just requires the right combination of factors. And, whether you’re a new grad or just new to the setting, if you need mentorship, take it into your own hands. Some travel companies may offer mentorship from a current employee, but I would still recommend finding someone personally that you can contact at your convenience.

At the end of the day, the facility is relying on you. So, mentorship aside, be sure that you have the ability to be assertive and decisive in your setting, and also ready for whatever curveballs may be thrown at you.

________________

I hope that these tips will save you some headaches as you’re considering a travel career! I know that when I first started traveling, the more I learned, the more questions I had, so stay tuned for more detailed articles about tax homes, pay packages, housing, traveling with a friend or a partner, and more.

Travelers! We want to know: If you had one piece of advice to share with a person considering becoming a travel occupational therapist, what would it be? Please share in the comments below.

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12 comments.

How about COTA positions? How do they compare?

Hi Vilma, I’m not personally as familiar with traveling COTA positions but this Travel Therapy Facebook group has many COTAs in it and will give you some better perspective about the COTA travel market: Travel Therapy Therapists . Hope this helps!

thank you ! this was a nice article and gave me some resources for COTA groups on face book .

You’re very welcome, and I’m so glad it was helpful for you!

Hi Sarah! Do you still do travel therapy? Have you heard of anyone doin travel therapy to pay off their student loans quicker? Any success stories? 🙂 In order to receive a stipend for housing, meals etc you HAVE to have a place „back home“ that you call home? If you become an Internant employee-do you still receive a stipend but it will just be taxed? Would the internant employee generally still make more than a standard-full time OT somewhere? I appreciate any insight! Thank you 🙂

Hi Beth! I’m not currently doing travel therapy but I do know of many therapists that were able to pay off their student loans with the increased pay. To get some further insight about this, check out this article from Travel Therapy Mentor . You will need to have a “tax home” to get the untaxed income, but if you don’t have this option, you can still work as an itinerant worker, with the income being taxed. It all depends on the market on whether this shakes out to be more than a standard full-time salary, but as of right now, recruiters are expecting that the travel market will improve once on-hold elective surgeries are being done again. I would reach out to a few agencies to get a feel for where things are looking right now. I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for this information! I am a new grad that is thinking of traveling first. Do you have any suggestions on travel companies to look into?

That’s super exciting! There are a lot of great companies out there, just a few we’ve worked with with good experience have been Core Medical, CompHealth and Medtravelers. The recruiters are also a large component of a good traveling experience, so getting suggestions from current travelers is going to be really helpful for you as well.

Hi! I am about to be a senior in college and I am interested in becoming a travelling therapist after I graduate in 2 years. How soon should one start looking at companies and contacting recruiters? Thank you!

Hi Shannon, you can start contacting therapy companies and recruiters once you are about to graduate from your therapy grad program and are about to take your boards. The market fluctuates so at that point the companies will be able to tell you the best states to get your licenses in after you graduate. You’ve definitely got some time before you have to start getting in touch with them 🙂

Hello, do you have any information regarding traveling as an OT from country to country, city to city etc? I plan on getting my OT master’s and am interested in traveling worldwide. Do you think that is realistic or something that is done?

Hi Raena, travel therapy companies/jobs are unfortunately just US-based but you can check out our other post on how to find international OT jobs here . Hope this helps!

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Travel Café

Montana’s travel agency, what we do.

Travel Café offers full-service leisure travel, corporate travel, and meeting/event planning services. 

Whether you need International or Domestic, vacation or meetings, Travel Café has over 40 years of experience in getting the details right and delivering on your dreams. All of this with personalized service and expertise.

What does a Travel Advisor do for you? 

By using our breadth of resources and experience, your travel advisor will build a travel experience that embodies your vision. An advisor takes on the logistical challenges of travel planning, booking and tracking all the details, responding when plans are forced to change, and most importantly, removes the stress of travel. By providing our clients with additional resources and an elevated experience, Travel Café advisors have you covered and make the most of your event, professional travel, or well-earned vacation.

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Travel Jobs for Occupational Therapists: Explore Exciting Opportunities

Table of Contents

In a profession as versatile as occupational therapy, opportunities are endless – more so when you add travel to the mix. Working as a traveling occupational therapist not only provides a chance to enhance one's professional skills and experience but also makes it possible to explore new places and cultures. In this article, we delve deep into the world of travel jobs for occupational therapists, exploring the various roles they can undertake, understanding the scope of their work, and examining the myriad of benefits that come along with these positions.

Understanding the Scope of Occupational Therapy in Travel Jobs

Occupational therapy travel jobs allow certified occupational therapists (OTs) to work short-term contract positions at medical facilities across the country. As a traveling OT, you can gain valuable experience, see new places, and earn a competitive salary.

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What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is a health care field focused on helping people recover, develop, and maintain skills for daily living and working. OTs work with individuals of all ages who have physical, cognitive, emotional, or developmental conditions. The goal is to enable their clients to participate in meaningful activities or "occupations."

Some examples of what OTs may work on with clients include:

• Improving fine motor skills through exercises or adaptive devices
• Teaching strategies for managing sensory processing difficulties
• Modifying activities to accommodate limited mobility or fatigue
• Building skills for personal care, household tasks, childcare, work, or school
• Recommending assistive equipment for greater independence
• Educating about joint protection and energy conservation techniques

OTs must complete a master's degree from an accredited program, pass the national certification exam, and obtain licensure in their state. They work in settings like hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, homes, and nursing facilities.

Role of Occupational Therapists in Travel Jobs

Traveling OTs take on temporary contract assignments, usually lasting around 13 weeks, at medical facilities across the United States. Each state requires its own OT license, but most states offer temporary licenses. Recommended travel companies can assist with handling license applications and renewals.

In travel therapy jobs, OTs may work in roles such as:

• Providing evaluations, interventions, education, and discharge planning in acute hospital settings
• Treating orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation patients in skilled nursing facilities
• Early intervention services for infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays
• Outpatient rehabilitation for adults after injury, illness, or surgery

The medical settings and types of patients can vary greatly, giving travel OTs exposure to diverse diagnoses, age groups, and team dynamics. Experienced therapists can mentor recent graduates. OTs also gain experience with documentation systems, intervention approaches, and productivity expectations at different facilities.

Top Benefits of Combining Travel and Occupational Therapy

Pursuing occupational therapy travel jobs offers many advantages for adventurous, flexible therapists including:

• Higher Pay: Traveling OTs earn substantially more than permanent positions. Typical pay is $1,500-2,500 per week, depending on location and experience level.
• Freedom: Travelers can select assignments based on location, setting, caseload, and contract length. It's easy to take time off between contracts.
• Exploration: Assignments can be across the U.S. from big cities to national parks. Experiencing new places is a major perk.
• Variety: Exposure to different diagnoses, interventions, documentation, and productivity standards expands clinical skills.
• Camaraderie: Making friends with fellow traveling therapists adds to the adventure.
• Career Development: Becoming a skilled travel OT can lead to mentorship roles, manager positions, or owning a travel company.

While travel therapy allows a flexible lifestyle, therapists should be comfortable adapting to new environments and confident in their clinical skills. Meticulous organization and advocate skills are essential. The rewards of travel OT jobs are fulfilling work, great pay, and exciting adventures across the country!

Examining the Top Travel Jobs for Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists have a wide range of opportunities to use their skills while traveling and working abroad. From cruise ships to schools to humanitarian organizations, OTs can find contract positions that allow them to help clients while exploring new places.

Traveling Occupational Therapist

One of the most common travel jobs for OTs is working as a traveling therapist through a staffing agency. We can connect certified occupational therapists with facilities across the US that need temporary contract staff. View the top occupational therapist jobs in On Demand , our powerful web app. Travelers get housing and licensure arranged, allowing them to take on positions ranging from 8-26 weeks in different cities and states.

Pros of travel OT work include higher pay, gaining experience in new settings, having a flexible schedule, and getting licensing reimbursements. Cons can be less stability, changing locations frequently, and managing paperwork/requirements in multiple states.

Cruise Ship Occupational Therapist

Working as an OT on a cruise ship allows you to travel the world while living on the ship. Contracts usually last 9-12 months as the ship journeys across continents. You would provide therapy services to passengers and crew members for injuries, disabilities, and functional needs.

Benefits are travel, room/board, living in unique ports, and higher pay. Challenges can be an isolated social life, small work spaces, and obeying shipping medical regulations.

Military Base Occupational Therapist

Military and VA hospitals hire civilian OTs on bases around the world to work with active duty personnel, veterans, and dependents. You could be based stateside or overseas - common locations include Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea.

Perks include working with service members, specialized training, sense of service, and international experience. Downsides may be frequent relocation, safety restrictions, and base cultural adjustment.

International School Occupational Therapist

International and American schools abroad need OTs to support expat students and foreign nationals. Most positions are in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. You would be part of a diverse team in an English-speaking school environment.

Benefits are immersion in new cultures, world travel, free/subsidized housing, and multi-cultural work. Challenges can be finding licensure, adapting to different educational models, and visa restrictions.

NGO and Humanitarian Organization Occupational Therapist

OTs are highly desired by non-profits doing global health and development programs. You may work in refugee camps, disaster response, hospitals, clinics, and community centers. This allows you to make an impact while discovering different places.

Rewards include service, cultural insight, community focus, and program variety. Difficulties can be language barriers, rustic living, security issues, and emotionally taxing situations.

Traveling OT Contract Work

In addition to staffing agencies, OTs can find direct contracts with facilities, school districts, early intervention programs, prisons, home health agencies, and other providers while traveling.

Teletherapy for Traveling OTs

Thanks to telehealth, OTs can now work from anywhere with an internet connection. This enables remote therapists to see clients and be location independent.

Pros are flexible hours, mobile lifestyle, reduced commute, and expanded services. Cons can be less hands-on, need for tech skills, licensure issues, and reduced camaraderie.

Seasonal OT Jobs in Tourist Destinations

Certain locales see patient influxes during peak tourist seasons. Facilities and agencies in vacation hot spots often hire short-term OTs to meet demand. Examples are warm weather climates, ski towns, and national parks.

Benefits include exploring popular destinations and high seasonal pay rates. Downsides may be finding housing, limited hours in off-season, and adaptation to a mobile lifestyle.

Occupational therapists have diverse options to travel and work abroad. With some research and planning, OTs can align a fulfilling job with chances to experience new cultures and destinations. Balancing the rewards and challenges will let you maximize this unique career opportunity.

Strategies to Get Started & Maximise the Travel Therapy Experience

Traveling as an occupational therapist can be an incredibly rewarding way to gain experience in different settings while seeing new places. However, it also requires planning and preparation to ensure you find the right opportunities. Here are some key strategies to help you get started and make the most of your time as a travel OT:

First, make sure you understand the requirements and process to work as a travel therapist. This usually involves having an active OT license that allows you to practice temporarily in other states. Research what's needed for a travel or temporary license in your target destinations.

Next, look for open contracts with recommended travel therapy companies and apply for positions you're interested in. Be open-minded about location - popular spots fill up fast. Having flexibility helps increase options.

Once placed, learn about your assignment site ahead of time. Review their common diagnoses, procedures, documentation system, productivity standards, and culture so you're prepared.

At your new site, focus on building rapport with staff and patients. Be proactive in asking questions and offering assistance to get comfortable quicker.

Throughout your contract, communicate regularly with your travel company about how things are going. Ask for their guidance resolving any issues that arise.

Finally, stay organized with paperwork and diligently track details needed for license renewals or future applications. Maintaining your credentials is key!

Education and Certifications Needed

To work successfully as a travel occupational therapist, the minimum requirement is having an OT degree or masters from an accredited program and passing the national board exam to earn your OT license.

However, having additional certifications beyond the entry-level requirements can make you more competitive. Some top certifications to consider include:

• Specialty certifications like with hand therapy or neuro developmental treatment
• Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) certification
• Certification in new treatment techniques like Kinesio Taping or myofascial release
• Certification from the American Occupational Therapy Association in areas like low vision or driving
• Advanced certifications like Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests

The more continuing education you have, the more skilled and marketable you become as a travel OT. Just be mindful of only getting certifications relevant to your desired focus area.

Where to Find the Best Travel Therapy Jobs

The key to finding great travel occupational therapy jobs is using resources that match your skills, experience, and interests with nationwide openings. Here are top options to consider in your job search:

• Travel therapy staffing agencies - Create a profile in On Demand , our powerful web app, and work with our recruiters to find placements
• Networking - Talk to other traveling OTs about companies they've worked with successfully.

Key Tips to Build a Successful Career as a Traveling Occupational Therapist

Taking on travel therapy assignments for the long-term takes dedication. Follow these expert tips to help build an enriching, sustainable career:

• Choose contracts strategically - Balance higher pay with affordable living areas. Frequent longdistance moves can be draining.
• Ask lots of questions upfront - Get details about productivity, documentation systems, facility culture, learning resources, housing stipends, etc.
• Maintain professional flexibility - Be willing to work weekends, holidays, on-call. Have skills across subspecialties like hands, neuro, pediatric.
• Manage finances diligently - Budget for periods between contracts. Build savings by living within stipends.
• Nurture a support system - Maintain fulfilling relationships outside of work. Join networking groups to connect with fellow travelers.
• Prioritize self-care - Prevent burnout through regular exercise, balanced nutrition, relaxing hobbies. Take PTO between contracts.
• Keep skills refreshed - Take continuing ed courses. Seek mentorships. Join facility in-services when possible.

Making travel therapy a long-term career takes dedication but provides so much potential for growth and fulfillment!

Utilizing Online Networking and Professional Resources

For travel therapists, connecting with online communities and utilizing professional resources is invaluable for building your career. Here are some top options:

• Travel Tax Professionals group on Facebook - Get guidance on write-offs, deductions, state exemptions.
• Gypsy Nurse group on Facebook - Connect with 20K+ traveling nurses and therapists.
• #traveltherapy hashtag on Instagram - Follow for support, tips, destination ideas.
• AOTA website - Access research, best practices, tools for OTs.
• APTA Learning Center - Take online CE courses for professional development.
• Staffing agency alumni networks - Find mentorships and continuing ed opportunities.
• TravelingTherapist and HighwayHypodermics blogs - Read detailed experiences, career advice.

Investing time into building your digital community and making use of resources will help you continue developing expertise and feel supported as a travel OT.

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The Scoop on Traveling OT Jobs

• Post date --> January 20, 2023

Many OTs consider trying out traveling occupational therapy at some point. 

Not only do travel OT jobs provide tons of experience and exposure to multiple settings, they pay well and can help you pay down loans and get out of debt quickly.

That said, as with any type of practice, there are pros and cons to consider. 

In this post we will look at the state of travel in 2023. And, share an interview with Emily Butler can help you determine whether traveling is the right career move for you. Then, at the end, I will share a bit about my favorite travel advocate, Nomadicare .

The State of Travel OT in 2023

The travel industry continues to change so quickly. We wanted to include this interview with Laura Latimer, Founder of Nomadicare to talk about travel advice specific to 2023, as our below interview with Emily was conducted several years ago, and provides advice that has withstood the test of time.

I am a longtime friend and affiliate of Nomadicare .

An Interview with Emily Butler on her Travel OT experience

Why did you choose travel ot right out of school.

When I graduated from OT school and was considering job options, I was single and didn’t feel particularly tied to any specific place to move to and get a permanent job.

My good friend from OT school was looking into traveling, and she asked me to travel with her. At that time, becoming a traveling OT with a friend seemed much less daunting than doing it on my own, and since traveling contracts typically only last 13 weeks, I knew I could take a permanent job in a few months if traveling was not a good fit for me.

Another major draw to traveling was that with the tax-free stipends I would receive as a “displaced worker.” I would make more than I would at traditional occupational therapy jobs. I knew that would enable me to pay off the student loan debt I had accumulated during the three and a half years it took me to get my doctorate.  

After weighing the pros and cons, I could see that traveling made a lot of sense for me. I agreed to give it a try with her.

How did you decide on an agency? What kind of parameters could you set?

While looking into travel companies, I talked with other travelers that I knew from my alma mater, and I did a lot of research on each of the companies’ websites.

My friend and I made a giant chart comparing around 20 companies, and we emailed recruiters from each of the companies asking them about their benefits packages, licensure, CEU reimbursements, health insurance, and how they dealt with pairs of travelers. 

I had originally decided to go with another company. They had been slowly building a relationship with the friend I was wanting to travel with; in fact, they’d been in touch with her since our 1st year of OT school! 

We really liked that company until they gave us some bad advice. 

As traveling OTs, we were not eligible for temporary state licensure in any of the states we planned on working in. The traveling recruiter we were working with advised us to get our California and Washington licenses first as soon as we’d passed the NBCOT exam.

The recruiter failed to inform us that the processing time to get state licenses varies greatly from state to state. As it happens, California and Washington both require background checks and fingerprinting [which has to be done on their specific fingerprinting form which is mailed to you and then you mail back]. Consequently, those states take upwards of three months for the licensure process. As a new grad, I was not interested in waiting to begin working for three months. I needed a paycheck!

While we were stressing about the delay with our West Coast licenses, another company contacted us and was very prompt in answering all of our questions. The recruiter told us she could get us two jobs in a different state with an average state licensure processing time of about a week.

We jumped on it, and ended up staying with that company for two years. In my experience, the recruiter you work with is just as (if not more!) important than the agency. You need a recruiter who is going to stand up for you, be detail oriented (for your contract, time off requests, etc.), and timely.

Travel jobs can be posted and filled within 12 hours in some cases! If your recruiter isn’t moving quickly enough, you will miss out on jobs you are interested in.

When negotiating travel contracts, my philosophy became, “don’t ask, don’t get.” I had to negotiate for things like getting paid mileage when I was traveling between buildings, and having at least 30 days notice if the facility I was working for found a permanent OT and wanted to replace me (which happened). Don’t settle for two weeks’ notice. It will happen and turn your life on end. Everything is negotiable, and every company will try to lowball you. Stand up for yourself and don’t sign a contract you aren’t comfortable with.

My biggest fear about traveling is being thrown into situations without support; did you feel this way?

I had similar fears before my first day at my first placement. When I walked in the door that first day as a new grad fresh out of OT school, the first thing I remember happening is the therapy director hugging me and saying, “She’s here! Our angel! We’ve been so excited for you to come.”

At that first placement, they had been getting by with PRN staff, and they were thrilled to have a more stable therapist. They were incredibly supportive and helped me to feel at ease. It also helped that I was traveling with my friend because we could always bounce ideas off each other.

Not every facility has been as supportive as that first one.

I ended up traveling only to skilled nursing facilities . That’s where the demand was while I traveled, and I discovered I really loved geriatrics. In my experience, a patient is a patient, no matter which facility I was working in. They all need therapy.

And, while I’ve seen therapy gyms of all shapes and sizes, they all have gait belts and oximeters. When it gets down to it, that’s all you really need. Nurses’ stations are easy to find. Patients’ rooms are numbered. If I wasn’t lucky enough to get a tour of the facility or much of an orientation, I found I really didn’t need it.

I kept a growing collection of patient handouts and assessments on my clipboard, and I made copies of them when needed. (Finding patient handouts in a disorganized therapy gym was often more trouble than it was worth in the first week at a new building.)  

Also, I traveled to six different sites across the country, and they all used one of the two computerized documentation programs (Casamba and Rehab Optima) I knew.

One building I worked at actually transitioned from all handwritten documentation to computerized while I was there, and I was able to help the other therapists with the transition. Already knowing the computerized documentation system meant that it was easier for me to jump in and see patients, and I ultimately required less and less orientation the longer I was a traveler. 

Most importantly, you need to find a travel company (and recruiter) that will provide you with support. If you stay with the same company, as I did, developing a good and trusting relationship with that company will really help with any problems or issues that you run into.

This is personal, but how did traveling affect your social life?  

Well, for the first year, I traveled with my friend that I mentioned. Being a traveling pair limits job options because you have to find a placement that needs two OTs with the same start date. However, it does make the social aspect a lot more fun.

I met other traveling pairs while I was traveling who made it work, as well. As it happened, my friend ended up falling in love with a farmer from Iowa, and we stopped traveling together. This impacted my social life. Haha!

I did two travel placements on my own, and I chose to travel to large cities. I wasn’t interested in living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles from anyone I knew.

I was in Portland and the Seattle area, and I explored on my own and with people that I met there. My philosophy was to say, “yes!” to anything someone invited me to do (within reason, naturally). It was fun doing things I wouldn’t typically do, and traveling definitely brought me out of my shell. 

How did traveling help you grow as a therapist?

Traveling has helped me grow and become an adaptable therapist. I’ve learned to be flexible and work with a variety of different therapy directors, COTAs with limited experience, and COTAs who have been in the field for 20 years.

I’ve learned a lot from all of the different therapists I’ve worked with across the country, and have incorporated both “old-school” methods and cutting-edge practices.

I have also had a lot of practice interviewing for jobs, and don’t get nearly as nervous as I used to. It has also helped me determine what is important to me when negotiating contracts while I was applying for my permanent position. 

Traveling also has turned me into a more resourceful and creative therapist. As I mentioned before, the facilities I worked in varied widely in terms of supplies and space.

The smallest therapy “gym” I’ve worked out of was one drawer of a filing cabinet in the administration office, and the largest was the size of a ballroom and equipped with everything you could possibly need. I learned to think on my feet and work with what I had.

What was the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge for me as a traveler was trying to “plan” things in my personal life. I usually wouldn’t know where I was moving until a week or two beforehand, sometimes less. That made it difficult to buy plane tickets, particularly knowing that if a facility found a permanent therapist, they could cut my 13-week rotation short, meaning I would have to either find another placement close by or move.

That part was stressful, especially when trying to travel with another person. Also, depending on where my placement was, finding housing could be stressful. It varied based on both tourist seasons and the part of the country I was in at the time. 

I had to be very flexible.

How about the most rewarding moments?  

The most rewarding aspect of traveling was something I didn’t expect. I felt very appreciated and could tell that the staff was grateful I was there. On my last day, the therapy department (and often the nursing staff) would give me cards and baked goods, host potlucks, and tell me how much they appreciated me and the hard work I put in.

It helped me to realize that people do notice when you put in hard work and care about your job; people who I wasn’t sure even knew my name would come give me a hug and make sure they said goodbye.

I still have all the cards.

That type of thing doesn’t happen to full-time staff. Everyone doesn’t get together every three months to show employees how much they appreciate them continuing to do their jobs. (Maybe they should? Ha!) I had to say goodbye a lot as part of traveling, but I also got to meet a lot of amazing therapists and make some lifelong friendships. (Is that too cheesy? I’m getting sentimental now.)

I’m not saying that the last days were my favorite—saying goodbye is always hard—but my first and last days at each facility definitely stick out in my memory, and the last days were often full of reminiscing and baked goods.  

If someone was interested in pursuing work as a traveling therapist, how would you recommend they proceed?

I would advise them to start contacting any travelers they know to see what they think of the companies they have worked with. Keep in mind that travelers get referral bonuses so they are motivated to help others sign up for their own company. Also, do your research online and contact a few companies you’re interested in.

Questions from Readers

What is the difference in salary offered to a traveling ot with a master’s and an ot with a doctorate.

I never compared my salary to that of an OT with a master’s degree. From my experience, though, I believe traveling salaries are based primarily on region and years of experience in a particular setting.

Let’s say you are offered a 100k annual salary for being a traveling OT. I was wondering if the housing stipend comes out of your paycheck? If I make sure to put my foot down and ask for things such as paid mileage and what not, would that ultimately come out of my paycheck too? What costs would I have to expect to pay at the end of it all and what would be left over? 

Housing is negotiable. You can choose to have your company find housing for you (which is generally an Extended Stay America long-term stay hotel) or you can find your own housing (which takes more work on your end, but can save you a lot of money if you find an off-season rental home or can live with friends). The housing stipend is calculated based on the cost of living in a region. My housing stipend was a lot larger when I was in California than in Iowa. The other bonus of having the housing stipend as part of your weekly paycheck is that it is tax-free as a displaced worker. Hope that helps!

Where do you start when it comes to looking for companies? Do you simply start researching and contact all of them? What kind of questions would you suggest asking when contacting these companies? Also, do you have to sign a contract for a specific time period? Would we be able to do only one year and then get out of travel?

When it came to looking for companies, my friend and I put together a list of questions we had for each travel company, and then we emailed recruiters from all of the companies. We put together a giant spreadsheet to compare each company, and then narrowed down our list based on which company was the most helpful/had the benefits we were looking for. Some recruiters gave us long, detailed answers; others did not. That helped us get a sense for the company/recruiter right away.

I actually found our list of questions we sent to the recruiters. Here it is:

• Medical coverage: Is this free for every placement? Also, how does medical coverage work between placements? For example, what if I want to take off a week between placements, would I still have medical coverage?

I s there any life insurance offered?

• Are meals and incidentals covered with a stipend?
• As part of the travel expense allowance: is there ever the opportunity for car rental when placements are farther away?
• How much is the CEU annual allowance?
• Are there any opportunities for PTO?
• The website mentioned completion and renewal bonuses…can you elaborate on this?

For traveling, the companies really want therapists to work for them, so always remember that they are trying to sell their company to you—thus, you should take what they say with a grain of salt. You don’t have to sign a long-term contract for traveling. You can do one 13-week rotation, decide it’s not for you, and take a permanent job. You could even give your 2-weeks notice your first week if you find it’s really not a good fit for you. That’s one of the positives of traveling: you’re never locked into anything, and if you want to try a different company or go to a permanent job, you can do so whenever you want.

Did you just get a temporary license in each state? Once you left that state, did you ever have to do anything with that license, like recertification? If you wanted to go back to that state, did you have to get another temporary license? Is there an amount of time you have to wait before applying for another temp license?

From my understanding, traveling therapists do not qualify for temporary licenses. I got a standard 2-year license for each state, and then once I left each state, I would keep the license until it expired and then either pay to keep it “active” if I planned to return there in the next few years or let it go “inactive” if I didn’t plan to return. Being inactive is significantly cheaper. It is also an option to let your licenses just expire if you don’t think you will ever return to a state. Each state has its own regulations, and they often require a verification letter from all of the other states that you are licensed in when you apply for a new license.

From what I understand, a temporary license is for new grads who would like to begin working before their official license is processed, and they have to work with an OT who will supervise them. I’ve talked with other travelers over the years, and they used the same system I did.

There are a few states currently working to have PTs be able to work across state lines without having to be licensed in the second state. For example, you could work in Washington under an Oregon license (think of how you use your driver’s license). Hopefully, OT will follow in PT’s footsteps if they are able to get that law passed, ideally nationwide. Talk to your state representatives!

Travel OT provides countless opportunities to grow. Not only can you experience a wide variety of settings and patient populations, you can also work in a number of locations across the country. Traveling and living in new places exposes you to ways of life you might not otherwise know.

In my opinion, travel OT is one of the best ways to grow—not just as a clinician, but also as a person.

Ready to start exploring what’s out there?

Emily traveled before my favorite OT travel site, Nomadicare , came into existence. Nomadicare was started by Laura Latimer, OTR/L, a travel therapist. Laura vets recruiters using her extensive knowledge and experience.

I highly recommend exploring her services. (And don’t worry, the travel companies bear the cost of her work! For travelers, getting a match is free!) I am a proud partner and affiliate of the work Nomadicare is doing to advocate for OTs!

64 replies on “The Scoop on Traveling OT Jobs”

Hi Emily I am looking into becoming a traveling COTA and to work in a variety of states throughout the year. With temporary state licenses not being an option for us, what did you do to keep your licenses in all the states you worked active and in good standing? Or did you let them expire and renewed an expired state license if you went back to that particular state if it was over a year time frame?

Thank you in advance.

Hi Katie! I reached out to Emily, she said that she just let hers expire because she never returned to a state she had worked in before. I know one of her goals in traveling was to see the country before she committed to a more permanent position. If you hope to stay in a particular region, this seems like it would be an important issue. I would definitely talk to your recruiter about this. If you think of it, I would love to know what you learn! Best of luck finding the right travel company. Let us know if you have any other questions!

Hi Emily! I am currently in school to become a COTA and I want to do traveling right after I graduate. I have heard that travel companies don’t offer much supervision. Once I start I don’t want to really be thrown under the bus and not really have much supervision once I start out. Did you feel that there was supervision and the company really helped you out as a new grad? If you don’t mind me asking what travel company did you go with, were you pleased with their service to you? Thank you!

Hi Laura! Good questions! I’ve talked to Emily in the past about discussing the specific company she worked for and I know she would rather not. Maintaining a good relationship with past employers is so important!

As far as supervision, it is my understanding that this varies a lot by site moreso than which company you are working for. As a COTA, you should at very least have an OT supervisor. When you are looking at different positions, I would think that you could ask how often you supervising OT will be onsite. If he/she isn’t there most of the time that seems like sufficient reason to turn done that particular placement.

Good luck with your job quest! Let us know if any other questions arise!

Hi Laura! I just wanted to follow up with you. I had a recent email exchange with Emily (the interviewee in this post). Here is what she said about supervision: "The COTA won’t have any supervision from the travel company, so the COTA will want to accept travel positions at buildings who have an onsite OT. Some of the smaller rural buildings have OTs that are split between multiple buildings, so the OT may only be at any given facility one day a week or just a few hours a day. It really depends more on the site the COTA is placed at rather than the travel company.

Hope that is helpful! sorry for the delay!"

Hi Sarah, I’m a new grad and just quit my 1st pediatric contract after 18 weeks. I finally realized peds is definitely not for me. I’m having trouble looking for a SNF/acute/outpatient contract in my area. I do have a 2yr old son and am only willing to travel in the summers while he is with his father, the other 9 months of the year I have to stay put. I was wondering if you think I should switch my focus from travel contract positions to permanent positions to gain more experience. (Most facilities keep saying I don’t have enough experience). And honestly, my only desire to stay with the traveling contracts is is to test the waters for which city I want to move to in a few years, and keep my mind preoccupied while my child is away for the summer. Any advice?

Hi Chanelle! Do not feel discouraged that pediatrics wasn’t for you! There are so many avenues to explore within OT and many people spend the first years of their career finding the right fit. Permanent positions are a great way to gain experience. If I were you, I would definitely apply to both permanent and contract positions. It never hurts to apply and keep your options open. You can always turn down an offer if you get more than one offer or if the position just doesn’t feel right as you learn more about it.

Best of luck to you! Let me know if you have any other questions.

I am so happy I found your blog. This is perfect for my situation because my friend and I have recently become interested in doing travel OT together, and I have absolutely no clue about it so this was very informative. We still have a year left before we graduate but I wanted to begin getting some information on it. Where do you start when it comes to looking for companies? Do you simply start researching and contact all of them? What kind of questions would you suggest asking when contacting these companies? Also- do you have to sign a contract for a specific time period? Would we be able to do only one year and then get out of travel?

Hi Morgan! These are great questions! Emily was a guest writer for me, but I am going to see if she would be up for answering these questions! I will keep you posted. I feel like there are not many resources out there about what traveling OT all entails, so hopefully I can build this page.

Hi Morgan! Emily and I just updated the body of the blog and specifically addressed your questions. I hope it is helpful! Best of luck to you!

Alright, let’s say you are offered a 100k annual salary for being a traveling OT. I was wondering if the housing stipend comes out of your paycheck as I am trying to figure out how much I can save with such a salary. If I make sure to put my foot down and ask for things such as payed mileage and whatnot, would that ultimately come out of my paycheck too? What costs would I have to expect to pay at the end of it all and what would be left over? Thank you so much, this blog is a God send!

Hi Eva! I think the answer to these questions will help multiple job seekers so I reached out to Emily. See her response in the updated body of the blog. I hope your search is going well!

Hello, I was wondering what is the difference in salary offered as a traveling OT between an OT with a master’s and an OT with both a doctorate. Thank you!

Hi Lisa! This is a such a great question that I reached out to Emily and built the answer into the body of the blog (see above). Thanks for reaching out and good luck!

I’m a new grad, about to enter the travel world, I wish I could see your big ol’ chart of all the different companies!

Your information has been wonderful! Thank you for sharing this blog! Just curious how do you factor out your taxes especially if the pay is tax free? Did you ever run into having to repay the IRS back?

Hi Jenny! I was able to reach out to Emily to ask her your question. (I was interested to know the answer as well!) Here is what she said: …"the pay isn’t completely tax-free. The living/housing stipend are tax-free if you qualify as a "displaced worker" which you have to declare on your taxes, but you are also paid an hourly wage that is taxed. I don’t think I had any tax issues other than having to file in each state that I worked in each year."

Hello! I was wondering if you wanted to stay around the city you live in, is it easy to get back to back travel assignments? I have a house and a baby and I would like to bounce around settings and jobs to gain more experience and decide where I want to be, but without the cross country traveling aspect! Thanks.

I have wondered this too! There are always traveling positions open in my area. I’m going to ask one of my contacts at a traveling company what they think about traveling positions close to home!

Gina what area are you located in? It truly depends on the area you are in and what you define as a local commute. Example someone who will drive up to 90 miles will have a better chance than someone just driving up to 50 miles. Also if you are located in a destination area that is highly desirable it is unlikely.

What were your hours on a daily basis? Did you work more than 40 hours a week and could you expect a regular schedule?

I just asked Emily! Will let you know what I hear!

I just heard back from her! Here is what she said: "All of my contracts specified a guaranteed number of hours (usually 36-38). I went into overtime once and it was a special circumstance. Like everything, make sure it’s written in your contract and don’t sign it if you are uncomfortable with the minimum guaranteed hours. Hope that helps!"

This confirms my personal experience with how contract employees are used. Often companies want to fully utilize them after going through the effort of finding a traveler for their site- but, they do not want to pay the high overtime rates, so the hours stay at 40 or less!

Sara, I am currently in OT school and was wondering if there are a lot of international travel opportunities?

Hi! I am about to graduate and interested in travel OT. What company did you go with/ what companies do you recommend? 🙂

Hello! I’m really interested in doing travel OT and was wondering what chart you used to compare companies/what aspects were important to look at when choosing a travel company? Thank you!!

It is hard to compare company to company because at the end of the day it is about your recruiter. Great companies have bad recruiters and bad companies can still have good recruiters. The author was spot on about wanting someone who is detailed oriented and will listen to your requests. Your best bet is to talk to other travelers and see if they like their recruiter then do some research on the company they are with. Some companies can be well established with different departments and some companies can be two guys working in a spare bedroom.

Hi! I am in school to become an OT, and am seriously considering being a traveling OT. However, I do have a wife that I would be bringing along with me. She is more than happy to travel and see the country with me, but it adds a little complexity. Would we be responsible for paying for her travel, or would the company cover it? Also, about how long does a traveling OT stay in a location? I know it probably varies, but I would love to know if it usually changes weekly, monthly, etc. If we were to be in each location for 6 weeks, that would probably be long enough for it to be worth my wife getting a temporary job.

Very helpful article. Thank you!

Hello, I was wondering how much you pack for your assignments and what you do pack?

Hello there! What a wonderful read! Thanks a million. Is there any possible way to get some recommendations on companie(s) you’ve had good experiences with? I don’t personally know any OT travelers and have no idea where to start!

Hi Kim, I just added information on recommended companies (and some other resources) to my jobs page. I hope you find the information helpful! https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-jobs/

I was wondering if it’s possible to work as a travel OT for only 6 months?

I am heading into my FW2 placements starting this summer and I am very interested in travel OT. Would you mind sharing your spreadsheet comparing the various companies? Is there maybe a travel OT Facebook page where we can get information from experienced travelers? I have so many questions!

Hi Selena! I am going to try to get a copy of this spreadsheet for you. In the meantime, I highly recommend the travel therapists group on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1448521798747444/

Hi Selena! I just added an image of the spreadsheet to the bottom of this post! I hope you find it helpful!

I am a current level 2 student who will be graduating with her masters in May 2018. I was wondering about licensing as a traveling OT. Did you just get a temporary license in each state? Once you left that state did you ever have to do anything with that license, like recertification? If you wanted to go back to that state did you have to get another temporary license and is there an amount of time you have to wait before applying for another temp license?

Hey Meg! You can read about Emily’s experiences with licensing under the subheading "How did you decide which agency to go with?" I also sent her an email to see if she could provide even more info about the licensing process as this is a common question!

Hey Megan! I wanted to let you know that Emily answered your question in more detail. The question and her response are now at the bottom of the article! Thanks again for the question. I know licensing is a common query!

Hello. I am Masters level OT and graduated 6 years ago. I am currently in East Texas and would love to relocate back to my homeland of the Pacific Northwest. Do you have suggestions on favorable travel companies, recruiters you trust and or locations you enjoyed working?

Hi Laura! I just added some recommended travel companies to my jobs page! They are at the bottom of step #1, along with a FB group I recommend! Best of luck to you!! https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-jobs/

Hi Emily, I am about to graduate with my DrOT this May and I am very interested in traveling OT. Thank you for writing this article, it is very helpful. I have been in contact with a recruiter for a traveling company and it seems like a good company but I really should compare. I was really excited when I first thought about traveling therapy and hear about all the perks, but now that I am finding out about all these little hidden details, it’s making me a little bit skeptical. I was wondering if you could send me your spread sheet of comparing companies? [email protected] – Thank you!

Hey Amanda! You can see the image of spreadsheet in the image at the bottom of the article (I just added it!) I am sending you an email right now as well!

Hi Emily, I just wanted to thank you and everyone involved in creating this post. I am about to graduate with my masters in OT in a month and am really interested in starting by jumping right into travel therapy. I would also be very interested in seeing your spread sheet. So far I have been in contact with two different companies and I feel like they are all telling me just what I want to hear. I would be very interested in looking at your spread sheet and making sure that I am covering everything!!

Thanks so much!! Melanie [email protected]

Hi Melanie! Congrats on your upcoming graduation! If you look at the "Find the Right OT Job" image at the bottom of the post. You will see how Emily laid out her spreadsheet. The specific information she gathered in there was taken out as it was dated.

I also recommend you check out my 6 steps to the Right OT job. In Step #1, I list the travel companies I’ve been recommended over the years.

https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-jobs

I hope this is all helpful! Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!

Best, Sarah

Thank you so much for posting this! I was very hesitant about even considering travel therapy but this post made me feel slightly more comfortable with the idea.

I live in Richmond, VA and am having a hard time finding a new grad friendly job. I have talked with a few staffing agencies/recruiters and they have all said jobs in this area are hard to find. I have however been told there are a lot of contract positions for SNIF’s available. I have been told contract positions require the therapist to hit the ground running. I have no idea how billing and documentation work in a SNIF setting. I am afraid of doing contract work for that reason and my lack of experience in a SNIF.

Would you recommend travel therapy for someone like me, one that is a new grad and no experience in a SNIF setting? All my experience from school is in an acute care setting.

I would love any and all the advice you could give me. Thank you so much in advance!

Being as you are feeling apprehensive about a skilled nursing facility, I would definitely prioritize the availability of mentorship in your job hunt. I know Advanced Travel Therapy has a program. https://www.advancedtraveltherapy.com/new-grad/

Make clear as your looking at jobs that you want sufficient training in documentation and billing. If a location isn’t willing to provide adequate training, it isn’t the place for you!

With adequate training and a plan for mentorship the documentation in a SNF is definitely possible to pick up!

Best of luck to you! Let me know if you have any other questions. Sarah

P.S. If you haven’t found this interview yet, it might be helpful to you https://otpotential.com/blog/occupational-therapy-snf

Hey, So I was reading your section about getting your 13 week rotation cut short, well that happened to me today, I was 2 days in, loved my facility and then get the call the company hired someone permanent and wanted me to put in 2 weeks notice, how did you deal with getting out of your apartment and things like that? I am very stressed now and extremely disappointed as me and my wife were loving our first few days here.

Hi Mike! That is so disappointing!! I was just talking to Emily this past week about how difficult those 2-week notices can be. That has to be one of the most difficult parts of traveling. I know that she began to always try to negotiate that she have a 30-day notice to avoid the abrupt transitions. Are you a part of the Travel Therapy Therapists FB group? They always have such great advice or at the very least encouragement. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1448521798747444/

All the best to you and your wife as you figure out your next steps.

Hello! I am considering travel OT and wonder how you "deal" and manage things back home…like, where is your mail sent? Do you need a permanent residence in your previous state to maintain car insurance, etc… thanks.

I messaged Emily about his and here is what she said: "My permanent residence was my parents house. I had my mom take pictures of potentially important mail and text them to me so I could stay on top of it. She also forwarded things I physically needed in person-like car insurance and state licenses."

Let me know if you want me to keep digging about what people do who don’t have their parents house to fall back on as a permanent residence.

There is no actual law that states you need a permanent residence. If, as a traveler, you keep a majority of your belongings in a storage unit (think summer clothes vs. winter clothes) and have somewhere that you can put for car insurance (what address is your car registered to) then that will still qualify for the stipends and the IRS is fine with temporary residences. As for bills, I know many opt for online bill pay. I often suggest people sit with a financial planner or CPA in order to understand the finer points of "tax home" vs. permanent residence.

Thanks for this post! There seem to be a lot of travel companies out there. Are you able to share your list of potential companies and the research you did? I’m from Canada, finishing up in 2 months and looking for work in northern Washington. Thanks again

HI Sarah! On this page (under step 1) you will find a list of recommended travel companies. You can also email me at [email protected] , if you want a recommended recruiter from Advanced Travel!

https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-jobs/

Under step #2, you will find an example of the spreadsheet to help your research the companies! You will have to do your own digging about each company as all of the information has changed since Emily traveled. Good recruiters should help you answer the questions found on the spreadsheet! Good luck with your journey! Let me know, if I can help you in anyway other way!

Protherapy Staffing is by far the best travel company I have found!

How long have you been traveling with them? What have you liked about working with them?

Here is my page where I have my most recommended travel companies. If you leave me a comment on there about what you like about ProTherapy, I will do some research and consider adding it to my list! https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-jobs/

If you were to complete the classes that certain schools have for pre-occupational theraphy , would you be able to take the board exam to become a ota while still wanting to get a master’s in Ot . ?

Hi Kristina, Undergrad pre-occupational therapy programs help you complete the pre-requisites for OT school, and would not qualify you to sit for a COTA board exam. (To my understanding.) If you decide to pursue an associates degree as a OTA, there are bridge programs to becoming an OTR down the road. Here is a good overview of the pros and cons of taking this approach: https://www.myotspot.com/transition-cota-otr/

I am considering taking a travel therapy contract next September 2018 and I am curious if I should take my car or rent in the city where assigned? What do most therapists do about a car? Also do any of the travelling therapists go in a motorhome or RV to their assignments and how does that work in San Francisco? Can you park a motorhome on the street in San Fran? Thanks please send response to [email protected] – Thanks Mary

Hey Mary! These are such great questions. I would consider running them by the travel therapists Facebook group. There is a lot of knowledge in that group! It usually takes me a little bit to get questions to Emily and then get them up on the site and so they could also probably answer your questions in a more timely manner! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1448521798747444/

This is so exciting! I am a first semester OT student and have been wondering what traveling as an OT is like. Thanks for sharing!!

My name is Lisa and I am an OTD first year at Creighton University. Thank you so much for posting this! Could you recommend some other good articles about traveling OT you have found over the years? What were the main sites you went to as a traveling OT? Did your recruiter give you many options to choose from? Were you ever worried about not finding a placement you would be interested in?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Hi Lisa! For additional OT reading, I would definitely check out the travel therapy therapists group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1448521798747444/

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Therapy Bags

Victoria wood otr/l.

• by Victoria Wood OTR/L
• October 11, 2023

Whether you are returning to a new school year, or working on your therapy tools, it is time to revisit the therapy bag . Depending on your work environment, caseload, and setting, your therapy bags may look different. For the therapy provider just getting started in the school setting, or for new grad OTs, the question comes up quite often: What is the best therapy bag to get?! In this post we will start by looking at different types of therapy bags people are using, then dive into the kinds of items therapists put in their “toolbox”. You may even want to consider a therapy bag as an occupational therapy gift for the OT or OTA in your life!

These therapy supply bags might even be a great gift for the occupational therapy provider in your life!

The Best therapy bags

The best therapy bag for you depends on your work space, the number of schools you might visit in a day, or the therapy setting (clinic, home setting, early intervention, etc.). Consider these questions to find the therapy bag that best meets your needs…

• What kind of therapy bag do you like best?  Are you a backpack kind of therapist or a rolling cart therapy provider? 
• Do you work out of the trunk of your car grabbing a handful of stuff as you go? A therapy backpack or pull cart might work for you.
• Do you feel like you need to carry your entire office everywhere you go?  A rolling suitcase or therapy cart might work.
• Are you fortunate enough to have everything at your fingertips, needing only a couple of things in your pockets? A therapy tote bag might best suit your needs.

Let’s take a look at the various types of therapy bags and the pros and cons of each. (Amazon affiliate links are included below.)

the Therapy Backpack

A backpack is the go-to bag for many therapy providers. It is easy to carry, ergonomically designed to carry the weight of the bag and contents, and comes with lots of pockets for storing your tools.

There are thousands to choose from, starting with the classic Swiss Army brand, the Jansport with its great warranties, Lands End and LLBean for their level of quality and more.

These links below are Amazon affiliate links in which commissions are earned from qualifying purchases.

• In the past I bought fancy trendy backpacks that were pretty, but not practical. Bags like this Vera Bradley design (commissions earned) were irresistible.  That was until my pens leaked into them, I sat them on the dirty floor, they were covered in who knows what, and the mysterious sticky stuff showed up at the bottom of the bag.  While these are washable, they are not practical. 
• Now my preferred therapy backpack (commissions earned) is more practical, but less showy. It has over 89,000 positive reviews on Amazon.  It has lots of pockets for storing tools and toys. It is missing the chest strap, but generally my bag is not overloaded unless I am taking it on vacation. 
• This Lovelook backpack (commissions earned) is very popular as a therapy backpack. It boasts many pockets and is trendy looking, however it does not open very wide, meaning all your stuff is going to end up at the bottom somewhere. It looks awkward to carry, especially if you have a heavy load or wear it frequently.
• This great therapy bag from Coowoz (commissions earned) has a lot of space in it. It opens flat so you can see what is in the bag. The shoe compartment can hold baggies of stuff, or your lunch and snacks. It comes in a couple of different sizes. This therapy backpack is a cross between a piece of luggage and a backpack.
• The Army Style backpack , (commissions earned) while looking very utilitarian, is functional and sturdy. Check out all the pockets!  It is also designed to be ergonomically correct with the chest and waist straps. I love that this one is called the Assault Pack . (commissions earned) Sometimes it feels like therapists are fighting a battle every day.

Kawaii Therapy Backpack

If you are set on fun over function, a Kawaii therapy backpack is a fun style. Check them out here . (commissions earned) The Kawaii backpacks are sweet and practical. 

Kids will love to see the therapy tools they may use that day peeking through the windows of the backpack.

Roller Therapy backpacks

In recent years as I age, and my therapy supplies enlarge, I am leaning more toward a therapy bag on wheels. These are especially helpful if you travel on foot between schools, across a large campus, or throughout a big hospital or facility. 

These types of therapy supply packs can vary from a roller backpack to a carry-on suitcase. For the therapy provider that works in school hallways or even supply closets, this can be a great bag to carry all of the therapy supplies from space to space.

• The Rockland Rolling Backpack (commissions earned) is most cost effective. You might be able to replace this one every year if needed. I like that it still has handles for carrying up and down stairs or in tight spaces. Not sure how rugged and sturdy it is, and it only boasts a couple of pockets.
• This J World New York style (commissions earned) is a little more costly but looks sturdier.  It comes in tons of fun designs and colors. It has a few pockets and nice big wheels for traveling.
• Check out the giant wheels on this one ! (commissions earned) If you travel in rough terrain, this bag might be for you.
• Matein makes a roller bag (commissions earned) that is functional. It is high in price, but looks sturdy.  It has tons of pockets for all your tools and can be converted to a regular backpack.

Alternative rolling therapy bags

There are other options beyond your basic luggage rolling bag, too. These therapy bags are nice for the added features.

• Rolling Duffle bags (commissions earned) have always been popular. They are not as sleek as other bags, but have lots of room and pockets. The added space means you can tote around extra supplies like wiggle cushions, alternative seating options, self-regulation tools , etc.
• If you do not have a lot of things to carry in your therapy bag, a rolling laptop case (commissions earned) might be the way to go. They are more professional looking than a backpack or duffle bag if that matters where you work. This design has many pockets for storing items. It comes with carry handles and is not going to be as easy to tote as a backpack.

the Rolling Suitcase

In the past year I have switched over to a rolling suitcase.  I like that it is sturdy and big.  What I do not like is the lack of pockets. I find myself adding baggies of similar items into my case and searching for items. 

Another benefit of the rolling suitcase therapy bag is that it’s easier on the back to pull, and the wheels are designed for someone who needs to walk through busy airports, or from school building to school building!

• Us Traveler (commissions earned) has a basic budget friendly design. It comes with an additional bag for fidgets, manipulatives, snacks, or a grab and go bag. It does have some pockets and a large opening for your bigger tools.
• Pediatric therapists (commissions earned) will love these cute bags!  They are not huge, but will be a big hit with your kids.
• Scooter ride on case (commissions earned) – while I am not sure if these come in my size, I would love one!  Imagine scooting all over your work place. Plus, it doubles as a sensory therapy tool, too!

Therapy Tote Bags

There are many therapy tote bags on the market, too. I love the fun advertisement for occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy that some of these offer!

• A Utility tote is a nice compact bag with many pockets. If you do not have a long distance to carry it, and it is not too heavy, it is a practical therapy bag. This “ Nurses bag ” has 21 pockets!!  The trouble with too many pockets is remembering which one it is in!
• If you are looking for something personal and crafty, there ar e tons of therapy bags listed. They come in all different shapes and sizes, can be personalized, and are fun to use.  While not as practical as a rolling tote, they are great for carrying a few items back and forth.

Therapy Crate

A rolling therapy crate or therapy box is nice because you can cart around paper, worksheets, and various therapy tools and materials.

• The collapsible crate is becoming more popular. These are great for toting large items, or lots of toys at once.  No pockets, so stuff might get jumbled in there. FYI it does not fit in the trunk of a Mini Cooper, so it was out for me.
• This hardshell bag is a functional sturdy bag. It does not have wheels and must be hand carried. This looks professional and has a large pocket for big items.  Not many pockets on this one.

The occupational therapy supplies in my therapy bag are geared toward younger elementary, preschool, and high school OT students .

What is in your therapy bag?

Now that you have selected the best bag for you (I am seriously eyeing a new roller backpack), you have to fill it with occupational therapy tools , and other stuff.  I love the “other stuff” because I am always amazed at what I find I have stuffed in my OT bag.

There are many items that may make up your occupational therapy equipment list because therapy interventions depend so much on the needs of each individual. That’s why switching out items in your therapy bag (whatever the type) is so essential.

Last year it was a random pair of socks, seven chapsticks, enough pens to write a novel, and a couple of valentines. If you are like me, your therapy bag is constantly changing, depending on the day and caseload.

Let’s start with the basic standard occupational therapy tools to fill your therapy bag:

• Mini zippered pouches (commissions earned) – these are a must have if you use small items. They are great for sorting items for easy retrieval. Fill them with school supplies, one for grippers, prizes, fidgets, snacks, or personal items.  You can also use pencil cases or plastic Ziplock bags for storage
• Personal items – as noted above, lip balm is in my bag. You can pack items such as bandaids, feminine hygiene products, wipes, hand sanitizer, aspirin, makeup, hair spray, stain remover, ear buds, hair ties, extra reading glasses (had to make a quick Walmart run early one morning), or whatever you feel you might need.  I prepare for work as if I am living on a desert island where nothing is available.
• Office supplies – pens, pencils, white out strip, paperclips, tape, scissors, envelopes, sharpies, labels, and a stapler. If you have an actual office, you might not need to travel with all these office supplies, but at least have a pen handy
• Planner (commissions earned) I like this hourly one. Even if you do online scheduling, it is nice to glance at a paper calendar and have a back-up.  This way you have at least two sources to document your visits
• School supplies – these are the standard supplies you use in therapy: scissors, glue, glue stick, paper, pencils, crayons, dot markers, etc. You can get a shower caddy to carry these or one of the zippered pouches

beyond the basic therapy bag supplies

These items can be used to create your own set of Occupational Therapy Activity Toolkits . Then, you can switch things out to keep the kids on your caseload motivated.

• Fine motor therapy supplies – in the school system as well as some other settings you need a grab bag selection of pencil grips to try with your kids, different kinds of scissors (loop, self-opening, tiny ones), tongs, pom poms, a dressing board, pennies in a container, putty, beads and string, stickers, shaving cream, pop tubes, play dough, clothespins, and other small items to work on fine motor skills. Not sure what to add to your bag? You can make your own DIY Fine Motor Toolkit .
• Small sensory items – you never know when a teacher or other professional is going to ask if you have ones they can use at this very moment. It is nice to have them handy. Small fidgets, calm strips, rubber bands, theratubing, a mini sensory bin, and different types of pencil toppers are great
• Larger therapy items – hopefully you are not carrying too many large items on a daily basis. These might include: a rocker board, wiggle cushion, slant board, wipe off board, weights, headphones, or anything you use consistently. These items might fit best in the collapsible crate
• Tools – some therapists need goniometers, grip and pinch meters, screwdrivers, and other items to work with their clients
• Games and puzzles – large games like Connect 4, Candyland, Pop the Pig, Kerplunk and other classic games are great, but take up a lot of room.  There are now mini versions of several popular games . (commissions earned)
• Snacks – as a therapist you are never ever certain you are going to get a lunch break.  Having snacks like granola bars, trail mix, candy, breakfast bars, and crackers is a good idea to keep on hand. If you motivate your students with candy or food, you will want to put some small items in your bag for them too.
• Paper activities – while the bag is full of fun stuff, do not forget the fine motor paper tasks. Pack different lined paper, printed activities , color/cut/glue pages , mazes, puzzles, etc. I try and plan the week ahead by adding my printables to the bag that I can use all week.  Each week I rotate printables.  The OT Toolbox has some great themed kits like this A-Z Bug Themed activity set. Search on the site for fine motor kits, or shop in the OT Toolbox store.

Therapy Bag tools change depending on setting

There is not going to be a one sized fits all for the therapy bag.  Whether it is the type of bag you carry, or what you put in it. 

Homebased pediatric therapists might have blocks, teething rings, stacking rings, and other primary toys.  A hand therapist will have tools specific to that trade. The school system therapy bag will vary depending on the age and type of students you work with.

Therapy providers with multiple schools might find they have a different tote for each school. 

One thing that helps with using a therapy bag of any kind, is staying organized and planning.  I can not tell you how many mornings I run around the office grabbing random things to throw into my bag, or dig around the bottom of the bag looking for a red crayon.  It is those weeks that I try and carve out a little time to reorganize the bag and get myself on track for the next week.

All this talk of therapy bags has me wanting to order a new one for this school year!  I have my eye on a roller backpack this year, and am tempted by the scooter one if it fits. 

Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.

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OT Kafe Ankara

Ratings and reviews, location and contact.

Located at Tunus Caddesi in the center of Ankara, this cafe has international bistro menu with funny names and menu design...There are a wide variety of food and drinks, all with an unusual mis en place, worthed to try especially by youngsters...Friendly service, delicious food... and its presentation and relax atmosphere help this cafe to be classified as unique and unusual...Prices are moderate and recommended for casual lunch or dinner... More

Very nice, both for dinner and breakfast! Very good food and nice staff! Will return next summer. Nice price as well

If you have veeerry veeeerrrry long time to wait for servise, good luck! Average taste, nice view to watch Kızılay

The worst cafe ever! Waiter dropped the heavy glass on me and didn’t evet say sorry! Just said “oh that’s happened” Then they brought the most terrible mojito that i ever tried. I didnt like the taste and asked to change it. They put inside... a lot of sugar then and asked to try this again 🤦🏼‍♀️ The taste was still terrible, i asked to cancel it and asked for lemonade. At the end, when they brought the bill they didnt cancel the mojito. The chief spoke very rude and said that they cannot cancel it. It is our problem that we didnt like it. And at the wnd saidalso “ dont come here again” More

Staff treated customers like garbage. Wouldn't even turn on the heat for us. I've never experienced anything this horrible in my life in Ankara.

Rude staff treating costumers as idiots: We were in OT Tunus having After a tasteless bowl of sachet mushroom soup and poor dry basil hinted ayran, our mixed cheese pizza arrived. And that was it, just cheese (bad tastless one) on frozen pizza dough, nothing... else. When we asked the staff where the other ingredients described in the menu where in our pizza(tomato sauce, species and rocket), a terribly rude and argumentative waiter came telling us"ok we have forgotten about the rocket (brought later a dirty handful of leaves in a plate, as if fetched off a bush) BUT both the tomato (not a single red bit nor taste of it at all) and the SPECIES HAD MELTED IN THE PIZZA??? The waiter insisted and fought over trying to persuade us of our lack of experience in culinary aspects apparently, kept treating us as if we were idiots and just coming and going leaving us with the word in our mouth.... we said we would not have anymore of his delicacy, asked him to take it and we requested to see the manager. He took it back offended and grunting about such cheap customers insulting his exoertise and the quality of his delicacy, cant cast pearls...of course we never get to see the manager either. We paid for the ayran and soup and will never either go back nor recommend OT at all... More

It is a friendly café-restaurant located on Tunus Street. They have a pretty rich variety of food and beverages. The café has both indoor and outdoor halls. It is a nice place to spend some time for both day and night times.

Located in one of the most happening street in Ankara. The food is good, the cocktails are tasty and the crowd is young and trendy. Reservation may be helpful during the weekends, since it gets quite crowded.

Ot is located under the Hotel Sonno in Tunus,which is one of the best locations in Ankara. The service and the food are good. Anyone can have a nice time with friends here. Music is also OK. You can try Sangria!

Both outside and inside of Ot is really well decorated. Foods are nice 👍 You should try "Apple Lemonade" in summer days !! It's awesome !

There is a really good range of food both western and Turkish. Neat environment, very modern Lots of heating for sitting outside, Great service and the value is pretty good. Casual but a touch of class.

OT KAFE ANKARA - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

• Service: 2.5