In order to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare; to protect the public from being mislead by incompetent, unethical, and unauthorized persons; to assure the highest degree of professional conduct on the part of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants; and to assure the availability of occupational therapy services of high quality to persons in need of such services, it is the purpose of this chapter to provide for the regulation of persons offering occupational therapy services to the public.