AOTA Annual Conference Blog

Until next year..

I hope you all enjoyed your time here in St. Louis.  Every year, conference seems to go by faster and faster.  Once you come to conference, your perspective of our profession will be changed forever.  I hope you left with that feeling.  Don't lose the motivation and inspiration that you gained for OT from conference throughout the year.  As I am sure you are now aware, a lot of work is on our horizon as we work toward the Centennial Vision.  I challenge all of us students, as well as practitioners and educators, to ask ourselves how we can help AOTA and the profession achieve the Centennial Vision.  Ten years will pass before we know it.  It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since the Visioning process started.

As I side note, since I did not have an opportunity to blog during conference, I wanted to share with you my favorite session at conference-A panel presentation on the work of Gail Fidler.  I consider Gail a mentor to me through her words and her work even though I never met her.  Her perspective on OT is timeless and I encourage all students to read her work.  If there is an issue today in OT, I am sure she addressed at some point in her career.  This is a valuable lesson I have learned from AOTA and the profession...whenever things seem complicated and insurmountable, take a step back and learn from our past leaders.  Our history keeps all things in perspective. 

Best wishes to all and I look forward to seeing you next year in Long Beach.

Sincerely, Tim Wolf

How many times have you heard: Show me the evidence?

How many OTs and OTA s who work in mental health (or any area of OT practice for that matter) have had to "justify" their practice within the last month, 3 months, 6 months, a year....Do you feel like you could use more knowledge and resources to enable you to effectively educate others regarding the evidence which exists to justify OT services? As occupational therapy practice in mental health is often provided with a comprehensive team of professionals including social workers, nurses, therapeutic recreation specialists, counselors, mental health technicians, at times our professional practice is challenged by other professionals who state they can do what we do. We all know OT practice in mental health has unique features. Do these other professionals clearly address engagement and limitations in engagement in occupation? Need some evidence to "prove" your services are effective?

I've got just the session for you to attend: Using AOTA’s EB Practice Products and Resources to Inform Practice, a short course (SC103) which is scheduled for Friday from 9-10:30 am will provide a new perspective on how to use evidence. The presentation will include a panel of AOTA staff, including Judy Thomas, Senior Policy Manager; Rob Black, Sr. Press Officer; Christine Metzler, Chief Public Affairs Officier; Sandy Schefkind, Pediatric Coordinator; and Deborah Lieberman, Program Director, Evidence Based Project. Marian Arbesman, consultant to the AOTA Evidence Based Project, also will participate. 

During the session, staff will discuss how to communicate evidence to multiple audiences (which could include: clients, payers, elected officials, colleagues).  In addition, audience members will have the opportunity to get experience developing this skill during a group activity. So whether you are speaking with a parent, client, payer, or legislator, join us at this session to learn how the experts use evidence to state their case persuasively.

I feel this will be a great benefit to new practitioners as well as experts in our practice area. All occupational therapy practitioners need to be aware of and able to utilize the best evidence to continue and advance occupational therapy practice. Conference is just around the corner! Happy OT month!

Christine Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH

Almost Here!!

I can hardly believe that it is April 8th ALREADY!  Conference will be starting in hours and days, not months and weeks anymore!  It seems like yesterday that I submitted my short course proposal through the AOTA on-line submission link...and now I am preparing to present....wow...time flies!

By now, everyone who pre-registered for conference should have received their Conference & Expo Onsite Program Guide.  If you have, but have not opened it yet, then you have quite a treat waiting for you.  This years program is full of rich and exciting educational and networking opportunities.  Unlike the previous publications that we received, this one has all of the events listed as well as detailed descriptions of all of the educational sessions (including days, times and room numbers) and special events.  So, if you have not yet, now is the time to start planning out your experience. 

There are many ways that you can go about planning your agenda.  You can determine a "track" to follow, such as phy/dys or peds and find courses being offered throughout the days that deal primarily with those topics.  You can also explore the guide day by day and hour by hour and chart out an eclectic path of events that strike your fancy.  Which ever method that you chose to plan out your conference, the end result will be the same; you will create a full agenda of workshops and events that will occupy you every hour of every day that you are in St. Louis. 

Of course, don't forget to plan out some time to visit the exhibitors. AOTA has scheduled unopposed exhibit hall time each day,  but these hours tend to be busy...if you can pull yourself away from sessions, you might consider visiting the exhibit hall during quieter program times.

One more thing that is important to remember, especially if this is your first conference experience.  In order to receive credit for session attendance, your name badge will be scanned when you enter a lecture room.  If you attempt to leave the talk before it is completed, your badge will be scanned again. You will only receive credit for the time that you were physically in the session.  Sounds fair, right?  It is a great system...no need to keep up with forms or signatures, your list of credit will arrive in your mailbox within a few short weeks after conference.

Well, I must get back to preparing my talk....by the way, if you are interested, I am presenting "Measurable Goal Writing for Occupation-Based Practice" on April 22.  Check it out in the conference guide!  :-)

See you soon!!!

Debbie Amini 

Have you read this yet?

"We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs"

First of all, I hope everyone has seen the 2017 Centennial Vision Statement prior to reading this blog.  If not, please go to the following link to read and learn more about the Centennial Vision Process.  Centennial Vision Home Page

The statement above may seem simple to you, but how do we make this a reality??  Many of our fellow colleagues, students, new practitioners, and seasoned therapists, have been working on this topic for years under the leadership of Chuck Christiansen, our current Vice President of AOTA. 

Many presentations and special events of the 2007 conference program will focus on the Centennial Vision. Your mission for the conference... is to find out how you can be involved in making the Centennial Vision Statement of 2017 a reality.  The visional statement represents not only the future of occupational therapy profession, but YOUR future as an occupational therapist. 

Kristen Lindeman 

Board & Specialty Certification - What's in it for Me?

In the exhibit hall, there are so many things to look at, learn about, see and do. I've already mentioned the need for an extra suitcase and all the great people you'll get to meet. From a professional development perspective, I'd like to encourage OT's, OTA's and students to stop by the AOTA Member Resource Center in the exhibit hall and obtain information on board and specialty certification. Present at this booth will be current board and specialty certified practitioners. These individuals and AOTA staff members will be available to discuss the board and specialty certification process, benefits and answer your questions. I'm pleased to be board certified in mental health and strongly encourage other OT's, OTA's and students who are considering future mental health practice to consider learning more about board certification at conference.

So you may ask "board certification (or speciality certification)....what's in it for me?" Board Certification is a way for you to demonstrate your level of excellence in the area of mental health occupational therapy, to reflect on your past achievements and continue your professional development. It can provide a level of recognition among colleagues, referral sources, your employer, clients, your employer, and other important decision makers. Board Certification can affirm your involvement as an occupational therapist in mental health and possibly open new and different opportunities for your practice. Board certification can offer these things and more....want more information?, stop by the AOTA member resource center during the open exhibit hall times to find out more. Although I've focused on mental health, it is important to acknowledge all areas of board certification which include: gerontology, pediatrics and physical rehabilitation. Speciality Certification is available in Driving & Community Mobility, Feeding, Eating & Swallowing, Environmental Modification and Low Vision. Both board and specialty certification demonstrate a commitment to the profession of occupational therapy and to your own professional development. I look forward to seeing you at the member resource center and answering questions you have about board certification in mental health! Conference is right around the corner!

Christine Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH