Engaging and Promoting Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) in AOTA Leadership and the Profession

For almost 15 years, I have listened to concerns, complaints and debates about how to increase the level of engagement and involvement of occupational therapy assistant (OTA) leaders in AOTA. The topic was debated in the Special Interest Sections in the early 2000’s when I served as Chairperson of the Special Interest Sections Steering Committee. It was debated in the late 2000’s when I served as Speaker of the Representative Assembly. It was debated more recently when I served on the Board of Directors as Secretary of AOTA and I am listening to concerns, complaints and debate today as I run for the office of AOTA Vice-President.
 
Over the last week, I have had four critical conversations with OTA educators and leaders and followed many more conversations on social media. I have reached out to occupational therapy assistant educational programs nationwide and I am beginning to hear from faculty. If we have not significantly impacted the perception and level of satisfaction with engagement and inclusion in AOTA of our OTA members and leaders over 15 years it is time for a new approach.
 
I honestly believe that both the volunteer leaders and paid staff of our association value the contributions of OTAs and believe deeply in the potential for the future contributions to both established practice areas and emerging practice areas such as primary care and population health initiatives. I am fully convinced that both our volunteer leaders and association staff see OTAs as a critical piece of achieving Vision 2025. Still, it seems clear that absent a significant change, a new approach must be adopted.
 
I would like to present an initial short list of actionable strategies that could be enacted to increase the engagement of OTAs in AOTA leadership. We need actionable strategies because as one OTA leader said to me (paraphrased), “I respect passion for occupational therapy, but I need to hear that leaders have ideas about what to do!”
 

• Establish an Ad Hoc Task Force of the Board of Directors including OTA clinical practitioners, OTA educators and OTA leaders to develop a set of specific and actionable recommendations for increasing engagement of OTAs in association leadership.
• Identify OTA speakers to be part of each AOTA Specialty Conference to promote the role of the OTA in specialty practice and in OTA/OT collaborations.
• Develop and implement a communications and marketing strategy to promote the role of the OTA inside and outside of the profession.
• Promote the role of the OTA in provision of effective and cost efficient occupational therapy intervention including specific models and examples.
• Promote the role of the OTA in enhanced recovery and value-based care intervention models including specific examples.
• Provide training for current and future AOTA leaders on strategies for recruiting OTAs for committees, commission and Ad Hoc Task Groups.
• Develop a presentation to be delivered by OT and OTA leaders (recorded) that OTA programs can use to introduce OTA students to a professional culture of engagement and leadership.
• Promote the value of service and that OTAs lead through service.
• Highlight OTAs who are business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders and distribute promotions widely including promotion to all OTA students and new practitioners.
• Widely promote published guidelines for the use of appropriate language to accurately represent the contributions of OTAs and when to use the term occupational therapist, occupational therapy assistant and occupational therapy practitioner. Provide education to all current and new AOTA staff and volunteer leadership on the importance of the use of appropriate terminology.
• Develop strategies to promote the 'occupational therapy assistants' page of the AOTA Website. Use social media and electronic communication to drive traffic to this section of the website and recruit OTAs to continually publish new resources for OTA practitioners and students. 

 
This is just an initial list and I hope to hear more from OTA practitioners, educators. leaders and students about other actionable strategies we could take to engage occupational therapy assistants in AOTA leadership and the profession.
 
Please send your ideas to bbraveman@gmail.com, friend me and/or send me a message on Facebook or contact me through www.brentbraveman.com.
 
Also, please look for details on two “Listening Sessions” that I will be holding to give occupational therapy assistants the opportunity to share more ideas, concerns and feedback to me as a candidate for AOTA Vice-President.
 
These sessions are schedule for:
 

• Wednesday December 6th at 8:00 PM EST
• Tuesday December 12th at 9:00 PM EST

 
If you would like to be sent an invitation to one of the listening sessions, please send my your Email address and the date that you would like to attend.

Thank you to those of you who have shared your ideas!
 
Brent