A Vision for the Future of OT

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What is the future of OT? How will your own OT career look over the next decade? How will our profession change and evolve?

The journal article we explore in this podcast is very concise, but it certainly packs a punch. It lays out a vision set by the American Occupational Therapy Association for where they would like to see the occupational therapy profession by 2025. 

We’ll kick off the podcast by reviewing the article. Then, we’re thrilled to have Arameh Anvarizadeh, Vice President of the AOTA Board of Directors, join us for a discussion. She will share how the Vision has changed since its original publication. And, most importantly, we’ll discuss what this Vision means for practicing OTs—and how we can build our future with intention in this rapidly evolving world. 

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Vision 2025

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

Additional papers on the future of OT

• A vision splendid; visioning for the future of occupational therapy
• Building globally relevant occupational therapy from the strength of our diversity

Research specifically related to the effectiveness and need for OT

• Dementia prevention, intervention, and care
• Higher Hospital spending on occupational therapy is associated with lower readmission rates

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to recognize some current gaps in our profession that the AOTA Vision pushes us to address.
• You will be able to describe why increasing occupational therapy’s diversity, equity and inclusion is critical in preparing us to meet the societal issues of the future. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• How was the AOTA 2025 Vision drafted?
• The AOTA 2025 Vision
• The Guideposts of the Vision
• The UPDATED version of the Vision
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with guest Arameh Anvarizadeh) (50 minutes)

• Can you tell us the story of how you became an OT—and then what made you want to become involved in the leadership of AOTA?
• Can you give us a little background on how the diversity, equity, and inclusion pillar was added?
• As you read through the core vision statement, what does it mean to you?
• How would you like to see busy, practicing OTs interacting with Vision 2025?
• When we look at the pillars, how do you personally process each one for yourself as an OT?
  • Effective
  • Leaders
  • Collaborative
  • Accessibility/Equity, Inclusion, Diversity
• Fast forward to 2025: what’s one or two things you’d like to see evolve or change for our next Vision?

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about the vision for the future of OT. The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic. Our guest, Arameh Anvarizadeh, has no financial interest in this topic to disclose.

Speakers

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA:

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA is the Director of Admissions and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Dr. Anvarizadeh is responsible for developing the holistic admissions process and for maintaining effective admissions strategies and procedures within the division. She also oversees each academic program and makes certain the division is filled with high caliber diverse students.

Dr. Anvarizadeh is a Founding Member and Chair of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), a non-profit organization striving to empower occupational therapy leaders to engage in practices that increase diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, anti-racism and anti-oppression for a more transformative occupational therapy profession. She is responsible for developing the COTAD toolkit, the Ignite Series, and COTAD Chapters. She tirelessly works to support and establish COTAD Chapters at academic programs across the country while empowering students to facilitate dialogue, awareness, and change related to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, anti-racism, and anti-oppression within the profession and beyond. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L:

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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