This is a tall order to begin with—and we also hold justice as one of our core values. So, we want to transform lives AND do so in a socially responsible way.

This is hard and complex work. It requires that we question and move beyond overly simplistic theories of practice. The article we explore in this one-hour podcast pushes us to see beyond the concept of “individualism.” After all, limiting our lens to individuals alone can limit the care we deliver to all of our clients—and it can hinder us from seeing broader issues of injustice.

To discuss what this looks like in both non-traditional and traditional OT settings, it is our honor to welcome Dr. Adam Cisroe Pearson, who has made a career of applying his occupational therapy lens toward broader principles of housing equity and parity.

This course is designed to meet the OT ethics CEU requirements for several states.

Learning Objectives

You will be able to identify the ethical limitations of individualism.
You will be able to recognize some concepts and theories that help OTs move beyond individualism.

Agenda

Intro
Breakdown and analysis of journal article
- What is individualism?
- What is wrong with using individualism as the only lens?
- Why was this paper written?
- What examples did they pull from the research?
- Authors’ discussion and conclusions
- Takeaways for OT practitioners
Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with guest Adam Pearson)
1. Can you share your own personal story of moving beyond individualism?
2. What were your initial impressions of the journal article?
3. How have you seen the problem of being too individually focused playing out in OT and healthcare in general?
4. Did you think the theories and frameworks they mentioned were helpful?
5. What else has helped you move beyond individualism in your own work?
6. What advice would you give to OT practitioners who want to make a career of tackling broader societal issues like affordable housing?
7. What are concrete ways that you think OTs in traditional settings can “move beyond individualism” in their practice?

Supporting Research

Primary

Expanding beyond individualism: Engaging critical perspectives on occupation

Additional

Contact Hours (CEUs/PDUs)

1 Contact Hour. Released online from Aurora, NE.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed our courses to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the U.S.), check out OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and don't see requirements for your specific location on that page, please contact us.

OT Potential courses are presented as live webinars, then released on-demand video and audio via the OT Potential Podcast. Attendance in the live webinar will be indicated on your certificate. Learn more about how our courses help meet live webinar requirements, and OT CEU requirements overall.

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

AOTA Approved Provider Badge with Course Details

AOTA Details

AOTA Course ID#: 03316
AOTA CEUs Earned: 0.1
AOTA Delivery Format: Distance Learning-Independent
AOTA Category: Foundational Knowledge
AOTA Level: Introductory

NBCOT Details

NBCOT PDUs Earned: 1.25

Instructional Methods, Registration, Special Needs Requests, Cancellation Policy

This course is an independent/self-study course delivered via podcast on one or more of the following platforms: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, & Google Play.

If you need accommodations to take this course, please contact us and we will address your needs on an individual basis.

If we cancel a promoted course, event, live stream, or any other paid CEU offering prior to release, and you subscribe explicitly for said offering, you are eligible for a full refund if you did not complete and earn any other CEU quizzes or certificates during your subscription.

If a live webinar is cancelled that you signed up for, our system will automatically generate an email to you and if possible, we will inform you of the rescheduled date. Our most current webinar schedule will be found here.

Audience / Education Level & Course Completion Requirements

Our target audience is therapy professionals who are looking to learn more about this topic. The educational level is introductory. In order to receive a certificate for this course, you must first participate in the podcast/webinar in its entirety. Then, you will need to take the quiz that will accompany the course and earn 75% or higher. If you pass, a PDF certificate will be made available to you via email and download. Quizzes for live (distance learning–interactive) webinars must be completed within 3 days of completing the webinar.

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.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Adam Cisroe Pearson has no financial interest in this topic to disclose.

Speakers

Adam Pearson

OTD, OTR/L

Dr. Adam Cisroe Pearson is a St. Louis native, raised in a family of educators. He grew up in Normandy, near Ferguson, where the 2014 uprising after the murder of Mike Brown led him to clarify his occupational therapy lens towards broader principles of housing equity and parity. Already engaged in providing occupational therapy services to unhoused individuals at a then-drop-in day shelter called The Bridge, he was hired to direct the development of Garfield Place Apartments, a permanent supportive housing program at Peter & Paul Community Services (PPCS). He hired and led a team of clinicians and support staff to provide services for four years. Recognizing the need to learn more about the intersection of housing, disability, and policy, he then left to work as the strategy and development manager at the Centene Center for Health Transformation at the Washington University Social Policy Institute. In this role he managed the Center’s national research portfolio, facilitated collaboration between the Center and Centene’s National Disability Advisory Council, and assisted on several market-driven studies and initiatives centered on social determinants of health. Dr. Pearson then returned to PPCS as the chief operating officer, where he presently oversees the organization’s seven programs and programmatic staff, strategic planning initiatives, and facilities. He is hoping to channel this work into targeted advocacy for local and national policies that advance affordable housing for everyone who wants it. Outside of his primary day job, Dr. Pearson is an instructor with the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates. He joined early on as the interprofessional coordinator, always interested in working to improve coordination between OTs who are doing the vital justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work. Dr. Pearson is married to a rockstar of a wife, Courtney; and has two children that keep him young, honest, humble, fulfilled, and ultimately exhausted.

Sarah Lyon

OTR/L

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L, is the CEO of OT Potential. Sarah earned her BA from St. Olaf College and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University. Her diverse clinical background spans multiple settings, including critical access, acute trauma, and state inpatient psychiatric hospitals. In 2011, she founded OT Potential to fulfill the industry's need for reliable, high-quality occupational therapy resources and continuing education.

As a recognized content creator, Sarah has collaborated with top healthcare brands like VeryWell Health, WebPT, and MedBridge. She blends her clinical expertise with a talent for creating clear, action-oriented content that empowers practitioners to excel. Passionate about elevating the OT profession, she has been featured on numerous industry podcasts. Sarah ultimately returned to her roots, running OT Potential and raising her family in her hometown of Aurora, Nebraska.