Celebrating State Leaders at AOTA Inspire 2024
On March 19 and 20, 2024, the Affiliated State Association Presidents (ASAP) convened for their annual meeting at AOTA INSPIRE in Orlando to discuss issues that affect state associations, including advocacy, membership, and financial management.
Each year, ASAP gives awards to state associations that go above and beyond. There were a record number of submissions this year, 41 from 22 states. Lots of wonderful things are going on in all of the states which reflects the hard work and dedication of state associations to the profession of occupational therapy.
This article highlights the submissions of those states who were awarded this year. There are six categories of awards with two winners per category. The winners were as follows:
Membership Growth
The New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Association (NHOTA) implemented some effective strategies to engage students and increase membership. The "Free in 23" promotion aimed at students was a success, resulting in the addition of 150 student members. This initiative not only increased membership numbers, but also aimed to showcase the value the organization provides to students. Students were allowed to become members of NHOTA and attend continuing education events at no cost, including New Hampshire residents going to school in other states. While the true impact on student retention will actually be known in the coming years, NHOTA is actively planning student-focused education and collaborating with universities to promote membership with a commitment to retaining students as they transition into practice as new grads. NHOTA has increased its participation in round tables and surveys, particularly focusing on topics like Medicaid to Schools, in an effort to respond to member needs advocate on behalf of practitioners in New Hampshire. NHOTA is taking significant steps to strengthen its membership base, enhance student engagement, and advocate for the interests of practitioners in the state.
The Mississippi Occupational Therapy Association (MSOTA) has successfully increased their membership over the last three years, with a significant increase (50%) over the previous year. The implementation of two Quality Improvement (QI) studies focusing on recent graduates and pediatric occupational therapists provided valuable insights and served as a foundation for subsequent membership initiatives. The Plus One Initiative introduced at the 2023 Annual MSOTA Conference encouraged current members to actively recruit new members, fostering a sense of ownership and community within the organization. By instilling a sense of collective ownership and responsibility through the "We are MSOTA" culture, the organization is fostering a stronger sense of community and purpose among members. Offering new graduates a progressive membership rate incentivizes early engagement with MSOTA and encourages long-term commitment to the organization. Recognizing the largely rural nature of Mississippi, the establishment of co-district chairs and increased engagement from district chairs empowers local leaders and fosters connections at the grassroots level for MSOTA to effectively reach out to members across the state.
Health Care Reform/Advocacy
The Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) has engaged in over 15 years of advocacy work to finally attain License Mental Health Professional (LMHP) and Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts (LPHA) status. Initially, when OTAC endeavored to be included, the request was declined because the practice act in the state did not speak to occupational therapy’s role in working with people with mental or behavioral health needs. So the first step was going through the legislative process to update the practice act to reflect the work of OTs in mental health. Once that was approved, advocacy resumed through collaborating with the Department of Health Care Services to update a State Plan Amendment. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the amendment officially in December, making it retroactively effective to July 1, 2023.
The Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association (KOTA) has worked hard to impact health care-related legislation in Kentucky and these efforts have led to significant successes, from advocating for the recognition of occupational therapy practitioners as behavioral health practitioners to fighting against state-level anti-DEI legislation. Achievements include expanding billing capabilities for OT services within behavioral health service organizations and securing an accreditation exemption to protect diversity education in OT programs. These achievements demonstrate KOTA’s dedication and effectiveness in promoting the profession of occupational therapy. Furthermore, the leadership of individuals like Camille Skubik-Peplaski and Dale Lynn, as well as the collaborative efforts with organizations like AOTA, have been instrumental in driving these changes forward. The Kentucky Tri-Alliance event organized by KOTA, which brought together students in rehabilitation professions educational programs to engage with legislators and learn about the legislative process, reflects KOTA’s commitment to fostering the next generation of advocates for occupational therapy.
Website/Social Media
The Maine Occupational Therapy Association's (MEOTA) website is a testament to dedication, innovation, and advocacy in the field of occupational therapy. MeOTA's website serves as a virtual gateway to a world of occupational therapy excellence. Seamlessly designed navigation tools ensure that visitors can explore the breadth of resources, events, and advocacy efforts that define MeOTA's mission and impact. With its informative postings, MeOTA's website captivates and educates members on the latest developments in occupational therapy in the state, in New England, and at the federal level. Postings are created to foster a sense of community and to promote collaboration and encourage conversation and knowledge-sharing. MeOTA's website highlights its advocacy efforts to the membership, providing a platform for members to stay informed and engaged in legislative initiatives that shape the future of occupational therapy in Maine. Through action alerts, policy updates, and grassroots advocacy tools, MeOTA empowers its members to become effective advocates for the profession and the clients they serve. MeOTA's website also serves as a hub for professional growth and development, offering a wealth of opportunities for members to expand their knowledge, skills, and networks. From continuing education courses to mentorship programs, MeOTA provides the tools and resources necessary for occupational therapy practitioners to thrive in their practice and advance their careers.
The Idaho Occupational Therapy Association (IOTA) launched a new website in May 2023 and transitioned all current members to the new platform and to the member directory. We created a promotional video to showcase the new website features which we then emailed directly to members and shared via the association’s social media channels to demonstrate the value of the new website and members-only features. Following the initial website launch in May, we gathered more feedback from practitioners and students as to what additional features they would like to see added to the new site. New members-only features that could only be accessed when a member was logged in included access to discount codes for continuing education courses and research participation opportunities. Future ideas include collaboration between Idaho OT and OTA programs and practitioner fieldwork educators to create a listing of sites for both fieldwork opportunities and observation experiences for pre-OT students. To celebrate OT Month 2024, we held a free webinar with IOTA website manager/designer to host and showcase the website’s features in real time, as well as to have additional discussions around its future.
Leadership Development
The Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado (OTAC) has made significant strides in promoting student involvement and leadership development since 2021. These efforts have led to a 65% increase in student membership over the past 16 months, and many former student members now hold leadership positions within OTAC. New policies included conference discounts, free conference attendance for student volunteers, student presentations at conference, reduced membership costs for students, annual donations to each of the student occupational therapy groups in the state (replacing traditional scholarships with broader support), student representation from each school in board meetings with collective voting rights, and the ability to create a free online OTAC directory profile to aid in job searches and networking. As a result, student registrations for Hill Day 2024 increased, former student representatives have been elected to board positions, several current board members began their involvement with OTAC through student projects and mentorships, student-led led capstone projects have contributed to the development of OTAC's educational and advocacy programs, including a pain self-management curriculum, and, for the first time, all 2024 board members applied for their positions voluntarily, without external invitations.
The Iowa Occupational Therapy Association's (IOTA) inaugural "Leadership Workshop" was a significant and successful event. The workshop effectively combined presentations from local occupational therapy leaders with the expertise of a seasoned leadership coach, offering attendees a well-rounded and impactful learning experience. The focus on enhancing the leadership potential of practitioners was particularly relevant, given practitioners’ unique skills in activity analysis and holistic care. The workshop's blend of interactive activities, actionable insights, and practical tools seems to have provided participants with valuable resources to advance their leadership journeys. The opportunity to learn from established leaders within the occupational therapy community and receive personalized coaching added depth to the event, helping attendees to refine their leadership styles and strategies. This kind of initiative not only empowers individual professionals but also strengthens the leadership capacity within the occupational therapy field as a whole.
Continuing Education
The Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) has seen significant growth in its continuing education (CE) program over the past 12 months, aligning with its Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategic Focus Areas. The CE program has been pivotal in driving membership recruitment, retention, and overall satisfaction. In the last five months of 2023, ILOTA strategically used its CE offerings to boost membership by 54.9%, particularly during a licensure renewal year in Illinois. By offering a range of relevant courses and pricing them to incentivize membership, ILOTA made it more cost-effective to join the association than to purchase CE courses individually. Key CE initiatives included:
- required courses in ethics and sexual harassment, implicit bias awareness, dementia training, and therapeutic modalities,
- the CO-OP Approach Comprehensive Workshop,
- leadership development programs,
- evening “ILOTA Live Virtual Events”, and
- the 2024 ILOTA Annual Conference, including an in-person day with 24 optional courses, 30 poster sessions, and 19 courses offered virtually.
These initiatives have not only enhanced the professional development of occupational therapy practitioners but also significantly strengthened ILOTA’s membership base.
The Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) made significant strides in expanding opportunities for professional development and community engagement within the field of occupational therapy. POTA collaborating with AOTA to offer a low vision certification and micro-credential is a noteworthy achievement, especially since it is the first collaboration of its kind at the state level. This initiative could serve as a model for other state associations, enhancing their ability to offer specialized certifications. Additionally, the POTA Commission on Practice has also developed a series called “Communities of Practice: Dialogues and Discussions,” where members of the association are invited to various events focused on disseminating information about specific emerging practices. The events are open conversations to allow members to learn or to voice any advocacy needs in the practice they may have. Thus far, the association has established three communities of practice: low vision, pelvic health, and entrepreneurship and continues to reach out to members to establish more communities.
Thinking Outside the Box
The Texas Occupational Therapy Association’s (TOTA) executive director created the State Association Collaboration Group with 13 state associations participating in information-sharing regarding conferences, membership growth, website management, CE platforms, etc. This group has had two meetings so far and it has already proven to be a successful tool for learning. ASAP leaders often get this type of learning in the annual ASAP meetings and this platform allows for even more collaboration and learning between states throughout the year.
The Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA) partnered with APTA-TN, the state-level physical therapy association, to host the first-ever joint occupational therapy-physical therapy conference in Tennessee. This was an exciting venture for many reasons, including increasing the capacity of the association through lessons learned along the way. Leaders from TNOTA and APTA-TN engaged for over a year to coordinate efforts, and the process involved and impacted more than just CE. We formed a committee with paid staff members from APTA-TN and leaders from each association. It was challenging to coordinate the many schedules and to communicate and get a consensus on various questions and plans. True innovation was seen in the way the partnership was carried over into the content of the conference. Leaders of both organizations developed and delivered the presidential address in concert. Each association’s president highlighted the way their national professional association was formed and milestones in the profession over the years. Practitioners in both professions commented about how they hadn’t realized all the similarities – or the full extent of the distinctions – of occupational therapy and physical therapy from an historical sense. Another innovative part of the conference was the keynote address, “Interdisciplinary Practice: Emma’s Experience with Multiple Sclerosis,” delivered in tandem by a person with multiple sclerosis and the occupational therapy and physical therapy clinicians working with her. The format and the content emphasized the benefits of interprofessional collaboration and shared respect for each other’s professions. Proposals that focused on interdisciplinary partnership and that were applicable to a joint audience were given priority on the conference schedule.
State association leaders receiving awards in person. From left to right: Jason Stark, TOTA President, Christina Daeschner, POTA President, Robin Parrish, MSOTA President, Kim Davis, MEOTA Association President, Linda Crawford, OTAC (CO) President, Danielle Amero, NHOTA President, Sydney Marshman, IOTA (IA) President, and Casey Humphrey, KOTA (KY) President.
State association leaders who won awards and attended the meeting virtually. From left to right: Bryant Edwards, OTAC (CA) President, Megan Doyle, IOTA (ID) President, Stephanie Lancaster, TNOTA President, and Beverly Menninger, ILOTA President.