The Real Value of AOTA Membership
Emily Sherman, OTD, OTR/L
If you had asked me why I was a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) while I was in graduate school, I probably would not have given you much of an answer. “It seemed like the right thing to do.” Was I planning on continuing my membership after graduating? Sure, if I had “the right job” that I felt allowed me to pay for it, but I probably was not going to budget for it otherwise. To be honest, I was not fully convinced of the value of membership because I did not fully understand who AOTA was, what the actual benefits were, and why my membership mattered. My AOTA membership took on new meaning when I started my doctoral capstone with AOTA.
I arrived in Bethesda, MD, during a much too hot and humid late September in 2019 (I am originally from Los Angeles and we are a delicate people weather wise). I felt ready enough to tackle my capstone project, which was set in stone months before. Then everything changed. The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) went into effect on October 1st, 2019, and with it came drastic changes to how OT and other allied health services were delivered and reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These changes were meant to improve patient care and reduce administrative burden on providers and organizations. In the days and weeks leading up to the PDPM rollout, most—if not all—skilled nursing facilities and insurance companies assured practitioners and associations like AOTA that no harm would befall practitioners or their patients. After PDPM was implemented, many OTs and OTAs were able to carry on with their duties; a significant number were even glad to have lessened restrictions on things like group therapy. However, several OTs and OTAs were laid off or pressured to discount their clinical judgment in the name of greater profit margins. Like many students, I was confused and concerned. I did not know much about PDPM or the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) that loomed on the horizon. I certainly did not know what this meant for my capstone or my future as a soon-to-be OT.
I was assured by my capstone supervisor that I could continue with my other project as planned. “This is your capstone,” I was told, “Nothing has to change for you.” But as the days went on, it was obvious that everything had changed. AOTA went from business as usual to all hands on deck. AOTA staff were working around the clock, reaching out to practitioners, students, educators, skilled nursing facilities, and other allied health associations to make sure OT practitioners were able to practice at the top of their license and exercise their clinical judgment. I could not sit behind and watch everyone else advocate for my profession without me. I offered to help, and the AOTA team welcomed me with open arms. I helped answer emails from concerned practitioners and OT service recipients, collected data from those negatively impacted by the policy changes, and sat in on phone calls and meetings with key stakeholders. Even as my capstone came to a close, I was allowed to assist in efforts to prepare for PDGM and what was going to be the AOTA 2020 Annual Conference & Expo in Boston. The more I became engaged with AOTA, the more I came to understand the power of OT not only as a profession, but also as a community.
Since 1917, AOTA has served the interests and concerns of the occupational therapy community by upholding its mission to “advance occupational therapy practice, education, and research through standard setting and advocacy on behalf of its members, the profession, and the public.” I learned that even as a student or recent graduate there is a place for you at AOTA. From networking and social engagement opportunities via CommunOT, Twitter, and Instagram, to advocacy initiatives like AOTPAC and Hill Day, and keeping up to date with the latest advances in evidence-based practice and resources through the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), Australian Occupational Therapy Journal (AOTJ), British Journal of Occupational Therapy (BJOT), Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (CJOT), OT Practice Magazine, OT Practice Pulse, OT Student Pulse, and AOTA Alerts, AOTA provides numerous opportunities to get involved and make the most of your membership.
Regardless of how you prefer to get involved, the most important thing to know about AOTA is that YOU ARE AOTA. An association is only as strong, effective, and influential as the members who join and participate. There is a cost to join AOTA, and I cannot in good conscience pretend that the decision I have made for myself will work for those who are struggling. But for me, the cost of not being a member—of not having a seat at the table—is too great to bear. I have seen firsthand how hard AOTA staff and AOTA Board of Directors work, and it is my sincere wish that all students and new graduates also claim your seat at the table and make your voice heard by joining your peers and fellow leaders to be a part of the AOTA community today. If you just aren’t able to do so, I understand, and folks like myself and the rest of the AOTA family will continue to fight for you. Stay safe and stay strong.
Emily Sherman, OTD, OTR/L, is a recent graduate from the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She completed her doctoral capstone at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and is passionate about helping students and new graduates find their voice in the profession. Her professional interests include advancing OT’s role in mental health, and increasing access to OT services through health policy analysis and advocacy.