5 Tips to Get Involved With Your State Association
Julia Kuehn, Saint Francis University
Advocacy is defined as, “public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy,” and it is crucially important within the occupational therapy profession. It is a way to protect the occupational therapy scope of practice, increase awareness of the profession, and improve patient access to occupational therapy services. One way that OT students and new practitioners can advocate is through engagement within state OT associations. These associations work tirelessly to defend the occupational therapy scope of practice within each state, organize trips to Capitol Hill, and meet with state legislators to make the OT voice heard. Here are a few tips for students and new practitioners to get involved:
- Start by talking to your professors. Our professors are excellent resources, with many years of experience in the field. Many have been involved to some extent with their state associations at some point in their career and may be able to offer helpful hints for how to get involved.
- Become a member! One of the best ways that you can be involved is to make sure you have membership—it’s never too early to become a student member and get your voice out there! This helps to increase student representation within the association and gives you the opportunity to make sure your voice is heard among OT colleagues in your state. Becoming a member is typically an easy process you can complete online, and most states have a discounted rate for students.
- Visit your state organization’s website. Not sure where to find yours? Check out AOTA’s handy online tool to connect you with your state OT association.
Most state organizations have a section of their website devoted to their student members. They often provide opportunities to get involved, offer resources, and outline other benefits of state membership: leadership opportunities, discounts at your state’s annual conference, access to resources for research and clinical practice, and many more! Staying in tune with what your state association is up to also helps you know when advocacy events are happening within your state and if any legislative concerns arise.
- Check out your state association’s social media. Each state association incorporates social media (e.g. Facebook) to keep members updated and to encourage conversations. Some state associations have even started to implement mobile apps to make engaging on the state level easier than ever before! You can find out whether your state association has an app by searching their website.
- Talk to your Student OT Association (SOTA) leadership team. Some SOTAs have a position for a state liaison, an individual devoted to communicating with your state association to ensure members are aware of different available opportunities. Reach out to this person, or if your SOTA does not have this position, you can always look into implementing that position for the future!
Engaging at the state level is important for students as we learn about advocacy and develop our advocacy skills. These opportunities provide the chance to network with passionate practitioners and to know that your advocacy will help to influence the future of the profession. There are multiple ways to get involved, and I encourage you to try out as many as possible to further develop your understanding of the profession and the opportunities that await.
Julia Kuehn is a 2nd year MOT student at Saint Francis University, located in the small town of Loretto, Pennsylvania. She served as the president of their Student Occupational Therapy Association for three semesters and was also her school's representative to the Assembly of Student Delegates. Julia is a triplet, loves everything about the city of Pittsburgh, loves going to different professional conferences (she's been to seven in the past year and a half!), and enjoys talking to everyone she meets.