HOT PROFESSIONAL ISSUES BEING ADDRESSED BY AOTA

1. HOT PROFESSIONAL ISSUES BEING ADDRESSED BY AOTA Carol H. Gwin, AOTA Staff Emily Pugh, FL AOTA Representative

2. Today’s Outline • Advocacy-Federal and State • Branding-Widely Recognized • Science-Driven Evidence-Based Practice • Occupation-Based Practice • Representative Assembly 2009 Member Motions • How to Support AOTA

3. Centennial Vision

4. Centennial Vision We envision that occupational therapy is: Powerful Widely recognized Science-driven Evidence-based Globally connected Diverse Meeting society's occupational needs

5. Advocacy-Federal Level • Victories achieved in Medicare: • protected OT’s role in relation to provision of wheelchair evaluations • Defeated requirement of RESNA’s ATP • extension of the exceptions process to prevent full implementation of the outpatient cap • assured appropriate local coverage determinations

6. Advocacy • Pushed back proposed Medicare reimbursement limits on outpatient OT care • Successfully amended The College Opportunity and Affordability Act to include occupational therapy in the student loan repayment program • Supported passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equity Act of 2008, to ensure equitable insurance coverage for mental health care

7. Advocacy • Outreach was conducted to the Veterans Administration to promote the full use of occupational therapy within that health care system. • Emphasis has been issues such as low vision, mental health and PTSD. • AOTA Past President, Carolyn Baum, provided testimony to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs

8. Advocacy • “Developing Outpatient Therapy Payment Alternatives.” • AOTA members Nancy Richman, Elizabeth Skidmore and Susan Coppola have been named to the Technical Expert Panel (TEP) for RTI and CMS related to this five year project

9. Advocacy • Consumer • Successful opposition to eliminating Medicaid Rehabilitation Services Option for community mental health centers • Advocate for the Combating Autism Act • Congressional Testimony on PTSD

10. Health Care Reform • As a new President and Congress come into power & health care reform takes center stage, AOTA will: • Increase our lobbying efforts for continued consumer access to OT • Continue our public awareness campaign to help consumers and policy makers appreciate our value

11. Political Advocacy Made Possible Amy Lamb & Penny Moyers Cleveland with Senator Grassley of Iowa AOTPAC at Republican/Democratic Conventions Representative Virginia Fox of North Carolina AOTA Board with Representative Chris Van Hollen of MD

12. Advocacy-State Level • Licensure started in FL • MI just obtained licensure • 48 states now licensed • CO and HI are now targeted

13. Advocacy-Scope of Practice • Athletic Trainers • Orthotists and Prosthetists • Recreational Therapists • Physical Therapists scope@aota.org

14. BRAND-Widely Recognized • A new brand for occupational therapy, “Living Life To Its Fullest,” was unveiled in 2008 based on consumer research. Poster January 19 OTPractice.

15. 2008 Presidential Address

16. Widely Recognized • USA Today: use of Wii in occupational therapy • Los Angeles Times & U.S. News & World Report: occupational therapy career • New York Times: Sensory Processing Disorders • Retirement Living TV: Universal design • Washington Times: Chronic pain • Focus on Healthy Aging: Arthritis • Fine Living TV: Ergonomics • Backpack Awareness Day (35 local newspapers & 40 local TV interviews)

17. Widely Recognized • Consumer Education Monthly Podcast Series: Ergonomics Alzheimer’s Disease Improving U.S. Veterans’ Care • Over 600 Downloads

18. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based AOTA is working to create a National Outcomes Databaseand the development of a patient record and documentation system for occupational therapy services.

19. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based AOTA Practice Guidelines – • Adults with Stroke– published AOTA Press • Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders – external review in process • Clinical Conditions Related to Workers’ Compensation– published “Evidence Byte” • Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease– in process • Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury– in process

20. Science-Driven and Evidence Based Practice AOTA published Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, 2nd edition to create a common language for OT’s to use and for policy makers and consumers to understand. Occupation-Based Practice

21. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based • 24 EVIDENCE BYTES in 1 Minute Update • 6 EVIDENCE PERKS were in OT Practice • Draft evidence-based guidelines accepted by the California Workers’ Compensation Board

22. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based • National Institutes of Health (NIH) – AOTA provided comments for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Strategic Plan; the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee strategic plan of the NIMH; and report language relative to National Institute of Nervous Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). • Outreach to the Veterans Administration to promote use of evidence-based occupational therapy with emphasis on head injury, low vision, mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

23. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based AOTA provided input into the American College of Environmental Medicine’s Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines with the following results. • Clarity on the distinction between occupational therapy and physical therapy. • Description of occupational therapy practitioners as “…trained to recognize both psychological and physical issues that may influence the treatment of back pain.” • Emphasis on occupational therapy as having a greater focus on “cognitive behavioral, occupational, and activity-based approaches.”

24. Science-Driven and Evidence-Based AOTA is working to create a National Outcomes Databaseand the development of a patient record and documentation system for occupational therapy services.

27. Occupation-Based Practice • OBP is inherently client centered allowing choice, influence and power to be shared in the intervention process. • OBP begins with understanding the client’s valued occupations, ends with getting them back into those life activities and infuses occupation into the intervention phase through activity selection, analysis and modification • 2005 AOTA occupation based practice ad hoc report

28. Occupation-Based Therapy • The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process, 2nd Edition • Emphasizes the profession’s focus on occupation • OT strength lies in linking activities to participation within context • Outlines an occupation based OT PROCESS • COP, AOTA 2003 Annual Conference

30. Representative AssemblyAOTA’s Congress • Responsible for setting policy for the profession • 2 Meetings: • February 23-27 • March 30-April10

31. Member Motions • Motion 1-Definition of OT/OTA Roles for the Model Practice Act • Motion 2-COP Create Specialized Knowledge and Skills Oncology Paper • Motion 3-Title Change for OTA’s

32. Member Motions • Motion 4-Develop Model Requirements for Re-Entry/Re-Licensure • Motion 5-Broad Practice Area Representation on Board • Motion 6-Building Diversity in OT

35. Provide Feedback • Emily Pugh epugh@phhp.ufl.edu • Susan Skees Hermes susansshermes@comcast.net • Zoomerang Survey http://www.aota.org/Governance/RA.aspx

38. Be A Member There are currently approximately 38,000 members. There are 140,000 practitioners. We are affected by a down economy which could threaten our great work on the Centennial Vision. You can insulate AOTA from this negative economy.

39. Why be a Member Now? Health care reform is coming and we must be at the table to ensure consumer access to occupational therapy. Occupational therapy must be widely recognized by consumers, the public, and legislators. Occupational therapy must have the science to show its effectiveness.

40. JOIN AOTA! • The value of AOTA membership vastly outweighs the cost. For less than $19 a month—or just 62¢ a day—you get a host of tangible and intangible benefits that support you in practice. • AOTA has not raised dues in years. • AOTA now offers the Easy Pay Option credit card installment plan with payments of just $18.75 per month for occupational therapists and $10.92 for occupational therapy assistants. • Go to WWW.AOTA.ORG/Membership and join today! Or, download the membership application and mail it to AOTA, Attn: Membership, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824. • Enter Priority Code M2M09 and be eligible to enter a drawing for a $300 VISA Gift Card (ends March 1, 2009; drawing on March 15, 2009).

41. SAVE THE DATES! • Houston-April 23-26, 2009 • Orlando-April 29-May 2, 2010

42. Living Life to its Fullest