From the President

Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L

Welcome to a report to keep you informed on past and upcoming legislative issues. Part of you membership dues go to ensure that FOTA as skilled advisement from our lobbying firm on strategies to promote and protect OT in Florida.  FOTA relies on membership support to advocate successfully. More members are needed to increase our ability to influence change.

Guest Blog: Making the Case for Membership

Why Membership Matters by Michael J Steinhauer, OTR, MPH, FAOTA

FOTA and AOTA members know how valuable their associations dollars are to represent their needs with legislators, regulators, accrediting bodies, and external threats to our profession. Both state and national associations address a wide array of topics that impacts on EVERY practice setting, EVERY demographic, EVERY insurance provisions, and EVERY diagnostic category that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants see in their work every day. WOW! This article in part demonstrates the value of your association dollars and calls on every state and national association member to ACTIVELY recruit others in our profession to join.

Think for a moment: do you have auto insurance? Do you have health insurance? Do you insure your possessions in your homes with homeowners or renters insurance? If you own a home you pay for mortgage insurance, right? Do you have individual malpractice liability insurance? Do you have workman’s compensation insurance privately or through your employer? Do you pay for travel insurance sometimes? Do you have life insurance? Do you have flood insurance? Some people have death expenses insurance. Some people have pet health insurance. Right??

From the President: Summer 2018 -- From the FOCUS Newsletter

Hello and Happy Summer!

Pictured Left to Right are our voting board members and President-elect. Cathy Peirce, Ric Carrasco, Douglene Jackson, Tia Hughes, Kathy Frahm, Brent Cheyne, Elise Bloch, Debbie Misrahi, and Kelly Uanino.

President’s Annual Report to the Board

June, 16, 2018

Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L

Invitation to Take Action and Send in Concerns

FOTA representatives had a sit-down question-and-answer session with Florida Medicaid officials in March of 2018. I called in by phone. We had several questions about Medicaid policies regarding both pediatric and adult care issues. After all was said and done, the most striking comment we had to take away from our informative and respectful meeting was this:

“We just haven’t had many complaints about Occupational Therapy and Medicaid….you need to encourage your clients and practitioners to contact Medicaid to raise their concerns. When we have more complaints filed, we can look at our policies and consider what changes need to be made.”

Celebrating National Children's Mental Health Day: May 10th, 2018

 Join the FOTA leadership and membership in acknowledging National Children's Mental Health Day, May 10th, 2018. In service of our FOTA vision to be the respected authority on occupational therapy’s contribution to health and well-being in Florida, we have assembled a humble offering of clinician's resources and supportive information for OTs from across the state to use in service to children's mental health. Our Ad Hoc Committee on School Mental Health is developing further programming to offer to our members in the future, and we are developing policy statements to share with our advocacy team and our Florida legislators. 

FOTA believes in the potential for OT practitioners to impact child well being and provide new and innovative programs to meet the needs of our students in schools across Florida. We believe in the preventative model, nurturing social and emotional learning, and skills for emotional regulation, social skills, and collaborative learning -- all through occupation-based activities. Please take time today, and everyday to nurture the wellness of children in your life and in your practice. See our resources below --an assemblage that is still a work in development.  Take Care!

From The President: Spring FOCUS 2018

Hello FOTA Members! And welcome visitors to the blog, we hope you join us in FOTA, as an OT You Belong!

Guest Blog: On Parkland

Interview with Region 5's Samarra St. Hilaire: On FOTA, Lobbying, and the Presidency, Leadership, Membership, and Professional Growth.

Happy 2018! As we say goodbye to 2017, we can all take account of the highlights, rewards, and challenges of the past year and move forward looking to improve. At FOTA, our commitment is to support you as a member in practice, education, and advocacy in this new year. The FOTA board is working together on developing future leaders in our organization through our Ad Hoc committee on Leadership Development. After last fall’s success with our OTA Leadership course, we plan to offer a continuing education course to select future leaders this spring. Our commitment is to foster and support leadership in FOTA for our success in the future. Your opportunity to be involved includes volunteering for an event, project, or committee, and serving on the FOTA board. The FOTA Elections 2018 will take place in March, where nominations for President-elect and Secretary will open on the website January 22^nd.

A New FOTA President: Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L 

Where are we headed?