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FOTA OT MONTHApril is OT Month
Celebrate & Promote Occupational Therapy 

As an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, you are part of a vitally important profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. Your holistic and customized approach to evaluations, interventions, and outcomes help a child with disabilities participate in school and in social situations, assist a person recovering from injuries to regain skills, aid an older adult to stay as independent as possible, and offer the specialized support and services to people of all ages and in all circumstances that only occupational therapy can provide. 
  • Take part in our FOTA Connect Series. Join us each Wednesday at 7pm for informative and relevant sessions & receive a free ce too!
  • Do our FOTA TikToK Challenge: 
    Lets see your creativity! Create a tiktok video and include the following hashtags: #FOTAchallenge #FOTAfunandinformative #FOTAOTMONTH  
    The goal would be to get the most views by making a fun and informative TikTok video about FOTA. The challenge can take place over OT Month. Winner receives a $50 gift card. 
  • Share your OT Photos on Social Media and use the hashtags: #FOTAOTMONTH to help promote our profession. 
FOTA CONNECT SESSIONS (click session title to view description/outline/speaker info)
TikTok Challenge

Fun and Informative FOTA Student TikTok Challenge

To celebrate 2021 OT month, we have created a fun and informative student TikTok challenge to spread awareness of the benefits of being a FOTA member! To participate, post a TikTok about FOTA with the hashtags #FOTA​, #FOTAChallenge​, and #FOTAOTMonth​ and tag @fotastudent in the video. The participant with the most views will receive a $50 gift card! Lastly, have fun with it and share your passion for occupational therapy! Can't wait to see everyone's creativity! Happy OT Month!
https://www.tiktok.com/@fotastudent​

 

FOTA Connect: Advocacy and the Occupational Therapy Profession

● Program Length  60 minutes
▪ 50-55 minute interview presentation
▪ 5 minutes questions and answers

● Course Speaker

  • Moderator: Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; FOTA President
  • Speaker: Sharon Rosenberg, MSOT, OTR/L; FOTA Governmental Affairs Co-Chair
  • Speaker: Carlos Martoral, OTD, JD; FOTA Governmental Affairs Co-Chair

● Speaker Bio

  • Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS has served in leadership roles in the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Florida Occupational Therapy Association, and Autism Society. She holds a PhD in SpecialEducation in Early Childhood, Masters in Occupational Therapy, Bachelors in Rehabilitation Services with a concentration in counseling, Diploma in Massage Therapy, and various professional certifications, including assistive technology, telehealth, sensory integration, and health and wellness. Dr. Jackson has 20+ years of experience in the rehabilitation field, primarily with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan in schools, hospitals, clinics, and community-based settings. She has worked in academia and is an experienced researcher, having written grants and been awarded funding. Her research interests include health and educational disparities, social equity, autism, early childhood, telehealth, and assistive technology. Dr. Jackson provides consultation, professional development, individual and group therapy, and advocacy services through her practice: GIFTS Institute, LLC.
  • Sharon Rosenburg, MSOT, OTR/L graduated from FAMU with her MSOT in 2011. She has worked as a Hand Therapist in the outpatient setting in Tallahassee, Fl. since graduating and has also worked full time in the inpatient rehab setting. Sharon moved to Gainesville, Fl in 2019 and is now Director of OT for a small outpatient Physical Therapy and Wellness clinic. Sharon got involved with FOTA GA and advocacy in 2014 and continues to work hard protecting and advocating for our profession in the state of Florida as FOTA GA Co-coordinator. Sharon volunteers in her community serving women and children as an active member of the Junior League since 2011. She is married, has two young boys, and loves to travel and spend time outdoors with her family and friends.
  • Carlos Martoral:  As both an Occupational Therapist and Attorney, Dr. Martoral has helped advocate for thousands of individuals and businesses in Florida over the past 20 years. He is co-chair of the Florida Occupational Therapy Association's Government Affairs Committee. While serving as an adjunct & mentor for students and clinicians throughout the state, he also serves as an advisor for educational programs. In 2019 he earned his Board Certification in Gerontology from the American Occupational Therapy Association; the first OT in Florida to enjoy the title. Carlos believes education should be free and that self-directed learning is key to occupational mastery. 

● Course Description: This will be an interactive session where advocacy in relation to occupational therapy practice will be discussed. Participants will join FOTA Connect for an informational session and allowed to ask questions throughout and at the end! Our Government Affairs Committee will provide an overview of advocacy and an update on current initiatives important to occupational therapy and professional practice in Florida.

● Course Objective

  • Discuss advocacy as it relates to occupational therapy
  • Provide an overview of occupational therapy practice and current state governmental affairs
  • Discuss practical solutions for promoting advocacy led by the association, practitioners, and students

● Course Outline

  • Introduction
  • Sharing of role in FOTA and importance to professional practice
  • Discussion on advocacy related to occupational therapy practice
  • Questions and answers

4/14: SIS Session-Sensory Integration &  Dev. Disabilities

● Program Length 60 minutes
▪ 50-55 minute interview presentation
▪ 5 minutes questions and answers 

● Course Speaker(s)

  • Moderator: Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; FOTA President
  • Speaker: Gustavo Reinoso, Ph.D., OTR/L; FOTA Sensory Integration SIS Chair
  • Speaker: Joanne Flanagan, ScD, OTR/L; FOTA Developmental Disabilities SIS Co-Chair
  • Speaker: Jennifer Martinc, OTD, OTR/L; FOTA Developmental Disabilities SIS Co-Chair

● Speaker Bio

  • Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS has served in leadership roles in the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Florida Occupational Therapy Association, and Autism Society. She holds a PhD in Special Education in Early Childhood, Masters in Occupational Therapy, Bachelors in Rehabilitation Services with a concentration in counseling, Diploma in Massage Therapy, and various professional certifications, including assistive technology, telehealth, sensory integration, and health and wellness. Dr. Jackson has 20+ years of experience in the rehabilitation field, primarily with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan in schools, hospitals, clinics, and community-based settings. She has worked in academia and is an experienced researcher, having written grants and been awarded funding. Her research interests include health and educational disparities, social equity, autism, early childhood, telehealth, and assistive technology. Dr. Jackson provides consultation, professional development, individual and group therapy, and advocacy services through her practice: GIFTS Institute, LLC.
  • Gustavo Reinoso, Ph.D., OTR/L is an Associate Professor at the NSU Department of Occupational Therapy. He has been a clinician for over 25 years assessing and treating children and youth with disabilities in a variety of government, private practices, schools, university, and community settings. He has authored and co-authored several publications and regularly presents his works internationally. He is an expert in sensory processing and integration and regularly delivers education and services to clinicians and families in Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. His research interests include sensory integration and processing, autism, children and youth, measurement and statistics, disability studies, and the development of assessment tools.
  • Dr. Flanagan is an Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Nova Southeastern University. Prior to coming to NSU, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She has extensive clinical and research experience working with children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute, the STAR Institute and the National Institutes of Health. She received her Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M University, her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Washington University, and her Doctor of Science degree in Occupational Science at Towson University. Her research interests are early identification of autism, play behaviors and movement in infants at risk for autism, and development of infant screening tools. Dr. Flanagan has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at regional, national, and international conferences on her research.
  • Jennifer Martinc (bio tba)
● Course Description: This will be an interactive session where sensory integration and processing in relation to occupational therapy practice will be discussed. Participants will join FOTA SIS Chairs in an informational session to learn about advances in sensory integration and processing, being allowed to ask questions throughout. The presenters will share their knowledge and expertise as they discuss best practice and recent updates related to sensory integration and processing.

● Course Objective

  • Discuss advances in sensory integration and processing assessment and intervention as it relates to occupational therapy practice
  • Provide an overview of evidence-based practice regarding sensory integration and processing
  • Discuss professional resources related to sensory integration and processing for occupational therapy practitioners

● Course Outline

  • Introduction
  • Sharing of role in FOTA and importance to professional practice
  • Discussion regarding updates to professional practice related to sensory
  • integration and processing
  • Questions and answers
4/21: FOTA Connect: Ethics and Occupational Therapy Practice

Program Length 60 minutes
▪ 50-55 minute interview presentation
▪ 5 minutes questions and answers

● Course Speaker

  • Moderator: Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; FOTA President
  • Speaker: Michael Steinhauer, BS, OTR/L, MPH, FAOTA; FOTA Administration SIS Chair

● Speaker Bio

  • Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS has served in leadership roles in the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Florida Occupational Therapy Association, and Autism Society. She holds a PhD in Special Education in Early Childhood, Masters in Occupational Therapy, Bachelors in Rehabilitation Services with a concentration in counseling, Diploma in Massage Therapy, and various professional certifications, including assistive technology, telehealth, sensory integration, and health and wellness. Dr. Jackson has 20+ years of experience in the rehabilitation field, primarily with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan in schools, hospitals, clinics, and community-based settings. She has worked in academia and is an experienced researcher, having written grants and been awarded funding. Her research interests include health and educational disparities, social equity, autism, early childhood, telehealth, and assistive technology. Dr. Jackson provides consultation, professional development, individual and group therapy, and advocacy services through her practice: GIFTS Institute, LLC.
  • Michael J. Steinhauer began his 30+ year health care career with a clinical background, as a Registered Occupational Therapist. He later attended Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and was awarded a Masters in Public Health. Over these years, Mr. Steinhauer has owned and operated his own home health agency and served as a national association executive in that industry. He is a previous Wisconsin state OT association Executive Director and registered lobbyist, having brought licensure to the OT profession in Wisconsin. Following his OT career, Michael was the state public official for the regulation of all Wisconsin nursing homes, and later served as a Wisconsin county Public Health Officer and Health Department Director. Mr. Steinhauer is the immediate past Emergency Planning Coordinator for Dane County Emergency Management. He is the author of the City of Madison Emergency Management Plan. He was awarded the University of Phoenix Outstanding Faculty of the Year in 2014 and is an avid camper, soccer official, drummer, and student of the Beatles.

● Course Description: This will be an interactive session where ethics in relation to occupational therapy practice will be discussed. Participants will join FOTA Connect for a live informational session and allowed to ask questions throughout and at the end! The American Occupational Therapy Association’s updated Code of Ethics (2020) will be discussed, highlighting new information pertinent to occupational therapy practice.

● Course Objective

  • Discuss ethics as it relates to occupational therapy
  • Provide an overview of the The American Occupational Therapy Association’s updated Code of Ethics (2020)
  • Discuss application and implications of the code of ethics related to professional practice

● Course Outline

  • Introduction
  • Sharing of role in FOTA and importance to professional practice
  • Discussion on ethics related to the updated AOTA Code of Ethics (2020)
  • Questions and answers
4/28: FOTA Connect: Moving Forward - Navigating Your Finances Through the Pandemic

Program Length: 1 hr 7pm-8pm
Course Speakers: Josh Meyer, FSCP®,

Speaker Bio:
Josh Meyer is a Financial Services Certified Professional® with over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He focuses on working with members of the occupational and physical therapy professions. Josh specializes in helping his clients through his unique goals-based process which enables them to strategically pursue the lifestyle they desire now, and during retirement. He also works with practice owners to help them protect their business and employees from unexpected financial challenges.

Course Description: This course is intended to provide OT’s with practical ideas on how they can make adjustments to their personal finances without sacrificing the safety and security they desire so they can focus on their primary role of caring for patients. It will also provide summary and clarification on how them may be impacted by the CARES Act and how their businesses may benefit from PPP loans. Lastly it will provide recommendations on how to protect personal and business finances from the next unexpected event.

Course Objectives:
To explain to OT’s new financial considerations brought on by the current Pandemic: -Back to the basics – Fundamentals i.e. Managing Cash Flow, Reducing Expenses, Creating a Debt Strategy, Liquidity, Income Protection, Family Protection-The CARES Act – Overview, Impact on Student Loans, Borrowing from Qualified Accounts, PPP Loans for businesses-Moving Forward – How to use recent events as an opportunity to strengthen your finances, ensuring you’re prepared for unexpected future events, What have we learned?-Macroeconomic Outlook – What is the expectation for the U.S. economy and what are the most likely long term impacts on the U.S. economy

Course Outline:
What has the pandemic taught us about our finances? Back to the BasicsReducing Expenses - Ways to Reduce insurance costs, non-essential spending Cash flow management Importance of Emergency AccountIncome Protection – Ways to SaveLife Insurance – Reduce premiums without reducing coverage Saving Money in Accessible Accounts CARES Act Huge Debt Reduction Opportunity Impact on Loan Forgiveness Borrowing from Retirement Accounts (Good News, Bad News ) PPP Loans Moving Forward - How we can use this as an opportunity - Increased focus on spending will increase efficiency, create strong habits - Importance of a strong network - jobs, overall happinessConcerned about market volatility?  Protect your downsideWorried about future income tax rates? Create Tax-Free Income Long Term Outlook of US Economic ConditionsSummary:

This presentation will be designed to educate occupational therapy professionals on how to manage their finances in the face of the pandemic so they can continue supporting their patients and the profession that they are so passionate about. It will offer possible adjustments that can be made if they find themselves struggling. A review of basic financial fundamentals will be reviewed which are an integral part of making it through financial uncertainty and challenging situations. The CARES Act will be discussed in depth with special attention on how student loan debt is affected, potential borrowing opportunities from qualified accounts and how to maximize the impact of PPP loan availability. Finally, an overview of the Macroeconomic environment and the most prevailing assumptions regarding the U.S. economic outlook and potential implications will be considered.

 
 


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