Earlier this month, I attended the National Diversity Forum sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. The forum was held in conjunction with the “Add Us In” Initiative spearheaded by Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez. You may recall I blogged about this initiative and occupational therapy’s involvement in it a few months ago. This initiative seeks to “identify and develop innovative strategies and models that increase the capacity of targeted small businesses to improve job opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities.” The kinds of targeted businesses include those owned and operated by minorities, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) individuals, women, veterans and people with disabilities. I learned at the forum about how key elements of disability hiring differ for large and small businesses, how the benefits of diversity hiring can be better promoted, and how education and employment systems can be better coordinated.
I also was able to network with folks who are particularly effective in creating change and realizing the goals of the initiative. There was one group represented that I think is awesome—Homeboy Industries (www.homeboy-industries.org). This small business, founded decades ago and based in Los Angeles, is the world’s foremost gang-intervention organization. It has put hundreds of previously gang-affiliated individuals back to work. The organization initially made bakery items, and now has established a Homegirls Café, Homeboy Silkscreen and Embroidery, Homeboy Farmer’s Markets, and so on. (My husband John and I regularly buy Homeboy salsa and chips, which are fantastic!)
What does gang intervention have to do with occupational therapy? For the past three years, my colleagues and I have been conducting a community-based, randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of Lifestyle Redesign® provided by occupational therapists in reducing the incidence of medically serious pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injury. The leading cause of spinal cord injury in Los Angeles is a gunshot wound—and a majority of individuals with spinal cord injuries are, or have previously been, affiliated with a gang. So on both personal and professional levels, I am pleased that Homeboy Industries continues to be successful in achieving its mission.
The overlap in the expertise of Homeboy Industries and the key concerns of occupational therapy create wonderful synergies. Now, with the “Add Us In” Initiative, occupational therapists will be part of a consortium with Homeboy Industries and other private and public agencies. Together, we will develop a national model for creating diversity employment. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the value that’s added when occupational therapy is included on teams that are judged by the outcomes they produce. I am thrilled we are at the table!
Last week I had the opportunity to visit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. And was I impressed! Even though I have been a member of the occupational therapy profession for 41 years, I had no idea that the Center’s many occupational therapists are fully engaged in cutting-edge research on a daily basis. For example, Rebecca Parks, who began working with children 20 years ago, was a key contributor to the development of the widely used Brief Assessment of Motor Function, Sue Robertson has been working on studies of the impact of ovarian insufficiency on quality of life, Terry Nguyen has been studying low vision issues, and Hanna Hildebrand has been engaged in research on the developmental progression in children with rare genetic disorders. Although all of these therapists carry clinical loads, everyone is involved in a research protocol. And under the leadership of Chief of Occupational Therapy Bonnie C. Hodsdon, OTR/L, the entire Department exemplifies a community of practitioner-scientists.
Now, I know that most of us are typically too burdened in our work settings to be able to be engaged in research protocols to this extent. It seems to me there were five factors that accounted for this success story:
1) The entire NIH Clinical Center has as its main purpose to provide researchers with a “shovel ready” clinical arm for implementing research proposals. Occupational therapists are key players in its infrastructure.
2) The Chief of Occupational Therapy, Bonnie Hodsdon, is a terrific leader who totally supports the research activities of the therapists she supervises.
3) One occupational therapist, Fran Oakley, OTR, has risen to assume a major leadership role in the NIH Rehabilitation Medicine Department Scientific Review Process and, therefore, can mentor others.
4) The occupational therapists on staff are hard working and genuinely committed to doing research. (I imagine this is why they sought out NIH positions.)
5) These occupational therapists have been able to demonstrate the unique contributions to the research enterprise that they can make in addressing a wide range of health concerns. Because of this success, they are clearly sought after for their expertise in functional and quality-of-life outcomes measurement and for their holistic perspective on well-being.
We can all be very proud of the work of our fellow practitioners at this facility, and I really wanted those who read my blog to know about this precious island of expertise in our profession. As an aside, I was delighted to be able to share the findings of the Well Elderly Research Program with the entire Rehabilitation Medicine Department during my visit.