COP Chair-elect candidate position statement
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11" /> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11" /> <link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Debbie\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_filelist.xml" /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style><!-- <! /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} h1 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:1; mso-hyphenate:none; tab-stops:0in; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; letter-spacing:-.1pt; mso-font-kerning:0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:401411933; mso-list-type:simple; mso-list-template-ids:1226052320;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:roman-upper; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; margin-left:.25in; text-indent:-.25in; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold; mso-ansi-font-style:normal;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} > --></style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} --> <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->POSITION STATEMENT <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Strategic goal #2 of the Centennial Vision: Demonstrating and articulating our value to individuals, organizations and communities, articulates one of the largest challenges that the profession faces. Occupational therapy continues with an age-old crisis of identity that is not only manifested in how others understand the profession, but in how we understand it ourselves. The Vision points to a time when OT will be widely known as a profession meeting the occupational needs of society. For this to occur, practitioners must have a unified understanding of how occupational engagement is best used for prevention and treatment of lives impacted or potentially impacted by disease, natural disaster, poor socio-economic conditions and lifestyle choices. For others to embrace the services that we provide, we must ensure that our message is focused, clear and strong.<o:p></o:p>
I have been a consistent voice for the profession for over 10 years and have written, and lectured extensively on the topic of occupation-based treatment particularly with regard to hand therapy. I have served as the PD-SIS hand rehabilitation subsection coordinator, chairperson of the PD-SIS, and now as a Commission on Practice member. These leadership roles have afforded me the opportunity to contribute to various official documents including the OTPF. I am a passionate educator and practitioner who believes in what OT has to offer. Our unique contribution lies in the power of occupation; we must grow beyond the field of health care to demonstrate our value within the community and to society as a whole. As chair-elect of the Commission on Practice, I will work diligently with members to ensure that official documents represent the profession as powerful, science-driven, evidence-based and globally connected--meeting the occupational needs of all within society.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>