Celebrating World OT Day and Envisioning our Future as We Strengthen our Connections
World Federation of Occupational Therapy 2021 Theme - image of multi-colored blocks of various shapes and sizes fitting together with the words, “Belong. Be You.” “World Occupational Therapy Day 27th October 2021”
OT— what do those letters mean to you? Over Time? Off Topic? Offensive Tackle? Occupational Therapy?
By next year, we hope that OT is not only most commonly known as occupational therapy but that thousands of fellow citizens understand the role occupational therapy has to play in serving our communities.
In five years— we envision including occupational therapy professionals as essential community partners who help build, restore, reconnect, and reimagine what is possible in how we live our day to day lives. We believe occupational therapy knowledge has the ability to show up in so many different ways in our society and we look forward to being part of bringing that vision to fruition. By continuing to build those relationships and connections, everyday citizens will also be able to spot when to call upon occupational therapy professionals as a resource and will be as commonly accessed as barbershops/stylists and coffee shops.
The roads to that future require connection building today. It takes many of us connecting in a myriad of ways to build the structures and relationships necessary to find our way to paths that honor our shared humanity and reality that we all impact one another.
We are here at Solidago Ventures and Consulting, to be among the bridge builders to make that vision a reality, and help lift up how all of us can play our parts in doing so.
At Solidago, our primary focus is on being whole, the collective, and the variety of combinations of teams that make our next steps possible. We are thankful for those who have paved the way so far and look forward to working with those blazing trails for the future.
There are so many people who inspire, guide and influence us, so on this world OT today we would like to share a few of those occupational therapy professional voices with you and invite you to share additional voices that inspire you below.
YouTube:
SHO the OT-- Focus areas include the student and new grad experience, BIPOC representation, and advocacy for the OT profession. Her videos are a lifeline for students and new graduates, offering insight into fieldwork experiences, exam preparation, and making the transition from student to new grad. Her insights into the need for BIPOC representation are valuable and necessary conversations, no matter where you are at in your OT career.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSjhB6hM8MRIFgq3ej3aVCw
Blog:
MOTivate Minds OT is a blog and website that focuses on mental and emotional well-being through the lens of occupation. We appreciate the variety of resources offered for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge related to mental health practice as an OT professional and also for reminding us of the importance to attend to our own mental and emotional well-being. If you are feeling unsure of how to incorporate mental health into your OT practice or want to brush up your knowledge in this area-- this provides a brief overview of assessments, treatment ideas, and resources to look into.
Instagram:
ot.outside.the.box
This instagram account offers fun, fast, and easy tips for pediatric occupational therapy sessions-- just as the name implies-- OT outside the box. He offers tips on OT advocacy, self-care and our personal favorite, particularly for students and new graduates-- is Therapy Toy Tuesday where different toys are showcased and their possibilities for intervention ideas are explained. He also offers videos on male representation in the OT profession.
https://www.instagram.com/ot.outside.the.box/?hl=en
These are just a few of the OT resources we appreciate and recommend. Who else would you add to this start of a list?
