The following is a brief summary of some of the 118 actions taken by the AOTA Representative Assembly (RA) at their April 2007 meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. For more details, contact your representative(s) listed on the RA Roster located in Governance on the AOTA Web site and www.aota.org.
Motions From Members
Motion 5 asked for a moratorium on accrediting entry-level doctoral programs and to limit accreditation to master’s entry-level programs only. After careful consideration of all viewpoints, Motion 5 was defeated.
Motion 1, which asked for an ad hoc committee to review the assumptions of Resolution J (postbaccalaureate master’s entry level), was also defeated. However, a substitute motion for this was adopted charging the President “to form an ad hoc committee consisting of representation from practice, education, ethics, and accreditation to summarize and analyze the impact of two points of entry (masters’ and doctoral) for occupational therapists on the future of the profession and the clients we serve.”
Motion 2 on pre-professional training in early intervention (EI) was defeated but substitute motions were adopted. The motions call for the formation of an ad hoc committee to analyze how educational content prepares OT practitioners in EI, an AOTA staff investigation on state statutes and regulations on EI training requirements, and the conduction of an EI evidence-based literature review by the end of FY09.
Also adopted was Motion 3 to expand the full text availability of AJOT and Motion 4, making more volumes of AJOT available with full text online as a member privilege as well making them available for purchase by nonmember’s entities such as virtual libraries in universities, research centers, and online databases. .
The RA also adopted new business motions on distinguishable currency for visually impaired, universal design, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The motion on a mentoring database was defeated but a mentoring motion on the formation of effective mentoring relationships and self-advocacy was adopted.
Education and Fieldwork
The Commission on Education (COE) papers titled Philosophy of Occupational Education and A Descriptive Review of Occupational Therapy Education were adopted. The RA considered many motions on fieldwork including charging COE to collaborate toward inclusion of a description of model fieldwork in the OT and OTA model curricula; charging COE to develop a proposal for voluntary credentialing program for fieldwork educators; and charging CCCPD to initiate a feasibility study for the development of a specialty certification program for fieldwork educators.
Mental Health
The president was charged to establish an ad hoc committee to establish core competencies for mental health occupational therapy practice. The eight-member committee will include representation from COE, the Commission on Practice (COP), the Mental Health Special Interest Section, the Mental Health Board Certification review panel, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, , and at-large membership (OT, OTA, OT student). There were also charges to implement the preparatory action items outlined in the 2007 Qualified Mental Health Practitioners Ad Hoc report that can be initiated consistent with the AOTA Strategic Plan and within the resources of the Association. The development of a comprehensive, multiyear plan to address the long-term initiatives needed to advance the role of occupational therapy in mental health services and systems will also be undertaken
Societal Issues and Centennial Vision
The new societal statements on Family Caregiving and Stress and Stress Disorders were adopted. The RA Coordinating Council (RACC), the group that develops these statements, was also charged to evaluate how each body of the Assembly relates to and can support the newly adopted six centennial focus areas of (1) Children and Youth (2) Productive Aging (3) Mental Health (4) Work and Industry (5) Health and Wellness and (6) Rehabilitation, Disability, and Participation.
These focus areas will guide the work of the Association in its efforts to support and promote the future of the occupational therapy profession. The RACC was also charged to develop a societal statement on play.
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Proposed language in the Model Practice Act was also approved. The additional language is intended as guidance to state regulators regarding the ability of OTs and OTAs w to retain the use of their professional credentials when not practicing occupational therapy. Additionally, language was reinserted into the 2007 Bylaws to maintain the OTA Director position on the Board. These bylaws were adopted by members at the 2007 AOTA Annual Business Meeting in St. Louis.
Practice
The COP papers entitled Specialized Knowledge and Skills in Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing for Occupational Therapy Practice, Obesity and Occupational Therapy Position Paper were adopted. The president was charged to develop an action plan to implement recommendations from the AOTA Board Task Force on Health and Wellness. The plan should include specific steps and priorities, the identification of actions that can be implemented immediately, and the fiscal implications and timelines for implementation. The RA also approved the development of an “exemplar” series in OT Practice to highlight occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants engaging in “participation”-focused evaluation and intervention across the continuum of rehabilitation and disability.
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