PRESIDENT’S CORNER MARY SHOTWELL, PHD, OT/L, FAOTA

GOTA NEWSLETTER JULY 2015

. . .Advoca t ing , A l i gn ing and Advanc ing

Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. OTAs, and Students

PURPOSE

GOTA exists to serve as a resource for members, consumers, practitioners and policy makers related to the practice of occupational therapy in the State of Georgia.

MISSION

• Advocating for the heath of the public

• Aligning practitioners, consumers and other stakeholders

• Advancing the practice of occupational therapy

PUBLISHER Georgia Occupational Therapy Association Executive Office

Editor: Traci Swartz, OTD, OTR/L

Georgia Occupational Therapy Association 1260 Winchester Parkway, SE Suite 205Smyrna, GA 30080-6546 P | 770.435.5910 F | 770.433.2907

Email info@gaota.com Website www.gaota.com

Facebook: GOTA Facebook

Happy Independence Day Month! I have often thought that July should be OT month because we promote independence! While thinking of “inspiration” for this newsletter, I raided the Chocolate Bowl in our office and came across the “Dove” message below:

Engage, Embrace, Enjoy

When you think about OTs and what we do in practice… Don’t we help

people “engage” in the occupations that they want or need to do? Don’t we help our clients “embrace” and adapt or overcome their challenges? And… don’t we promote participation and the ability to “enjoy” life? Perhaps this is why OT continues to be rated (along with our colleagues in PT and SLP) as being one of the top professions that have high job satisfaction. At our university, every time U.S. News & World Report comes out with a new “list” with OT in the top 10 professions, somewhat in jest, I want to say “shhhhh” don’t tell everyone… The privilege of being an OT facilitates high job satisfaction because we help people “Engage, Embrace, and Enjoy” life! So this July, honor the privilege of helping people create “independence day” through your daily work.

Our big news as an association is a transition to help you access our website and our materials in a more “user friendly” manner. We recognize that some of you have challenges with renewing your membership on the website or with filling in the “call for papers” form on our website, so GOTA has signed an agreement with Memberclicks (an Atlanta based company) to manage our website and (in the future) registrations. Hopefully this will enhance our service provision and access to our members. Look for more information in the future as we continue to serve you in our mission to “Align, Advocate, and Advance” by continuing to address our strategic plan and member needs.

We are so excited that my university (Brenau) will be hosting the GOTA conference and we will have not one, but, two keynote speakers. As a special “thank you” to student members, we will have a “student only” event which is a session with Aimee Copeland in which she will talk with students about living with a triple amputation. (You may recall that Aimee is the person who was zip-lining and got Necrotizing Fasciitis, which resulted in a triple amputation). Students must RSVP for this event as space is limited. We hope to see you all at conference in September (18-20th) in Gainesville, GA (which is known as the Poultry Capital of the World, so y’all come Chicken Dance with us!)

1 - President’s Corner

2 - Annual Conference

2 - Awards & Recognitions

3-4 - AOTA RA

4 - SAVE THE DATE - AOTA 2016

5-6 - OT & OTA Program News

7 - SAVE THE DATE - Legislation Day 20168 - Regional Meetings & Events

9 - GOTA Executive Board

9 - Upcoming Meetings & Events

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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AWARDS FOR 2015: The Nominations and Recognitions

Committee would like to remind everyone that the 4 Award categories: Barbara E. Grant Award of Merit, Outstanding Occupational Therapy Practitioner of the Year, Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student of the Year and the Service Commendation Award are kept posted on the GOTA website at www.gaota.com Nominations for these award categories will be accepted all year long. You do not need to wait until September to nominate a deserving person.

Click Here to submit a nomination for a deserving colleague!

LINDA STEPHENS SCHOLARSHIP

PURPOSE: The Linda Stephens Scholarship was established to provide assistance to students who are matriculating in an occupational therapy program and demonstrate a commitment to serving the profession of occupational therapy. The financial amount is variable depending upon the availability of funds, which will generally be ½ of the amount in the earmarked fund.

Students applying for the scholarship must meet the following requirements:

• Submit a scholarship application, which includes completed references from two OT practitioners who are GOTA members

• Be a current member of GOTA • Submit a brief essay regarding their lifelong plan for

service to the OT profession • Must not have been a previous recipient of the Linda

Stephens’ Scholarship • Submit all materials by Wednesday, August 19.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS SUZANNE MASINO, OTR/L, NOMINATIONS & RECOGNITIONS CHAIR

GOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & PROFESSIONAL MEETING

Mark your calendar and register now for the GOTA 2015 Annual

Conference & Professional Meeting!

We are in the planning process and are working to provide you

with more dynamic workshops, hands on experience and new

topics and speakers.

Conference Theme: “OT: Catalysts for Change”

Place: Brenau University Gainesville Campus

Featherbone Communiversity

Dates: September 18 - 20

Keynote Speaker: Barbara Schell, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Student Special Event Speaker: Aimee Copeland

In response to your feedback, the program includes more short

courses (2-3 hours) on some of the following hot topics:

• Assistive Technology

• Drivers Training

• Hands/Modalities

• Mental Health

• Neurological/NDT

Registration is Now Open! Exhibit Space & Sponsorship Opportunities are Available!

Visit www.gaota.com to

sign-up and get more information!

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Below is a link to the AOTA webpage which shows the results of our AOTA Spring 2015 RA meeting.

http://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/Get-Involved/RA.aspx

Under News and Other Information, click on the second heading underneath, RA 2015 Spring Meeting for detailed

information on what we voted on.

Here is a quick summary of our actions:

• Motion 1: on License Portability: Adopted as Amended, ad-hoc committee being formed to study issue

• Commission on Continuing Competence and Professional Development (CCCPD)

• Report Guidelines for Re-Entry to Profession: Adopted as Amended

• Ethics Report Update on Code of Ethics: Adopted (2015)

• Motion 2: Military Rep to the RA: Defeated after more information provided including the fact that there are

only 43 OT’s practitioners overseas in the military; 83 total AOTA members who are currently active duty

military personnel

• Motion 3: Delineate role of Case Management for OT in Primary Care and Mental Health: Adopted Amended

Motion, ad-hoc committee forming to study issue

• CCPD Standards of Continued Competency: Adopted as Amended

• Commission on Education (COE) Report : Importance of Inter-professional Education in OT Curricula: Adopted

• COE Report: The Value of OTA Education to the Profession: Adopted

• Motion 4: Assistive Technology and Complex Rehab Technology: Adopted as Amended

Summary of April 16, 2015 RA Meeting:

The Representative Assembly (RA) met on Thursday, April 16, 2015 in Nashville. The Assembly passed motions to

establish two ad hoc groups, one to investigate the merits of establishing a professional license portability for the

occupational therapy profession and a second one to explore opportunities and challenges related to occupational

therapy practitioners as case managers in existing and emerging practice areas with recommendations for strategies to

support practitioners who perform case management functions as a major component of their work. In addition, a

motion to adopt a resolution that AOTA supports access to and funding for appropriate assistive technology provision

to meet patient/client needs and that occupational therapy practitioners should be recognized and paid for providing

clinical services related to complex rehabilitation technology. A motion to add a military representative to the RA was

defeated. The following official documents were also adopted: The Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2015)

Standards for Continuing Competence (with minor edit) Guidelines for Re-Entry into the Field of Occupational Therapy

(with minor edit) The Importance of Inter-professional Education in Occupational Therapy Curricula The Value of the

OTA Education to the Profession View all AOTA official documents. - See more at:

http://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/Get-Involved/RA/summary-nashville-2015.aspx#sthash.7HlYNL6W.dpuf

NOTES FROM THE SPRING AOTA RA MEETING IN NASHVILLE AUDREY GARGIULLO, MS, OTR/L, GEORGIA REPRESENTATIVE TO RA

You can also access by logging into AOTA, select About AOTA, then Volunteer Leadership, then Representative Assembly.

On the same AOTA page you will also find RA Changes from Nashville, which goes to the actual documents/motions we approved with changes we made before approval marked.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS: Discussions continue about the proposed entry level OTD. Information can be found on the AOTA website searching on Entry Level OTD. Here are some links to more information about the on the AOTA Board of Directors Position for Entry Level OTD starting with a link to the original board statement: http://www.aota.org/aboutaota/get-involved/bod/otd-statement.aspx Here is a link to a webinar about the board of directors’ position which is very informative: http://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Educators/Webinar-Board-of-Directors-Position-Statement-on-OT-Entry-Level-Degree.pdf

A link to Pros and Cons for the Entry Level OTD http://www.aota.org/aboutaota/get-involved/bod/otd-pros-cons.aspx

A link to FAQs about AOTA Board of Directors Position Statement on Doctoral-Level Single Point of Entry for Occupational Therapists http://www.aota.org/aboutaota/get-involved/bod/otd-faqs.aspx

2016 AOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOAPRIL 7-10, 2016

SAVE THE DATE

C H I C A G O , I L

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM NEWS

BRENAU UNIVERSITY OT PROGRAM

PAGE 5

Take a moment to check out this video detailing student experiences in a unique Level II Fieldwork opportunity that takes place each year in Merida, Mexico! https://vimeo.com/129003921

Brenau OT launches new interdisciplinary initiative at a new housing community in Gainesville

Brenau OT is so proud of Dr. Wendy Holmes and all of the College of Health Sciences faculty for the successful development of a partnership with Myrtle Terraces. Check out some pictures from the Myrtle Terraces grand opening with key note speaker Lt. Governor Casey Cagle!

Congratulations to Brenau OT student Tamara Harmon on being featured in the piece "Making the Grade: University helps military personnel with higher ed" in the AJC.

The piece talks about her experience at Brenau and discusses

some of the small things, from reduced tuition to help with GI Bill

paperwork and online courses that are part of why we were

ranked No. 12 most military friendly school in the Southeast by

U.S. News and World Report's 2015 Best Schools for Veterans

survey.

Check out the link below for the full story:

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/making-the-grade-university-helps-military-personn/nmpGZ/?utm_content=buffereb875&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

BRENAU UNIVERSITY OT PROGRAM

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Military OT and RD Discuss Their Expanded Role in the Army On Friday and Saturday March 20 and 21, Brenau School of Occupational Therapy hosted presentations from Capt. Lori Maggoni, and Capt. Yao Yao Zhu, a 2008 graduate of Brenau's OT program. Both women discussed the role of Occupational Therapy in the U.S. Army, where OTs serve a combat role dealing with mental health, and orthopedic and brain injuries. Military OTs also help do the work traditionally done by physicians; ordering certain medications and diagnostic tests that their civilian counterparts cannot.

While she attended Brenau, Dr. Mary Shotwell and Dr. Robin Underwood served as mentors to Zhu. After her graduation from the Women's College with her MSOT in 2008, Zhu entered the military and went on to earn a doctorate from Baylor while doing a residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. She was later certified to work with military members who have experienced traumatic brain injuries and was deployed to Afghanistan.

Zhu is currently stationed in the Washington, D.C. area and is serving as a recruiter for the Army Medical Specialist Corps, which consists of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Registered Dietitians and Physician Assistants.

"I think I speak on behalf of the entire university when I say that we are proud of our graduates who are serving or have served in the military" said Professor and Department Chair of North Atlanta/Norcross OT Programs Mary Shotwell, who is herself a former Army

occupational therapist.

Capt. Lori Maggioni is an Army Healthcare Recruiter for the Atlanta area and welcomes any questions. Contact her at (877) 682-8357 / lori.maggioni@goarmy.com.

Pictured: Army Capt. YaoYao Zhu, DScOT, OTR/L, speaks to occupational therapy students on the Norcross campus about working as an OT in the military.

Service member surprises her mom, Debra Cooper, at graduation

For Mother’s Day, ABC-TV national news did a special feature on military service personnel stationed overseas who came home in time to surprise their moms. The broadcast, which aired on the 6:30 p.m. national news Sunday evening, included a segment of Army Staff Sgt. Markita James’ homecoming from Afghanistan early to surprise her mom, Brenau occupational therapy alum Debra Cooper (an OTA), at Brenau commencement.

The “Hallmark moment” segment appears at 1:02 in the video link below!

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/serviceman-pulls-off-ultimate-mothers-day-surprise-30946410?utm_content=bufferacef6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

PAGE 7

GOTA LEGISLATION DAY

SAVE THE DATE

Tuesday, February 9, 20168:00AM - 11:00AM

at the GA Capitol

Membership Survey

As part of our strategic plan, GOTA is conducting a survey of both members and non-members to identify our strengths and opportunities for improvement. We are sending the link below to you in this newsletter, in an email, on the listserv, in the annual conference brochure and on our GOTA Facebook page, because we are trying to reach current and former members, as well as potential new members.

Once you fill out the survey for yourself, please share the link with other members and non-members as all opinions are welcome. We are trying to best serve members’ needs, to retain members, gain new members, and to understand other competing interests for members. Apologies for “over-communicating” about this survey but we would like maximum participation in the survey! Thanks in advance for your participation:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GOTAmembershipsurvey

Marco Coelho and the Membership Committee

GOTA MEMBERSHIP NEWS

DATE MEETING

September 15 OTA Level II Collaborative Goals

November 10 The CareTool

GOTA East Region 2015 Calendar:

PAGE 8

On May 19th, Nicole Walker, MS OTR/L,

Walker Therapy Services, Inc.. presented

“OT & Politics: Why should I care?" at

the North GA Regional meeting, held at

Brenau University, Gainesville, GA. OT

students and OT practitioners from the

North GA. Region were briefed on

history of GOTA.   Highlights from Ms.

Walker’s presentation included legislation

associated with OT and OT practice over the years, agencies

associated with OT practice and how their rules and regulations

affect OT, the accomplishments of GOTA, and relevance of GOTA

membership.

NORTH REGION M. IRMA ALVARADO, PHD, OTR/L

REGIONAL REPORTS & EVENTS

For more information on what’s happening in

your region, click here.

EAST REGION BARBARA BANNING, M.ED, OTR/L

PAGE 9

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

GOTA Board Meeting - August 15, 2015 - Conference Call

2015 GOTA Annual Conference & Professional Meeting - September 18-20, 2015 - Gainesville, GA

GOTA Budget Meeting - November 19, 2015 - Virtual

UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

2015 GOTA EXECUTIVE BOARD

President* Mary P. Shotwell, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Vice President* & Bylaws Committee Chair M. Irma Alvarado, PhD, OTR/L

Treasurer* Paulette F. Bell, MA, OTR/L

Secretary* & Conference Co-Chair Kimberly Stoops, MS, OTR/L

AOTA RA Audrey Gargiullo, MS, OTR/L

Conference Co-Chair Annette Russell Farmer, OTR/L, C/NDT

Communications Chair Erin Brennan, MS, OTR/L

Ethics Co-Chair Amy Bryant, OTR/L

Ethics Co-Chair Pamela Reddick-Collins, OTR/L

Membership Chair Marco Coelho, MS, OTR/L, CPAM

Newsletter Chair Traci Swartz, OTD, OTR/L

Regulatory & Reimbursement Karen Bittick-Nelson, OTR/L

Regional Chair, Atlanta* Angela D. Matthiessen, OTR/L

Regional Chair, East* Barbara J. Banning, M.Ed., OTR/L

Regional Chair, Middle* Rebecca Humphreys, MS, OTR/L

Regional Chair, North* Jennifer Deslich, MS, OTR/L

Regional Chair, South* Tonya Curles, COTA/L

Nominations & Recognitions Chair Suzanne Masino, OTR/L

Continuing Education Approval Chair Smitty Eason, OTR/L

GOTA Listserv Helene Smith-Gabai, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR OT PAG Chair Nicole Walker, MS, OTR/L

Education Liaison Kathy Foley, PhD, OTR/L

OTA Liaison LaDonna Nash, COTA/L

* indicates a voting member

Georgia Occupational Therapy Association

1260 Winchester Pkwy SE

Suite 205

Smyrna, GA 30080-6546

info@gaota.com

P: (770) 435-5910 F: (770) 433-2907

Stay Connected:

Submissions for the next Newsletter are

welcome and to be directed to Traci Swartz

at tswartzot@yahoo.com