AOTA's Occupational Therapy Channel

On today's episode we speak with Ariel Schwartz, Micah Peace Urquilla, Nikola Davern, Alix Herer, Jesse, and Dheva about their research and experiences with peer mentorship for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. They share perspectives and recommendations to encourage stakeholder participation and leadership in the development and app...

On today's episode we speak with early AI adopters Vijay Muni and Jayson Davies who recently presented a webinar titled Integrating Artificial Intelligence into OT Practice. Their webinar outlines how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance occupational therapy services and today they share helpful AI resources and techniques to help the practitioner streamline care.  Resources: Webinar Cha...

On today's episode we are joined by Kristie Patten, Stephen Shore, and Kavitha Murthi. We discuss their research and work in contributing to the soon to be published Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Autistic Individuals across the lifespan. They give recommendations on how to improve the OT process when working with Autistic individuals, conduct inclusive and meaningful research, and d...

The Current Procedural Terminology 2024 code, that is effective as of January 1, 2024, includes a new subsection containing three new codes related to caregiver training without the patient present. On today's episode we speak with AOTA's incoming Executive Director Katie Jordan about the changes and implications for billing and coding practices.  The 2024 AOTA Podcast episodes are sponsored by NY...

On today's episode we are joined by Ganesh Babulal and Sarah Brzeszkiewicz. We discuss their work and research related to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into OT Practice. They give recommendations on how to use artificial intelligence to enhance occupational therapy services for clients and provide examples and summaries of how AI can be applied to older adults. Please help AOTA improve...

On today's episode we speak with Christine Urish about Mental Health First Aid. Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or...

On today's episode we are joined by assistant professor and director of the Disability and WELLness laboratory at the University of MInnesota, Emily Kringle. We discuss her work on developing the ABLE and duoABLE projects, which are behavioral activation-based interventions aimed to reduce post-stroke sedentary behavior through engagement in meaningful daily activities.  Please help AOTA improve i...

Today we are joined by three founders of the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus (NBOTC), Dr. Joyce Lane, Ms. Jerry Bentley, and Dr. Lela Llorens, and the current NBOTC President, Dr. Riqiea Kitchens. Also joining us in the interview is Varleisha Lyons, VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Access, and Belonging at AOTA. Our guests reflect on their experiences in occupational therapy...

On today's episode I speak with Mark Hardison about OT and eating disorders. He details a 2023 intervention research grant for “Assessing the Feasibility of the Restorative Occupational Approaches for Disordered Eating” (ROADE) Program. For more information about Mark's ongoing research contact mhardison@salud.unm.edu    UCLA MARC Free Guided Meditations: https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/marc/f...

Today's episode is sponsored by NYU Steinhardt’s top-ranked Department of Occupational Therapy. We speak with Maribeth Clifton, occupational therapist and professor at University of Nebraska Medical Center. She shares details about her AOTA INSPIRE short course as we discuss stress, trauma, occupational performance, and provide recommendations on how to address mental health and community health a...

Today I am joined by Mary Beth Bruder, Professor of Public Health Sciences and Health Promotion, Pediatrics, and Educational Psychology at UConn and The director of Evidence Based Practice at AOTA, Susan Cahill. We discuss Early Childhood Intervention, comprehensive systems of personnel development, and best practices for interdisciplinary care.  Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts and the tran...

On today's episode we speak with Leslie Bennett, the Chairperson of the Ethics Commission at AOTA. We discuss medical ethics, common red flags practitioners can keep an eye out for, and outline real life scenarios and recommendations to facilitate ethical awareness and practice.  Become an AOTA member today:  aota.org/membership Additional Resources: Code of Ethics:  https://research.aota.org/ajot...

On today's episode we speak with Stacy Smallfield and Liz Metzger who co-authored the Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Adults Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Neurocognitive Disorders. We discuss the research, case studies, and clinical recommendations included in the practice guidelines and they provide tips, tricks, and recommendations to help all practitioners enhance the...

On today's episode we speak with American International College Professor and CDC Act Early Ambassador, Kate Barlow. We discuss the importance of occupational therapy in public health and how practitioners can increase their scope and have a larger role in public health initiatives.  Become an AOTA member today:  aota.org/membership Additional Resources: Massachusetts Act Early:  https://www.maact...

On today's episode we speak with Beth Pyatak and Elissa Lee who co-edited a book in the 50 studies every doctor should know series “50 Studies Every Occupational Therapist Should Know”. We discuss seminal research included in the book and they provide tips, tricks, and recommendations to help all practitioners find, consume, and apply evidence to practice.  Access a FREE chapter for listening to o...

On today's episode we speak with the Chairperson of the Volunteer Leadership Development Committee (VLDC), Moira P. Bushell. She describes the role of VLDC and outlines how volunteering with AOTA can enhance knowledge, practice, and community.  Additional resources: Get Involved:  https://www.aota.org/community/get-involved Volunteer Groups:  https://www.aota.org/community/volunteer-groups Volunte...

On today's episode we speak with Hannah Oldenburg and Jennifer Bergstrom, the founders of the Journal of Acute Care Occupational Therapy. They share the story of starting the journal and provide recommendations for practitioners to consume and apply evidence to enhance their practice.  Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts and the translation of research to practice and receive your contact hour...

On today's episode we speak with the Executive Director of Memory Care Home Solutions Jill Cigliana, and Scott Trudeau, the Director of Practice Engagement at AOTA. They outline the Guiding an improved Dementia Exerpeience Model (GUIDE) recently announced by the Centers for Meidcare and Medicaid Services and provide recommendations for how OT practitioners can advocate for their own involvement in...

On today's episode we speak with Dr. Lisa Jaegers about working with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health, founding the Saint Louis University (SLU) Transformative Justice Initiative (TJI), directing the OT Transition and Integration Services (OTTIS) program, and Facilitating the Justice Based Occupational Therapy network. She details how...

On Today's Episode we speak with Beth Fields about her research and efforts that examine the quality, access, and outcomes of caregivers across the continuum of care. She shares evidence and practical applications to help you be not only client centered, but client and family centered in your practice. Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts and the translation of research to practice and receive y...

On today's episode we discuss the March 2023 special issue of the journal Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment on substance use and occupational therapy. Emily Rothman, Amy Mattila, and Deirdre Ryan share information related to occupational therapy's role in working with people effected by substance use disorder and provide evidenced based recommendations for clinical practice, education, and r...

On today's episode of Everyday Evidence we speak with the editor and chief of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Stacey Reynolds. We talk all things AJOT, discuss the state of the science within occupational therapy, and she shares recommendations on how you can get involved and improve your own consumption and application of research to practice.  Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts...

On Today's episode we discuss the Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Adults with traumatic brain injury and the work Dr. Steven Wheeler and Dr. Amanda Acord-Vira do conducting research related to TBI at West Virginia University.     Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts and the translation of research to practice and receive your contact hour for listening by completing this one-minute...

On today's episode we are joined by Taelor Coyle and Kelly Tanner who were part of a multi-site quality improvement project titled “Implementing Parent Coaching in Occupational Therapy for Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Multi-Site Project”. We discuss their project, outcomes, and stategies for implementing quality improvement initiatives.  Please help AOTA improve it's podcasts and the tran...

On today's episode we speak with Sue Ram and Krysti Teng, new practitioners and emerging leaders within occupational therapy. They share how they've used AOTA resources and connections to transition from students to practicioners. We discuss how to make meaningful connections that encourage best practice and how to combat common struggles including burnout and feeling confident in your practice.  ...