
MiOTA Spring Newsletter
March 2020
In This Edition...
- Lobby Day Highlights!
- 2020 Conference Updates
- Financial Report
- Membership Update
- Farewell from the Leader of the Executive Committee...
- 2020 MOTEC Fieldwork Educator Days
- Help Wanted
- Member Spotlight
- MiOTA Scholarship Winner!
- Professional Development Opportunities
Lobby Day Highlights!
On February 13, 2020, MiOTA held our annual Lansing Lobby Day on Michigan’s Capitol Hill. While the weather wasn’t kind that morning (a snowstorm hit during the morning rush hour), we had a strong showing of over 90 members who braved the cold and snowy morning to support their profession.
Held at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing, Lobby Day participants met with their local House Representative, Senators, and legislative staff members throughout the day. They lobbied on behalf of MiOTA on the following topics:
Autism and Occupational Therapy
House Bill 4108: Mandatory Reporters
Auto No-Fault Insurance
MiOTA holds Lansing Lobby Day yearly to maintain and increase our visibility with our legislators throughout the state and share our concerns. This year, our main lobbying topic (Autism) was a member-generated concern shared through our fall survey. It was timely and important due to recent budget cuts and reinstatements of Autism program funding at the state-level. While these cuts did directly impact occupational therapists, they offered an opportunity for MiOTA to share occupational therapy’s long and ongoing contribution to ASD treatment throughout the state of Michigan.
The Advocacy Committee would like to share a huge thanks to our participants for coming out on that blustery February morning! In addition, a huge thanks to Dr. Steven Eberth, Alyssa Baker, Joanna Coddington, Bret Marr, Lisa Johnson, and Kirsten Matthews for their support in developing this event.
Be on the lookout for further communications from MiOTA’s Advocacy Committee on other state and nation-wide issues affecting therapists locally and throughout the country.
Jeannie Kunz, MOT, OTR/L, BCP
AOTA Board Certified in Pediatrics
MiOTA Advocacy Director
2020 MiOTA Annual Conference Update
The conference will be held September 24-26. 2020 at the Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo. Book your room now and use the group code of “MIOTA”. Room block ends Wednesday, September 2, 2020.
NOW is the time for a presenter to submit their application to speak at the conference. Consider sharing your experience / research. Being a presenter will enhance the practice of your peers and help you earn continuing education credit and improve your CV. Topics of interest for submissions include but are not limited to are: community and health, policy changes (Medicare, etc.), productive aging / aging in place, mental health, general rehabilitation disability, documentation/reimbursement, and licensure topics such as pain and human trafficking. Deadline for submitting your application is April 15, 2020.
Conference Objectives:
By participating in MiOTA's Annual Fall Conference, speakers will:
1. Expand knowledge of peers in Michigan relative to the topic of submission to advance service delivery to prospective patient population(s).
2. Earn continuing education credit for the maintenance of licensure and/or NBCOT credentials.
3. Disseminate latest research findings in technological, medical, and psychosocial advances associated with Occupational Therapy service delivery.
4. Increase collaboration and networking throughout the state of Michigan among therapists with common interests of patient populations and intervention methods.
Student ambassadors for this year’s conference can being applying. Applications are due August 15, 2020.
There are exhibitor, advertisement, and product distribution opportunities available for conference as well. Advertisements will be accepted and placed in conference program if received prior to September 10, 2020.
See the MiOTA website (www.mi-ota.com) or the attached for the applications. Please submit all applications electronically.
MiOTA Conference Planning Committee
Financial Report
The 2020 MIOTA Budget has been approved with a budget income at $106,576.00 and expenses at $99,030.00. As of January 31, 2020 our actual income was $3,090.04 and expenses were $4,632.73.
The MiOTA Checking account balance as of January 31, 2020 is $55,254.18, Savings is $2,507.65 and the Scholarship CD is $23,059.94. We are looking forward to a great year!
Cindy Klinger, MIOTA Financial Director
Membership Update
Our organization has 745 active members. Thanks to those that have supported our organization by volunteering and recruiting new members in your day to day interactions. Our largest portion of our membership comes from students and new grads, making retention of new occupational professionals one of our most important area to focus upon. Over the past quarter membership team has attended chapter meetings and has held webinars on clinical topics to provide members with the benefit of free educational opportunities.
Please consider helping our membership committee grow our membership by speaking to colleagues and co-workers about why you are a MiOTA member.
Here are a couple of tips to recruit professionals to join our organization:
When taking a student for their level I or II experiences encourage membership and even consider a graduation gift of membership.
Offer to attend a chapter meeting with a non-member; non-members who join at the chapter meeting receive a 25% discount on their membership fee.
Offer to host a chapter meeting at your organization and encourage your other staff members to attend and join.
Participate in a webinar event hosted by MiOTA and share what you learned and let your peers know that that you received a PDU to be used toward renewal of licensure and NBCOT recertification.
If you are a manager of occupational therapy services, consider changing a policy or rule where continuing education benefit funds can be used toward membership.
Thanks to all for your support of the profession and our organization and let’s continually grow our membership in your professional interactions with others.
Cathleen Johnson, OTD, OTRL, FMiOTA Membership Director and membership committee members
Farewell from the Leader of the Executive Committee – by Kirsten Matthews
Shortly after I started this position in January of 2008, in thanks to the hard work of our licensure committee, MiOTA was victorious in obtaining Licensure for Occupational Therapy Practitioners in Michigan. Despite that great victory, things were not easy. It was only a few months before that I acted as the “stand-in” for leading our Annual Fall Conference Membership Meeting as I was the “next in charge” by default. At that meeting, I spoke about the power of numbers. How while a single raindrop may not command attention, a hard and powerful rainstorm could. As with the power of a rainstorm, the power of MiOTA relies on strength in numbers; and through growing our numbers, we could grow our voice and power to make change in Michigan.
But again, it wasn’t that easy. It is always easy to see the importance of an association during a crisis, but it is not always easy to appreciate the work and hours put in by our lobbyist, office administration and volunteers when they are working diligently year round to prevent a crisis before it happens. But our volunteers and lobbyist aren’t just working to prevent a crisis, they work to better our professional standings in the state, so even when they are not dealing with a crisis, they are promoting policies that promote our reimbursement and scope of practice.
So, to improve “tangible” benefits of MiOTA membership, we started free monthly webinars. The challenging geography of the state of Michigan makes it easy for members to be disconnected from others, especially in the Upper Peninsula, which most parts are likely to associate themselves with Wisconsin more than the Lower Peninsula. We continued to bolster our annual fall conference to provide that once a year opportunity to gather our membership together from all corners. We moved our conference around the state to reach out to new areas of the state and improve ways to include others from all parts of the state – as EVERYONE in EVERY CORNER is important to this organization. We worked to build our chapters back. We worked to provide free CEU that would help our members meet their licensure renewal requirements. We brought back lobby day and it has continued to grow in the years after thanks to the talented leaders. All while fighting ongoing battles that threatened to take away our board of OT, our OT licensure, our reimbursement and our scope of practice. I am aware MiOTA is a membership organization with a purpose of advocacy; people have approached me to tell me that our purpose was not to be education, but rather membership. However, the reality in our changing world is that membership demands benefits, and we as an association have tried to offer those benefits to keep up with the times and serve what our membership wants.
While serving as the Leader for MiOTA, my husband and I welcomed a son and a daughter. We had many heart breaks and losses during those times. We had our jobs changed on us sometimes by our choice, sometimes through the process of buy outs and mergers. As OT’s, we often learn about and speak about the importance of balance and self-care, but many times balancing the roll of a full-time+ therapist, a mom, a wife, and a volunteer is easier said than done. Many times I recall those late nights trying to review a policy and write a position statement to submit because it was the only time I could fit it in and we could not miss our voice. I learned value in disagreement; for unrest can lead to a desire to find solutions and improve processes. I learned that actions taken must always be for the betterment of the whole as well as the importance of setting precedence we can survive with. I learned to navigate the challenges of not being able to make everyone happy, even though I sympathized with their concerns.
In closing, I am incredibly thankful for the team I have been a part of while volunteering for MiOTA. There is nothing about this that is only one person as it is a job that is far too great for one person; often it is too great for the small group of volunteers we do maintain. It has been the tireless collaborative hours of many very talented individuals who have stepped up to fill in where there are gaps and to help each other out. As an organization that is always lean on finances, we have certainly dealt with our share of individuals, including volunteers, who quickly left us because they did not have faith that the long, arduous process our organization has endured to bring itself back from the brink would be successful. But, here we are, still standing and still growing. We may always need to watch our finances closely, but where are today has been the result of hard work and good teamwork with our leadership and fall conference committees to improve our financial standing. I’ll always be grateful for the individuals who have offered moral support, advice, criticism, and opportunities to learn and grow as well as the individuals who share optimism and a drive to build our profession and organization up. Most importantly, I am grateful for my husband, who has provided moral support and often sacrificed a number of his own activities so that I could be involved with MiOTA. I’m also thankful to my children, whom have not always been able to understand why I’m not able to be around because I must do “meeting stuff.” I’m looking forward to more time with all my family before anymore time slips away.
So, in closing, thank you for allowing me the honor of serving our profession and this organization for all these many years. Thank you, as always, for your membership, and thank you for your support. I’m proud to have been on the team that brought MiOTA through some tough times. And my wish is for MiOTA and the profession of occupational therapy to survive for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Kirsten
2020 - MOTEC Fieldwork Educator Days
MOTEC is the Michigan Occupational Therapy Education Consortium. Each year the group develops a one-day continuing education program FREE for fieldwork educators. The program for 2020 is titled: Cultivating Student Growth Mindset. Please see more detailed information about the event and the electronic registration form on the MOTEC section of the MiOTA website: https://www.miota.org/motec_fieldwork_educator_days.php
May 15th, 2020 = Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
October 9th, 2020 = Macomb Community College, Clinton Township, MI
November 13th, 2020 = Mott Community College, Flint, MI
Thank you Fieldwork Educators for educating the future of our profession = occupational therapy students!
Sara Clark, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Western Michigan University
HELP WANTED
MiOTA members – Opening on the MiOTA Volunteer Board – Communications Director
Volunteer Opportunity!
Our Communications Director position is now open and we are seeking an individual who would like to volunteer their time to facilitate networking and communication for our association.
Networking is facilitated through our chapter meetings throughout our great state.
Communication is facilitated through our quarterly newsletters and our website.
If you are interested in talking about this volunteer leadership opportunity please contact Cathleen Johnson @ cajohnson@hcr-manorcare.com or Cathleen via a cell phone call 517 667 1434.
Chapter Leaders Needed!
We have a few chapter leader openings: Detroit, Huron Valley, and Western areas.
Would you be willing to support scheduling a chapter meeting? If so, MiOTA can help you advertise the need for a venue for the meeting and MiOTA has a budget to support refreshments.
If you are interested in considering being a chapter leader (or co-leader -ask a peer to support you) contact Cathleen Johnson @ cajohnson@hcr-manorcare.com or Cathleen 517 667 1434.
Member Spotlight
JILLIAN WOODWORTH, DrOT, OTR/L
Dr. Jillian Woodworth is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Michigan-Flint, which is the first OTD program in the state of Michigan.
She earned her Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2011 from Wayne State University and her Doctor of Occupational Therapy in 2016 from Nova Southeastern University.
Outside work, Jillian and her husband can be seen with a Great Dane at by their side, as they are foster parents for Great Danes that have been removed from their home. She enjoys watching Detroit and collegiate sporting events, playing volleyball /soccer /basketball /tennis /any sport but golf, and spending time outdoors hiking, biking, and kayaking.
Jillian says, “I went into occupational therapy because I wanted to dedicate my personal and professional life to addressing the vital importance of children's physical and psychosocial needs. Occupational therapy, as a medium to do this, interested me because occupational therapists have the opportunity to be creative and innovative in the way they craft intervention strategies, research, and community involvement. I have always been attracted to the field of occupational therapy by the wide range of opportunities it encompasses, and how meaningful the outcomes are for those we serve”. Jillian is very passionate about the Arc of Mid-Michigan, an organization that empowers individuals with disabilities to participate and be fully included in their community. She serves on their Board of Directors.
Jillian moved from Downtown Detroit to the Flint-area in 2016 when she got an opportunity to participate in the program development aiding in the treatment of children ages 0-5 impacted by the Flint Water Crisis. She worked with a dedicated team of educators and therapists to create and implement a sustainable program for children and their families in this public health catastrophe. The program has created a positive impact on improving the health, well-being, and participation in life through engagement in occupation, early intervention, and providing families with the strategies/resources they required. For more information on this project please visit: https://www.geneseeisd.org/resources/community/water_and_lead_info
Jillian asserts that she is a proud member of MiOTA and participates in the Flint Chapter meetings. She states that membership in our state and national organizations is so important for advocacy, and keeping therapists informed with vital information for our profession.
If you would like to be highlighted or would like to nominate a MiOTA member, please email us at website@miota.org
CHRISTINE NAZARETH-HAUPT, MOT, OTRL, SCCE
Christine is the Site Coordinator of Clinical Education Rehabilitation Services with Beaumont Health System, Troy Hospital. Her role as educator includes onboarding OT students and OTs that are new to their facility. She enjoys mentoring and guiding occupational therapists as they begin a new journey in their career path. She asserts, “The skills I have learned in my seven years as an OT easily transcend from patient care to training new employees.”
She graduated from Baker College Center for Graduate Studies in Flint, MI in 2012. She also completed the AOTA Fieldwork Educator certificate program.
Outside work, Christine loves spending time with her family: her husband, Bob, and her 3 children (Bobby, 2; Cora, 4; and Cayden, 13). Christine says, “My kids are at an age where they are constantly learning with every experience they have. I also teach them a lot through stories of patients I work with. When I have a tad bit of “me time” I enjoy watching Friends, doing yoga, and crafting.” As a family, they enjoy playing games, playing outside, and traveling.
Christine states, “I realized I wanted to be an occupational therapist when I was working as an occupational therapy tech at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist throughout undergraduate school, but then I discovered the occupational therapy profession and knew right away it was meant for me. Occupational therapy concepts are the way my mind work and I am enjoying continually learning the many different facets of our profession.”
Christine is constantly innovating and works on several projects at Troy Beaumont. Her primary interest is in the area of fall prevention. Christine states, “At Beaumont, we incorporate the aging-in-place philosophy.” She is a member of the interdisciplinary fall prevention committee at Troy Beaumont. She is raising awareness among her colleagues and the community about fall prevention. They examine different factors that contribute fall prevention. She has developed resources and educational handouts to facilitate a safe discharge home for their patients. She is also incorporating sensory intervention techniques used to assist in fall prevention. “If patients are displaying sensory processing issues that are affecting their safety and increasing their fall risk, I am researching how occupational therapy interventions can assist with decreasing fall risk”, states Christine.
Christine values the relationships and networks she was able to build by being a MiOTA member. She says, “Last year I attended my first MiOTA conference, it was great to be at and network with so many wonderful occupational therapists that had so many different levels of experience and backgrounds. I want to continue building these relationships and grow to be a strong advocate for the occupational therapy profession. I like that MiOTA focuses on not only the OT profession, but also advocates for the issues that arise for our profession in Michigan. They keep me informed, supported and connected to the OT community in Michigan.”
If you would like to be highlighted or would like to nominate a MiOTA member, please email us at website@miota.org
MiOTA Scholarship Winner!
The 2020 MiOTA Student Scholarship Winner is Caitlin Koob, a Western Michigan University (WMU) occupational therapy student. The MiOTA student scholarship is granted to a student who exhibits leadership, a commitment to the profession through involvement in MiOTA and AOTA; and community engagement. Caitlin’s dedication to serving the profession of occupational therapy is seen through her past involvement as an executive board member of the WMU Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA-Kalamazoo), managing the organization’s finances; and MiOTA and AOTA memberships. Caitlin’s dedication to community service is evident in her volunteer work with with numerous organizations: AMBUCS Club, Young Life, Allie the OT Nonprofit Organization, Shirely Ryan AbilityLab, Michigan Autism Conference, and Bronco Buddies.
Caitlin has a passion for research to advance the profession of OT. She assisted Dr. Amy Wagenfeld and Tracy Young, professors at WMU, with pediatric research. Caitlin presented her work on “An Analysis of the Occupational Enrichment of the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden” at the MiOTA annual conference in Frankenmuth in October 2019 and will be presenting the same work as a poster at the AOTA national conference in Boston in March 2020. She also assisted Daryl Lawson PT, DSc, from WMU, on research projects involving the assessment of the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on people with muscle fatigue, knee osteoarthritis, and chronic knee pain.
Caitlin is currently completing her first Level II fieldwork rotation with the Mary Free Bed Hospital inpatient rehabilitation team and will complete her second Level II Fieldwork rotation with Chicago Occupational Therapy’s pediatric team. After graduation from WMU in June 2020, she will start Clemson University’s PhD program in Applied Health Research and Evaluation (Clemson, SC) in September 2020. Caitlin was offered a graduate assistant position to help Dr. Sarah Griffin with a Centers for Disease Control funded research project on obesity prevention initiatives in rural areas in South Carolina. MiOTA wishes Caitlin the best of luck in her future studies, research, and service to the profession of occupational therapy.
Submitted by Sara Clark
Professional Development Opportunities
MOTEC Fieldwork Educator Day
CULTIVATING STUDENT GROWTH MINDSET
Learning Objectives
- Acquire resources to support student growth during fieldwork experiences.
- Apply situational leadership skills and leverage supervisor style to meet diverse student learning needs.
- Identify doctoral capstone purpose, process, players, comparison to fieldwork and benefits to host site.
- Define what leadership looks like in fieldwork experiences and identify ways to facilitate the development of leadership skills in fieldwork students.
- 7:30 - 8:00 Registration (light breakfast served)
- 8:00 - 8:30 Welcome & Introductions
- 8:30 - 10:30 Breakout Sessions (Choose 1 of 3) 1. Fieldwork Nuts & Bolts 2. Strength-Based Approach to Supervision 3. Benefits of Hosting a Capstone Student
- 10:30 - 10:45 Break
- 10:45 - 11:45 Administrative Updates
- 11:45 - 1:00 Lunch (on own)
- 1:00 - 2:15 Facilitating the Development of Leadership Skills
- 2:15 - 3:15 Fieldwork Educator Panel
- 3:15 - 3:30 Wrap Up & Evaluations