Hello MiOTA members,

Thank you for your membership! Your ongoing support of the association allows us to continue to

support efforts to protect and promote occupational therapy in the state of Michigan. As you know, we

have made great strides to support the interstate compact act to facilitate licensure across the state

lines with other states in the compact. The progress we made to support the status of these house bills

has required an enormous amount of effort and hours from your association volunteers. This is

especially important for many licensees where companies cross state lines, or a person is moving to a

new state or even a military spouse moving due to a relocation. A big thank you to our Advocacy

Committee led by Denise Hoffman and our lobbyist Bret Marr. Also thank you to all of you who

connected with your local representative encouraging support of the bills.

Also, a bit about membership! Look for invites to our “social” events and educational webinars. These

events are opportunities for each of you to invite a non-member occupational therapy practitioner to

participate so that they can experience our association. Remember if the guest joins within 24 hours of

the event they get a 25% discount on their inaugural membership.

As you review the Membership Report, you will see our membership numbers continue to be strong.

However, we have opportunity as a good number of our membership comes from students versus

practitioners in the state. I thank the faculty who support student engagement through membership. A

very small percentage of our practicing occupational therapy practitioners are members of MiOTA. As a

member speak to your colleagues about membership and invite them to a webinar or chapter meeting

so they can see the value of membership.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Cathleen Johnson, OTD, OTRL, FMiOTA, FNAP

Leader of the Executive Committee and Co-Director for Membership

MiOTA recently received a donation of $500 from the Michigan Society of Hand Therapists. Thank for your support and partnership!

"Collaboration Between Occupational Therapy Practitioners and Elementary School Educators to Support Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" by Emily Scannell, Tom Scannell, and Karen Jacobs was recently published to Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. Access the article through this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/JNABY2SAKPJSEKYCGUJ3/full?target=10.1080/01942638.2023.2277740

Shanna Haver, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan-Flint's occupational therapy

doctorate program, Class of 2023, is on a mission to make sailing more accessible. Combining

her passion for the water with her occupational therapy background, she conducted research at

the Downtown Sailing Center in Baltimore. This organization focuses on building self-esteem

through sailing and offers adaptive sailing opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

During her time at the center, Shanna was inspired to create a dock that offers a barrier-free

experience for individuals who use wheelchairs. Recognizing the need for greater accessibility,

she has developed the SeAccess Autonomy Concept Dock and has applied for a provisional

patent. Shanna's innovation earned her first place in the UM-Flint Office of Economic

Development's UMake the Change Student Innovation Competition.

Shanna Haver strongly believes that providing individuals with access to leisure activities can

have a profound impact on their quality of life. Her capstone research at the Downtown Sailing

Center conclusively demonstrated the positive influence of sailing on participants' overall quality

of life.

In line with her commitment to sharing these insights, Shanna has been actively presenting the

results from her 14-week Pilot Study. Additionally, she is diligently working on a manuscript for

publication in the esteemed American Journal of Occupational Therapy medical journal, further

highlighting the significant positive outcomes of her research.

Shanna's dedication to inclusivity extends beyond her innovative dock. She is building a

research team to conduct a study on the impact of the SeAccess Autonomy Dock. The study will

be carried out through a 3-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent

Living, and Rehabilitation Research, in partnership with Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns

Hopkins Hospital. This initiative seeks to maximize the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in

society through technology development and research. Shanna's work exemplifies the

transformative power of occupational therapy and its potential to create positive change in the

community.

In addition to her inventive work, Shanna is currently a grant coordinator for the Downtown

Sailing Center and is preparing for her occupational therapy board exam at the end of the

month.

https://news.umflint.edu/2023/11/07/um-flint-occupational-therapy-alum-working-to-make-sailing-more-accessible/

Charisse Fesko graduated from Eastern Michigan University in December 2020. Charisse currently works at Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital, an inpatient mental health hospital for adults. Outside of work, Charisse enjoys spending time learning, volunteering, taking care of her dogs, reading, walking, jigsaw puzzles, and listening to music.

Charisse chose Occupational Therapy as a second career. Her first career was in Clinical Laboratory Science working in a hospital laboratory. She went back to school to become an Occupational Therapist to work directly with people. Her first encounter with Occupational Therapy was at her son’s preschool when a mother and Occupational Therapist introduced the program Handwriting Without Tears. Charisse loved working with the kids and knew that she wanted a different change of pace with hercareer. Charisse continued to volunteer at her children’s elementary school, filling the role as a motor mom, helping the students fine tune their gross motor and fine motor skills. Charisse discovered that the motor mom program was introduced by an Occupational Therapist. These first encounters with Occupational Therapist’s work, lead Charisse toward her journey of going back to school to become an Occupational Therapist.

Charisse co-presented, Systematic review of Peer Support for Successful Inclusion of Children with Autism, at the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association 2018 Conference in Livonia, MI. The systematic review was completed with two classmates and research advisor, Dr. Gretchen Reeves, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA.

Charisse volunteers as a MiOTA webinar facilitator and moderator. Charisse became a member of MiOTA as a student and has continued to be a member for networking and volunteer opportunities, continuing education courses, and updates on new and existing regulations. Charisse says that MiOTA has surrounded her with people who are invested in the profession, working hard to bring Occupational Therapy to the communities who need it most.

If you would like to be highlighted or would like to nominate a MiOTA member, please email us at website@miota.org.

Our annual fall conference that was held October 5-7, 2023, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island.

What an amazing event, we had 300 attendees. Many thanks to the student ambassadors and the conference planning committee. Michelle Suarez delivered a very informative keynote address. There were fourteen exhibitors. The awards ceremony was amazing. There were two Roster of Fellows awarded to Dr. Parnell and Dr. Head. A master clinician award went to Diane Andert. An OT award of excellence was received by Diane Dirette Powers. At the business meeting two individuals won a

conference registration for fall of 2024: Amber Midena and Nancy Hock.

We are planning the second annual SPRING VIRTUAL conference for April 13, 2024, which will run from 8AM -5 PM. The focus of the conference will be on licensure renewal related topics such as diversity and pain. Registration for the virtual conference will begin in January.

The next annual fall conference will be held at the Boyne Mountain Resort October 18 to October 20, 2024. Our Keynote presenter with be Paul Artale. Discounted room rates will be available for a two-night minimum. The call for presenters will open in January and will close on April 15, 2024. We are always interested in having new or returning exhibitors at conference. Let us know of companies that you would us to invite to exhibit at our conference. Companies can also find information regarding being an exhibitor by visiting the MiOTA website.

For any questions, feel free to contact the conference planning committee at: conference@miota.org..

There are changes in the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) requirements for implicit bias training.

The Public Health Code – General Rules pertaining to implicit bias training standards have been revised to allow for asynchronous teleconference or webinars as acceptable modalities, which was previously prohibited. We appreciate LARA's flexibility in the training requirements, which allows for better access to this crucial training for all of Michigan's health care professionals.

As a reminder, LARA requires implicit bias training for all licensed health care professionals, effective June 1, 2022. The requirements apply to both new applicants as well as those renewing their existing licenses or registrations.

For license renewal, applicants must complete a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license or registration cycle. For new licensure, both limited and medical, applicants must have completed a minimum of 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license or registration. Professionals must report implicit bias credits when renewing their license.

If you would like to contribute an article to "Points of Practice" please send them to Cindy Klinger at finance@miota.org for publication in the next newsletter.

This quarter I wanted to share a couple of my favorite intervention tips.. Many years ago I started collecting scarfs of various sizes, shapes and weights when I visited second hand stores. I'm speaking of silk, wool, knitted and cotton scarf to name a few. I keep them in a cloth bag and use them with residents during standing tolerance training to increase balance and upper extremity, sensory training, ROM and strength.I also document on cognition when appropriate. Other items I use are cloth hankies and kids socks. These have proved to engage dementia residents as they recall how scarves and hankies were used to accessorize their blouses when they were growing up, usually because they only had one or two blouses and it changed the look of their outfit. Be creative and use LH reachers with the items to train on the grab/release technique for picking up items.

Please submit other suggestions to me at finance@MIOTA.org to share in the next newsletter.

Cindy Klinger, COTAL, FMiOTA

How Two Pencils Saved My Forearms and My Career

By Kenya Briggs

August 2023

There’s a feeling you get in the pit of your stomach ― a combination of fear and dread ― when

it dawns on you that an injury could spell the end of your working life. The revelation might

sneak up on you after dismissing the first pangs of discomfort as a fluke. “What the heck is

that?” you think, and then you remember that you’re young and invincible, or ambitious and

busy, or too sexy for frailty, and you go about your business. In my case, the business was

typing and the fluke was a small, dull ache in my forearms.

I was a project coordinator for a union of freelance writers in the late 1990’s. Writing was my

bread and butter, and typing the unsung hero of my trade. But I was in trouble; in just a few

weeks the aching had grown more intense and, like a monster, it was following me home ― my

arms began to hurt while engaged in the mundane, like turning a door knob or lifting a pot of

water.

And that’s when the second shoe dropped. If I can’t type, then I can’t keep this job or any job in

my skill set. How am I going to pay the bills? That sobered me right up and one by one, I began

checking off the list of things I was supposed to do: I went to see my doctor, switched around my

workstation to meet ergonomic ideals, and had the union buy me supportive equipment, like a

wave keyboard and ergonomically sound chair.

But the pain persisted ― and I had a lot of typing to do. So, in a moment of inspired

desperation, I picked up two pencils, turned them upside down, and began pecking the keys of

the wave keyboard with them.

Friends, please don’t fall off of your chairs when reading this... tapping the keyboard with those

pencils was the only solution that worked! The moment I began typing with them my forearm

pain vanished, and it immediately reappeared whenever I typed without them ― ergonomic aids

and physical therapy notwithstanding. My doctor suggested I patent the process, which

underscored for me how difficult it was to resolve forearm pain for active typists. Without

realizing it, I’d stumbled on a keyboard interface that shifted repetitive movements from my

hands to my upper body and kept my arms in neutral position. And it totally saved my bacon (I

mean this in a loving, vegan way).

My work life became more competitive about ten years later when I landed a job as a

communications professional for The City and County of San Francisco. I was easily able to

keep pace with my peers with my typing tool, which I’d improved with foam hand grips (typing all

day with my hands clenched around thin pencils was a little hard on my thumbs) and a neck

cord. When I was promoted to the sole Public Relations Officer slot at the San Francisco

Sheriff’s Department, I used the tool to write about 40 press releases. This was only ten fewer

than were written that same time period by the entire thirty-person communications team I’d just

left. I was typing up a storm with zero arm pain, friends. Zero! And that was awesome-cakes.

The lessons I’ve learned from the development of my FiTchucksTM typing tool have informed my

approach to other of life’s “lemony” events. If something in my house breaks I’m much more

likely to jury-rig a fix than to call a professional. For better or worse, that’s my way ― and its

origins lie in cobbling together an alternative keyboard interface while organizing freelance

writers some 25 years ago. Sometimes self-sufficiency means the difference between doing it

your way, or not at all. That’s how I see it, anyway. (And yes, I typed this article with FiTchucks!

Learn more about them or buy them at: FiTchucks.com.)

Kenya Briggs is semi-retired and lives with her daughter in a righteous, renovated old barn in

Western Massachusetts.

IMAGES:

1. [WITH VEST] CAPTION: Just another work day at the National Writers Union’s West Coast

office, approx. 1997. Around this time I began typing with pencils to avoid forearm pain.

2. [AT DESK TYPING] CAPTION: At home showing off an early version of FiTchucks, approx.

2008.

3. CAPTION: FiTchucks, 2023.

Kenya Briggs

info@shoestringartisan.com

FiTchucks.com

SAVE THE DATE: LANSING LOBBY DAY IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRURARY 28th, 2024

• The date has been changed to accommodate legislator schedules and spring break schedules.
• Look for upcoming webinars and materials on the website to prepare to advocate for the compact and for activities to participate in prior to the event.
• Anyone interested in assisting with Lansing Lobby Day planning please contact the advocacy committee at advocacy@miota.org

SIS groups provide opportunities for MIOTA members to come together for discussion on areas of practice. The following SIS groups are looking for someone to lead or co-lead the sessions. Groups meet at least annually, but can meet as often as possible.

Geriatrics

Mental Health

Telehealth Reimbursement

Diversity

Rehabilitation

Groups meet at least annually at the annual conference in the fall, but can meet as often as they'd like to. SIS groups fall under the leadership of the Communications Director and must be members of MIOTA. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Holly Grieves at website@miota.org or Robin Pegg at administrator@miota.org.

Hey MiOTA members,

We are seeking chapter leaders for Flint, Lansing, Northwest, and Western chapters. A chapter leader

supports a “regular” meeting of the members of the chapter. Chapters can meet live or via a webinar.

Many chapters use the meeting to talk about clinical practice. Sometimes a chapter will have a guest

speaker. Professional Development Units (PDU) are provided to participants. The chapter leader is

responsible for emailing participants an invitation, securing a speaker or identifying a topic of discussion, track attendance, and submit attendance to the MiOTA office so that participants can receive a PDU certificate.

Please consider taking on this leadership opportunity. If you have a colleague who would like to share co-leadership that is an option as well.

Robin Pegg administrator@miota.org or Holly Grieves website@miota.org if you are interested.

MIOTA is looking for someone to scan and upload past paper documents to the MIOTA Google Shared Drive, please contact Cindy Klinger an finance@miota.org if you have the skill and are interested in volunteering.

Jessie Fredell, COTAL and Katrina Carrigan, OTRL become co-leaders of the Northwest Chapter.

Meet Jessie:

Jessie Fredell COTA/L has worked her entire career since 2011 with the geriatric

population in the Northwest Michigan region between the skilled nursing facility setting and home care setting. She has been in the home care setting for the majority of her career and takes pride in being able to assist local residents in overcoming challenges whether temporary or chronic within their own environment. In her free time, Jessie enjoys spending time with friends and family. She is married, they have a dog and enjoy riding the trails in their Jeep, kayaking down the river, and going on camping trips. Jessie attended her first MIOTA conference in 2021 and is looking forward to serving the Northwest Chapter with co-leader Katrina Carrigan, MS OTRL.

Meet Katrina:

Katrina started her career in occupational therapy as a COTA in 2011, then progressed to getting her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Saginaw Valley State University in 2019. Katrina has spent 12 years of her career working with the geriatric population in skilled nursing facilities. After graduating with her Masters, she accepted the role as director of rehab in a skilled nursing facility which she held for three years. Since February of 2023, she has been working with the geriatric population in the home health care setting within Northern Michigan.Outside of work, Katrina has been married for 16 years and has 2 children, ages 11 and 14. She enjoys

traveling with her family and spending time crafting. Katrina first became a member of MIOTA in 2018 and is looking forward to serving the Northwest Chapter as co-leader.

Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists

Gregory Zimmerman, of Big Rapids, is an Associate Dean and tenured professor at Central Michigan University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in sports medicine/public health education from Central Michigan University, a Master of Science in health sciences administration from Central Michigan University, and a EdD in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Zimmerman is reappointed to represent the general public for a term commencing December 14, 2023, and expiring December 31, 2025.

Melissa Mafiah, of Canton, is a general physiatrist at Corewell Health Medical Group East in Taylor, Michigan. She is also an associate program director and core PMR Faculty member at the Corewell Health Taylor Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences and a Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University. Mafiah is reappointed to represent a public member who is a physician under part 170 or 175 for a term commencing January 1, 2024, and expiring December 31, 2027.

The Public Health Code mandates certain responsibilities and duties for a health professional licensing board. Underlying all duties is the responsibility of the Board to promote and protect the public's health, safety and welfare. This responsibility is implemented by ascertaining minimal entry level competency of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. The Board also has the obligation to take disciplinary action against licensees who have adversely affected the public's health, safety, and welfare. The Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists consists of 9 voting members: 5 occupational therapists and 4 public members, one of whom shall be a physician.

These appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the senate.

Hello Fellow Therapists! As the MiOTA Liaison to Michigan’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Board of Occupational Therapists, it was a pleasure seeing those of you who attended the Fall Conference in Mackinaw!

In addition to the role of the OT Board to set and update practice rules related to obtaining and maintaining licensure in the state of Michigan, this Board also addresses identified conduct concerns of practicing OTs in accordance with Public Act 473 of 1988. As the MiOTA Liaison, I can help:

• Facilitate communication and seek clarification for questions that members have about how to maintain licensure compliance,

• Bring practice related concerns identified by the membership to the Board for review and/or consideration, and

• Share new Board decisions that affect therapy practice with the MiOTA membership

• An example of this was seeking clarification from the OT Board about the acceptance of continuing education credits delivered in-person verses virtual during the pandemic.

Current OT Board updates are as follows:

• The last OT Board meeting of the year, scheduled for November 7, 2023, was cancelled. The next meeting of the OT Board will be held February 13, 2024, at the Ottawa Building in Lansing.

• The OT Licensing Guide has been updated as of October 2023 and can be found here: https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bpl/Occupational-Therapy/Licensing-Info-and-Forms/Occupational-Therapist-Licensing-Guide.pdf?rev=b601bc11917f4a6bb6fb64663c6ff23f

• Continuing Education Reminder: For initial renewals completed after June 1, 2021, completion of one hour of implicit bias training is required for each year of licensure since June 1, 2021. If renewing prior to June 1, 2022, implicit bias training is not required for that renewal. Once the initial renewal is completed, then 1 hour of implicit bias training will be required for each year of the current license cycle going forward. Please note, the implicit bias training is not a one-time training and must be completed for each renewal cycle prior to the renewal.

· If you have any questions, feel free to contact Bethany Burge (admin@ezermethods.com)

A Message from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Financial and Insurance Services:

Dear Health Care Provider,

Nationwide, Medicaid beneficiaries will once again have to renew their coverage starting this year to comply with federal legislation. In Michigan, annual eligibility renewals will begin in June 2023. It is important that you are aware of this federally required process because it has the risk of leaving some of your patients without health insurance.

As a health care provider, you can play a role in helping your patients stay informed and covered, and we are asking for your help. If you have Medicaid beneficiaries as patients, please consider asking them to do the following:

• Make sure their address, phone number and email address are up to date at Michigan.gov/MIBridges. They can also call their local MDHHS office. If they do not have an online account for MI Bridges to access their Medicaid case or report changes, they can sign up for an account. They can also locate organizations that can provide local help by searching for community partners.
• Report any changes to their household or income by visiting Michigan.gov/MIBridges or by calling their local MDHHS office.
• If they receive a renewal packet, make sure to fill it out, sign the forms, and return it by the due date with any proof requested. If they do not complete and return the renewal, they may lose Medicaid coverage even if they are otherwise eligible.

If one of your patients receives notice that a member of their household is no longer eligible for Medicaid or MIChild benefits, it is important that they know they have options for alternative health insurance, including no and low-cost coverage, and they should take quick action to avoid a lapse in coverage. For more information about options, including purchasing a low- or -no-cost health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, they can visit Michigan.gov/StayCovered. To help you communicate with your patients, a toolkit is available online that includes a flyer, sample newsletter articles, and more.

For patients with questions about purchasing a health plan on HealthCare.gov, they can visit Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance, or call the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) at 877-999-6442, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information about changes to food assistance and Medicaid benefits connected to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency can be found at Michigan.gov/2023BenefitChanges.

As a health care provider, you know that having health insurance is critical, not just for when people are sick or hurt, but also to help them stay healthy and afford the care they need. Thank you for taking these steps to make sure your patients are aware of the actions they need to take to stay covered so they can protect themselves and their families.

Click here to read the updates or watch the video

Thank you to all of those who attended the Diversity & Black OT Caucus Special Interest Section meeting during the MiOTA Fall Conference this year!

If you’re interested in joining this SIS please take a moment to take a quick survey and share your availability to meet: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/98JMXCN (Or scan the QR Code below).

The next Diversity & Black OT Caucus Special Interest Section meeting will be held virtually on Friday, December 15th at 4:00pm. Please contact Bethany Burge (admin@ezermethods.com) with any questions and to register.

The Standards of Practice for Occupational Therapy states that an occupational therapy

practitioner is knowledgeable about evidence-informed practice and applies it ethically and

appropriately to provide occupational therapy services consistent with best practice approaches

(AOTA, 2020). MiOTA’s Research & Education Special Interest Section is committed to

connecting clinicians with current evidence to help support practice. In our effort to connect

practitioners with the evidence, the Research & Education SIS has started sending monthly

emails with a summary of current research on various topics. The first email arrived in your

inbox in September and focused on fall prevention to help raise awareness of Fall Prevention

Awareness Week and occupational therapy’s role in fall prevention. October’s email focused on

mental health coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week, Suicide Prevention Screening

Day and World Mental Health Day. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and November’s

email focused on occupational therapy’s role in diabetes management. December’s Research

Bytes will focus on occupation as a universal human right. If you missed any of the emails you

can find the Research Bytes on the MiOTA website.

Scholarly practice, also referred to as evidence-based practice, involves accessing, appraising,

using, and applying the knowledge base of the profession or discipline in one’s practice

(Zaccagnini et al. 2020). AOTA’s Knowledge Translation Toolkit is another great resource with

helpful information about how to find evidence and document evidence-based practice. Tips on

ways to maximize one’s time when gathering and reviewing evidence includes, using systematic

reviews when available, using clinical practice guidelines, and collaborating with students and

universities to assist with collecting evidence and conducting evidence reviews. Tips for

incorporating research evidence into clinical practice includes, utilizing terminology from the

published literature in daily documentation and adding the citation, if specific protocols or

interventions are used, referencing clinical practice guidelines when available, and using high

quality evaluations and outcome measures with good psychometric properties. The Knowledge

Translation Toolkit also has information about how you can become an evidence-based

champion where you work by creating an evidence-based practice committee or by starting a

journal club. If you don’t want to start your own journal club, the Research & Education SIS will

be starting a journal club. Stay tuned for more information about this opportunity to learn more

about the evidence and earn PDU’s.

AOTA and MiOTA are valuable resources to support you in your practice. If you have a topic

you would like to see covered in the MiOTA Research Bytes, if you would like us to get a

research article for you or if you would like a copy of the articles referenced in any of the

Research Bytes emails please contact one of the Research & Education SIS Co-chairs. Jayne

Yatczak jyatczak@emich.edu Katie Garvey kgarvey2011@gmail.com or Regina Parnell

ad9049@wayne.edu

If you are a student looking for a volunteer opportunity, the Research & Education SIS would

welcome your help in writing more in-depth summaries on current research topics in OT.

AOTA (2021) Standards of Practice, The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol.

75(Supplement_3), 7513410030

Zaccagnini M., Bussières A., West A., Boruff J., & Thomas A. (2020). Features of scholarly

practice in health care professionals: A scoping review protocol. Can J Respir Ther. 10;56:38-

41.

As a profession with origins in mental health treatments and as a qualified mental health

provider, occupational therapy has tools and a scope of practice to raise awareness,

screen clients, recognize mental health issues and address them at many levels.

In 2020, the second leading cause of death for US children age 10 to 14 was suicide. 70%

of youth in juvenile detention centers were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The

state of Michigan ranked 35 th nationally for prevention and access to mental health care

for youth. Occupational therapists can play a role in improving these outcomes.

Arbesman, Bazuk and Nochajski conducted a systematic review of mental health

interventions for youth (ages 3 to 21) in 2013. Included interventions from 2003-2012

included some not delivered by occupational therapy. Using a public health model, the

authors found that interventions including peer and social interaction, teaching

compliance with adult directives, social rules and norms, and requiring participation in

productive or task focused behavior resulted in children being more likely to successfully

participate in school, home and community activities. In the public health Tier 1,

targeting a universal, whole population, OTs can focus on wellness and health promotion

through after school programs to develop social skills or facilitate an anti-bullying

program, including parent education, improved playground supervision and classroom

management techniques. Other areas of health promotion include stress management,

health literacy, prevention of back injury and childhood obesity as well as yoga. In Tier 2,

focus is on prevention or reduction of incidences and seriousness of problem behaviors

for those children who are at risk for behavioral issues. The potential clients include

children with learning disabilities, ADHD, intellectual impairments or developmental

delays and teenage mothers. Social and life skills programs that improve life skills,

practice conversation turn taking, initiation of social interaction, and self-management

help to decrease problem behaviors. Mother infant interactions are improved through

development of parental attitudes and knowledge, and working on mealtime

communication. Using play, leisure and recreation, play groups for abused and neglected

children improve play skills, self-esteem, positive feelings and reduce solitary play. In

Tier 3, OTs may focus on children with mental illness, ASD, or severe behavior

disorders. Teaching self-management strategies and social behavior can lead to greater

social competence. Friendship skill groups improve social interaction and reduce

difficulties. Using video modeling improves children with SMI peer interaction and on-

task behavior. Music related activities improve non-verbal and verbal communication

skills. The systematic review shows the importance of social interventions for promoting

and sustaining mental health in youth. The relationship of mental health promotion and

socialization is supported and carried forward in a recent report issued by the Office of

the Surgeon General.

The 2023 report, The Epidemic of Social Isolation and Loneliness: The U.S. General’s

Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connectedness and Community, calls for

“immediate awareness and action”. In 2016, only 30% of Americans reported that they

could reliably trust others, down from 45% in 1972. The average time spent alone has

increased to 24 hours per month. As of 2020, the amount of time 15-24 year olds spend

with friends in person has decreased 70% over 20 years. Those at greatest risk include

those with poor physical or mental health, disabilities, financial insecurity, living alone,

single parents, younger and older populations, and those living in rural areas. Social

isolation and loneliness increases the risk for depression and anxiety, and social isolation

is the strongest and most reliable predictor of suicide ideation, attempts, and lethal

suicide behaviors. In contrast, connectedness has positive influences on health indicators

like blood pressure, cardiovascular reactivity, and oxidative stress. Strong perceptions of

community belonging and social cohesion lead to improved health. The Surgeon

General’s office calls for a national strategy to strengthen social infrastructure in local

communities, enact pro-connection public policies, mobilize the health sector, reform

digital environments, and deepen our awareness and knowledge of the importance of

social connection as a health and well being priority. Occupational therapists can screen

and assess for social support and loneliness and address these issues individually with

clients, finding ways to strengthen existing supports and new ways to connect with

others. OT practitioners can help to design physical and social settings in the community,

which are inclusive, accessible to all, and structured to facilitate interaction well.

Thinking about digital connections, occupational therapy professionals can help

implement adaptive technology, train clients on use, and become knowledgeable of

software and hardware that promote connection to introduce and try with clients. As a

profession, occupational therapy practitioners can advocate with lawmakers and power

brokers to minimize harm from disconnection and promote community ties. In practice

and training, they can research and gather evidence of the importance of social

connection and belonging to improve and sustain health and well-being. Developing

innovative, effective interventions can further demonstrate how important they are as

contributing factors to mental health.

Arbesman, M., Bazyk, S., & Nochajski, S. (2013). Systematic review of occupational therapy

and mental health promotion, prevention and intervention for children and

youth. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67:6, p. 120-130.

Office of the Surgeon General of the United States (2023) Our Epidemic of Loneliness and

Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social

Connection and Community.

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

If you are interested in reading the full articles or report, please contact me at

kgarvey2011@gmail.com to request a copy.

OT Winner:

Shanmin Sultana (she/her) is a first year occupational therapy student at Wayne State University (WSU). She serves as her program's Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) PY1 co-chair and Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) PY1 AOTA representative. She is also a student volunteer for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) where she designs research briefs to simplify occupational therapy research and help make research more accessible. She hopes to specialize in pediatrics and eventually teach at the graduate level.

OTA Winner:

Sydney VandenHout (she/her) is a first-year student in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Grand Rapids Community College. Sydney is engaged in her community by working with infants and toddlers, specifically focusing on their education, play, and fine/gross motor skills. She has been a teacher’s aide and caregiver for more than 6 years, investing most of her time with this age group. Sydney’s career aspirations are working in pediatrics, either in hospital or school settings. She looks forward to learning and growing with her fellow students, as she continues schooling and soon fieldwork opportunities.

MCCN is a networking community for all MiOTA student members to share any information, stories, or impactful situations that you have recently experienced that you think would benefit the occupational therapy student community’s growth toward continuous learning.

The MCCN allows a student to share any information from a personal or professional experience, or simply any material that is based within the occupational therapy profession – including any intervention approaches that you have recently identified, an assessment that would benefit a specific population or diagnosis if implemented, or new, evidence-based research that an OT student could integrate into their fieldwork practice.

MiOTA appreciates any expertise, recognition, or awareness that our members could share with the occupational therapy community. Below is a further list of ideas that could be included in the MCCN, featured in a MiOTA newsletter and on the website!

• Lightbulb moments – a particular realization or something you know now that you wish you would have known before entering the profession or fieldwork, or as a student transitioning into the new grad status

• Any way that you have created some structure/method to navigate the occupational therapy process more easily, and how you implement that method into your practice

• Level I, Level II fieldwork experiences, including preparation advice, what assessments and interventions strategies that you used in your specific fieldwork setting, etc.

• NBCOT study tips/resources

• OT program survival tips

• AE recommendations - where to buy, in what setting(s) would you recommend AE to a client?

• Continuing education opportunities!

• Discount resources – websites to find discounted OT textbooks, adaptive equipment, OT gear, etc.

• OT groups to join – associations, study groups, podcasts, etc.

• New evidence-based practice, new research within OT that an OT student could apply within their fieldwork setting

• Book suggestions outside of textbooks – novels, memoirs, etc. that could help a student see from an individual’s perspective within a specific clinical diagnosis/condition

If you have any questions or you would like your post to be featured on the MCCN and to our MiOTA members, please email Cydne Johnson at cydne.c.johnson@wmich.edu.

As of 11/30/2023 MIOTAs finances are doing well. We started off the year in the black and currently our accounts are as follows:

Income:

• Budget: $126,060.00
• Actual: $124,538.16

Expenses:

• Budget: $106,930.00
• Actual: $86,792.75

Net Income: $37,745.41

As the finance director, I am looking to mentor someone for the finance director position. If you have an interest in administrative work, are good at keeping track of finances and are looking for an opportunity to become involved in MIOTA, please contact me at Finance@MIOTA.org. I'd love to talk to you about this great opportunity!

Cindy Klinger, BA, COTAL, FMiOTA, MIOTA Finance Director

Hello MiOTA Members!

On behalf of the membership committee, THANK YOU so much for yourmembership and support. We have continued to grow our numbers this year and that would not bepossible without each of you!

We are continuing to focus on reaching out and providing education around the state about the benefits of being a MiOTA member. Please invite us to attend an event or even a lunch meeting (virtually or in person.) We are always available to answer questions that anyone has about membership so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The membership committee is also planning quarterly Membership Drive- PDU Events during the year. Please keep an eye out for an invitation and additional details via Email and the MiOTA Website. These events will be for both Members and Non-Member so please think of a few friends or colleagues that are not MiOTA members you can invite to join the event. We are also offering a special 25% discount for any Non-member that joins MiOTA within 24 hours of all events/webinars throughout the year.

Our next event is a Virtual Social Event with the Topic: Let's talk about supervision practices. This event had such a great turn out in November we are going to offer it again in February. We are working on a date for this event and an invitation will be sent out as soon as possible.

We also want to HEAR FROM YOU about exciting NEWS, Promotions, Anything OT related that is happening with YOU, Colleagues, friends or in your clinic.

We hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Thank you so much for your support!!

-Sonny Grendel (MiOTA Membership Co-Director) Membership@miota.org

State: Interstate Compact HB 4169 and HB 4170 UPDATES!

On October 5th, Representative Julie Rogers and Douglas Wozniak, sponsors of HB 4169 and 4170 – OT Interstate Compact, presented the two bills to the House Health Policy Committee. Both bills passed the committee with bipartisan support! The bills will be presented to the House for a vote in early 2024. Once the bills pass the House, they will be presented to the Senate for a vote hopefully by early Spring 2024. MiOTA encourages you to reach out to your representatives and request support for the Interstate OT Compact. These bills will increase access to OT services for individuals in rural areas and help manage the workforce shortages.

OT testimony by Representative Rogers and Wozniak: at 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 19 minutes

MiOTA testimony: at 1 hour 19 minutes through 1 hour 24 minutes.

https://www.house.mi.gov/VideoArchivePlayer?video=HHEAL-100523.mp4

To contact your representative: https://www.house.mi.gov/AllRepresentatives

Licensure Compact website: https://otcompact.org/about/

National Advocacy Watch:

OT Mental Health Parity Act: MiOTA is exploring ways to advocate in Michigan and seeking providers in behavior health and mental health to share feedback and comments. Review this link for more information on the Act: https://www.aota.org/advocacy/advocacy-news/2023/occupational-therapy-mental-health-parity-act-reintroduced-in-senate

Representative Assembly Fall 2023: Key Activity: Proposed need to explore school based workloads, caseloads and best practice. Recently activity in Oregon and Indiana proposed legislation regarding workload for school based OT, PT, and SLP.

For a complete list of AOTA Advocacy News: https://www.aota.org/advocacy/advocacy-news

Statement from Cara Masselink, PhD, OTRL, ATP

If you’ve treated people with conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, traumatic or acquired brain injury, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, or Spinal Muscular Atrophy, you’ve probably seen how their mobility devices enable their participation in daily tasks. The seating and wheeled mobility devices and accessories that people with congenital, progressive or non-progressive neurological conditions, or myopathies use are called complex rehab technologies (CRT). CRT equipment offers the opportunity for customizable angles, adaptable electronics, and unique seating and positioning accessories that accommodate postural asymmetries and enable independent functional mobility and pressure relief.

Clinicians and wheelchair manufacturers and suppliers work to protect access to CRT equipment, often through legislation. Senate Bill 449 and 450 were introduced to align CRT provision with best practices, passing the Michigan Senate unanimously and moving it onto the House of Representatives. As clinicians, being aware of legislation that impacts access to occupation-enabling equipment is one way we can advocate. Keep an eye out for updates on this important legislation this winter.

Your voice does make a difference and your experience is important. Reach out to MiOTA to share your stories, comments, or feedback on any of the above advocacy topics, legislation, or reimbursement.

Please contact:

office@miota.org or advocay@miota.org

Denise Hoffman, OTRL

Caitlyn Cornish, OTS

Auto No-Fault, Update

The Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN) and supporters gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday November 14th, 2023 for a final advocacy effort of the year. This day marked the last day of the legislative session of the year, and session will return mid-January. The current bills, SB 530, 531 and 575 were passed in the Senate in mid-October. SB 530 to revise limitations on charges; SB 531 to cross-reference to amended section of the insurance code; SB 575 to cross-reference in the insurance code, amend section to reflect elimination of referenced definition. CPAN hopes that the legislature will make solving the crisis a priority in 2024.

Stay up to date: https://protectnofault.org

Paige Natke, OTD, OTRL

Member-At-Large

New Leader

Nancy Hock, OTRL became the new leader of the Communications Committee as of the Fall Conference replacing Holly & Robin. Holly & Robin will still be working behind the scenes.

Certificate Portal

MiOTA is now using Simple Cert to provide you with a portal where you can access your certificates for attending PD events. If you attend a MiOTA sponsored event or meeting that provides PD credits, after the meeting you will receive your certificate via email from Simple Cert. You will also receive login information so that you can go back and access any/all of the PD certificates you have received since we began the service.

Member newsletters will go out 4 times this year: January - April - July - October. These newsletters are full of information about upcoming events and important information related to occupational therapy practice, certification, and licensure.

Nancy Hock, OTRL

Communications Director

Holly Grieves

website@miota.org

Robin Pegg

administration@miota.org

Exciting job opportunities in Livonia, Garden City, Rochester and Shelby!!

As the University of Michigan-Flint continues to grow their Occupational Therapy Doctorate

program and prepare more students to enter the profession, they are excited to announce an

innovative new pathway program that will allow students to save one year of time and tuition on

the way to the doctorate degree.

Applications are now being accepted for UM-Flint’s new Occupational Therapy Accelerated

Pathway program for fall 2023. This innovative 3+3 program will give high school graduates

interested in occupational therapy the chance to complete both a Bachelor of Science in Health

Sciences and a doctorate in six years instead of seven. This pathway is 31 fewer credits than

the traditional route, saving students a minimum of $13,000.

Students will take classes required for the bachelor's degree, including general education

courses, occupational therapy prerequisites and health sciences courses, during their first three

years, and then apply to potentially enter the OTD program in their fourth year. If they are

accepted, the first two semesters would also work as the final semesters of the bachelor's

degree.

UM-Flint’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy was the first fully-accredited OTD program in the

state and graduated its first class in 2022. The new 3+3 program is another way they hope to

increase the number of doctorally-trained occupational therapists providing quality care and

growing the profession through leadership, research and teaching. You can learn more about

the Occupational Therapy Accelerated Pathway at umflint.edu/chs.

There are many opportunities to advertise through MiOTA. Go to our website and in the dropdown box titled “About Us” find the Advertise with Us dropdown. Advertise your jobs, company, research study, or event through MiOTA.