1. Articulating the Value of Occupational Therapy

2. What is OT’s distinct value?
“improve health and quality of life through facilitating participation and engagement in occupations, the meaningful, necessary, and familiar activities of everyday life.”

3. Promoting the profession
Why?
How?
Who?
What value?
Ask: Why do you think promoting OT to others is so important?
Possible answer: To prevent encroachment on our practice area, increase referrals from physicians, improve funding, etc.
Ask: What can you do to promote OT to others throughout each day?
Possible answers: Explain what OT is at the start of each session, make sure other professionals know you are an OT practitioner, spell out OT
Ask: Who should OT practitioners be promoting OT to? Why?
Possible answers: Physicians, nurses, speech therapists, clients, etc. Other professionals should know how we can help their clients and be aware of our domain of practice.
Ask: What does OT bring to the table that is unique?
Possible answers: A focus on valued occupations and ability. Occupational therapy interventions are based on what the client wants and needs to do, emphasizing ability rather than disability.

4. Short, sweet and to the point!
Elevator Speech
Short, sweet and to the point!

5. Role of OT in that Setting Audience
Considerations
Settings
Role of OT in that Setting
Audience
1. Consider the setting
Diagnosis commonly seen
Other rehab services offered
Severity of diagnosis (terminal, acute, chronic)
Typical length of treatment
Adults vs. pediatrics
2. Consider the role of OT in that setting
Approaches to intervention (create/promote, establish/restore, maintain, modify/adaptation, prevention)
Types of typical interventions only offered by OT
Evidence for efficacy of OT in the setting
3. Consider the audience
Stress level
Education and/or cognition
Experience with OT
Professional healthcare provider vs. family member vs. client vs. third party payer
Felt need? Reassurance, information, casual interest, details, justification, evidence

6. Examples

7. "Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the activities they want and need to do in everyday life."

8. "Occupational Therapy helps people with what occupies their time, their daily routine. We get you back to the things you want to do, whatever that is."

9. "I always say it's therapy for all the every day activities that OCCUPY your day. Things like getting bathed and dressed."

10. "An occupational therapist takes a look at how you occupy your time and the skills you need to get through the day."