Ron, I hope that you will reconsider renewing your membership in AOTA and your state association.
For $80/year, I think the Florida Occupational Therapy Association does quite a bit for your dues. http://www.flota.org/member.html As you probably know, your dues go to support a lobbyist and an association management company in Tallahassee. This year FOTA created a political action committee to strengthen its influence. http://www.flota.org/FOCUS/FOCUS%20March-April%202006.pdf Three years ago AOTA worked with FOTA to defeat a proposal that would have tripled licensure fees. Certainly AOTA and the profession faces many challanges. I think it's easy to blame AOTA for everything that isn't going right in the profession. But is AOTA a building in Bethesda, Maryland or is AOTA its individual members? There are 115,000 occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in the US. AOTA has about 35,000 members (including students). The more members we have, the more that we can do to move the profession forward. I terms of your quote from a leader in the profession, I think you are refering to the AJOT article From the Desk of the Executive Director: Charting a Path for the Future which was published in AJOT March/April 2005 Volume 59 / Number 2. I will paste more from that article to provide readers with some additional context. http://www.aota.org/ajot/getpdf.asp?doc=5921.pdf In viewing the prospects that lie ahead for occupational therapy, I am optimistic and enthused about the opportunities the future holds. There is no question that we face a difficult environment. Changes in the organization and delivery of health care services and reforms in reimbursement systems driven by federal and state budget pressures have profoundly affected occupational therapy practice. All health care professionals are increasingly being required to demonstrate the effectiveness and appropriateness of their services. Resource constraints have fostered challenges to the traditional domains of many professions. Nonetheless, as a profession that offers unique services that are ideally suited to meet the health, participation, and quality of life needs of people of all ages, occupational therapy is well-positioned to succeed and flourish in the 21st century. The philosophy and conceptual models of occupational therapy and the needs of society are intersecting to create great opportunities for the future. The full realization of occupational therapy's potential however will depend on vision, strategy, and unity of effort within the professional community. AOTA's Representative Assembly will consider a Proposed Centennial Vision Statement at its 2006 meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Detailed background information is available on AOTA's website including information about how the proposed statement came about. I will paste an excerpt below. Elements to a shared vision were identified, as were barriers. Strategic directions emerged from additional discussions. http://www.aota.org/members/area6/2006-ra/ce_VP2.pdf http://www.aota.org/members/area6/2006-ra/ce_centennial.pdf Here is the proposed statement: "We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs." Here is the excerpt: "During this process the participants considered member and nonmember feedback, and generated shared vision elements, identified important underlying barriers, and defined four strategic directions to support the proposed shared centennial vision. The eight elements viewed as relevant to a shared vision included: 1. Expanded collaboration for success 2. Power to influence 3. Membership equals professional responsibility 4. Well-prepared, diverse workforce 5. Clear, compelling public image 6. Customers who demand occupational therapy 7. Evidence-based decision making 8. Science-fostered innovation in occupational therapy practice Six barriers were identified: 1. Rigid adherence to the status quo 2. Misalignment between the current OT priorities and the external environment 3. Limited appeal of AOTA membership 4. Inconsistent competencies for education and practice 5. Overemphasis on a "helping culture" in the OT workforce 6. Unclear professional language and terminology Four strategic directions emerged after a careful analysis of barriers and opportunities: 1. Building the capacity to fulfill the profession's potential and mission. This includes: * Ensuring an adequate and diverse workforce for multiple roles * Preparing OTs and OTAs for the 21st Century. * Increasing research capacity and productivity * Strengthening our capacity to influence and lead 2. Demonstrating and articulating our value to individuals, organizations, and communities. This includes: * Meeting societal needs for health and well-being * People understanding who we are and what we do 3. Building an inclusive community of members 4. Linking education, research, and practice Chuck Willmarth Director, State Affairs AOTA >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 4/16/2006 4:08 PM >>> For one, I have not considered my State association membership to be worth the money. Even though I recently joined, I am not sure that I will renew. Regarding AOTA, I am not pleased with the way our leaders present our profession. I sometimes feel that some AOTA leaders have a PollyAnna perspective. For example, a while back one of our leaders stated: "In the United States, occupational therapy is ideally suited to meet the health needs of people of all ages." Personally, I think the above quote is far off-base and should read something like: "In the United States, OT is missing the mark on being able to best meet the needs of patients who most need our services." This is just one example of why I am questioning my financial support of AOTA. Granted, AOTA has personally helped me but I am unsure of the cost benefit of continued support. Ron -- Unsubscribe? [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com Help? [EMAIL PROTECTED]
