Friday, 28 February 2020

CAOT-BC: Promoting Occupational Therapy at Building Bridges


Promotion and Advocacy
CAOT-BC hosted a booth at the VCH 23rd Annual Building Bridges Occupational Therapy Education and Research Day on Feb 18th, 2020. 


  • At this event, we:
    • promoted the value of occupational therapy being included on extended health benefits plans and collected signatures from employees pledging to ask their union representatives about including OT on their EHB plans
    • Highlighted the role of occupational therapists on Primary Care teams
    • Networked with occupational therapists, vendors, and stakeholders
CAOT-BC Presentation: Updates, Responses, and Initiatives
  • At our annual activity update, we highlighted our mission, vision, and Strategic Priorities for 2019-2021: Awareness, Access, and Organizational strength and excellence
  • Encouraged attendance at the May 2020 CAOT conference in Saskatoon
  • Highlighted our official response to ICBC on the recently announced changes and our role in representing  occupational therapy in upcoming consultation
  • Featured our submitted comments to the government on the proposed changes to the provincial health profession  regulatory frameworks
  • Outlined our Practice Networks including the possible new addition of a Primary Care  Community of Practice
  • Reiterated our key advocacy messages: Occupational therapy is a vital profession and  increased access is needed, our provincial workforce is fragile and there needs to be increased training opportunities here in BC 


Highlights from the event:
  • In her keynote address, Skye Barbic reflected on occupational therapy turning 100; she called for the evolution of occupational therapy’s identity, whilst maintaining its core principles and values in order to allow the profession to prosper for the next 100 years. 
  • Awards presentations and education bursary draws
  • Updates from the UBC OSOT, CAOT-BC, COTBC, and the HSA. Clinically relevant educational sessions were provided to attendees on burnout prevention, Indigenous safety, advocating for vulnerable clients, substance-use crisis, occupational therapy’s role in MAID, and trauma informed practice.

Thank you to VCH for continuing to host this annual event, and we look forward to next year!

Post by Amber Sands, fieldwork student with CAOT-BC

#OT365

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