article

/tmp/PreviewPasteboardItems/Leclair (2010) - OT and community development (dragged).pdf

Hi all..so I know that some of you are posting but it's not displaying it.  NOT sure why but it's ok as the real purpose for this is for increasing professional knowledge and understanding and evaluating your role in expanding the profession.  This next article is wonderful....please excuse my highlights. Enjoy.

Re-examining concepts of occupation and occupation-based models: Occupational therapy and community development

Leanne L. Leclair

an example

attached is a link for our next article sharing and it is a really well done article discussing contemporary OT practice and it's failure to produce evidence for practice and calls of action on how to address the need for such.  While it is specific for a very specialized area of OT the problems, issues and solutions cross specialty areas.

Robinson, K., Kennedy, N., & Harmon, D. (2011). The Issue Is—Is occupational therapy adequately meeting the needs of people with chronic pain? American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 106–113. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2011.09160        

article

So a bit late to post my comment on this article but I am glad I waited.  Yesterday Dr. Florence Clark spoke to the OTs at RIC on Power and Leadership..how appropriate for the article right!? Anyway, she challenged all OTs to find their Power and the power of our profession.  The article on the blog for this interim challenges us in the same manner.  The message from Townsend in this statement, "By giving voice to occupational therapy ideas, assumptions, and values, guidelines contribute to the empowerment of this profession to define and conduct its own work, rather than to accept the control of others to define what will be done (Blain & Townsend, 1993)", echos that of Dr. Florence.  
But further, we can't be content to simple write the guidelines or verbalize the values, we actually need to aggressively press for them at every opportunity to best empower ourselves as we work to empower our clients.  In the conclusion of the article the statement, "The 21st century is both a tough and an exhilarating time for occupational therapists. Questions about power and justice are often viewed skeptically as being too political. Yet not addressing power and justice is also political; we can either remain silently compliant with client/consumer injustices and our professional lack of empowerment, or we can take a visible, active stance to advocate for change".  I think we should look at the ways we advocate so well for our clients and learn from that how we can advocate for our profession.  

as promised....here is the connect for the article....   it's very theory based...but not too long...

http://ot.creighton.edu/community/Occupational_Justice/Townsend%202003%20Reflections%20on%20power%20and%20justice%20in%20enabling%20occupation.pdf

article  <-------  CLICK THIS TO GO DIRECTLY OR CUT AND PAST ABOVE INTO SEARCH ENGINE

the beginning

the beginning of any new venture typically has a pretty big question mark running along side of it.  What is it? What will it become? How will it work? What do I do? How does it impact me?  This tiny little blog is no different.  This blog site is to begin a tradition that was started for me in my graduate studies.  It's purpose is a sharing of new ideas and theories and thoughts for the profession of Occupational Therapy.  I'm not sure what the answer to any of the questions are but here is the first post.  The objective of this blog is to disseminate new concepts from all fields that impact OT, read the background information within a given time frame and share your brief opinion of it.  The mission is to provide a vehicle for advance critical thought for working clinicians that want more. Please share with any and all of your OT friends and let's begin exploring the corners of the concepts of OT. This is the first of many articles that I hope will stimulate your occupational brain to go beyond ADL and look deeper at what our profession has to do.  I believe this blog should 1)provide monthly articles that open up conversation 2) provide a means for thoughtful commentary 3) provide a means for, critical and professional feedback.  Please read and comment no later than May 25th, 2012.  The article will be posted in the next blog post