Action Needed on Therapy Cap Exceptions Process!

If you see clients that receive Medicare benefits, you'll want to take a look at this Action Alert and make your voice heard by June 30!

Did someone say discount?

Are you and your colleagues supporting each other on the development of your applications? Well, you’re in luck because AOTA offers a group discount on certification! Here’s the deal:

• You must be from the same work setting. This doesn’t mean you have to be working in the same facility, but you do need to be part of the same organization; for example, the same national long-term care company or the same school district.
• You must be applying at the same time. You may, however, be applying for different certifications.
• Payment for all applications must occur using a single payment method, i.e., 1 check or credit card payment to cover 5 people.

How much is the discount? Well, the more people applying, the greater the discount!

• 5–10 applicants = 10%
• 11–20 applicants = 20%
• 21+ applicants = 25%

Contact prodev@aota.org for more details specific to your group!

Maria Elena E. Louch
Professional Development Program Manager

Time to F.O.C.U.S.!

Here’s an approach you can try to help understand the competencies and indicators a bit more…F.O.C.U.S.!

In the presentations I’ve been doing at state conferences, people who have used the application manual and followed this process have shared that it has helped immensely. Take the application manual, a pen, highlighter, and make sure you have some time (meaning you have time to think critically about what you are reading and aren’t rushed). The F.O.C.U.S. approach is the following:

Frame the context of the competency and indicators by reading the client outcome.

• For each competency, read the competency, the client outcome(s), and the indicators for the competency. What is the real meaning of the competency? Possibly make some notes to yourself at the top of the page near the competency. Maybe you need to check out some of the references identified for that competency if things aren’t quite clicking for you.

Objectify thoughts by identifying key words.

• Go through the competency and indicators and highlight with a marker or underline “key” words in the competency. For example, “Engages client and relevant others in identification and prioritization of strengths and limitations to plan occupational therapy interventions for feeding, eating, and swallowing” is not just about prioritizing strengths and limitations for treatment planning. Key words here are that the specialist also “engages client and relevant others.” The client outcomes for this competency also speak to the client’s active participation in the process. Having a better understanding helps you start to organize your thoughts regarding the professional development activities you’ve been involved with that you can use to demonstrate your ability to address the competency.

Clarify key words by using the application glossary and Occupational Theapy Practice Framework.

• What words are confusing or possibly “new” to you? There is a glossary in each application handbook. “Relevant evidence” and “relevant others” are terms that are used in all the certifications extensively. Applicants would be doing themselves a disservice if they did not take a moment to check and see what the authors meant by these and other terms!

Unmask personal biases and put them aside so they don’t inappropriately influence your interpretation.

• We all have our own experiences, values, and preferences that we bring to every situation. Being able to recognize those and separate them in order to form an objective review of the competencies and indicators is important. Do you have biases about what clients can and can’t do based on your personal – not professional – experience that colors your view? Do you think you can’t learn anything from a fieldwork student? What are your biases?

Summarize & synthesize your interpretation of the competency by validating it against the indicators and client outcomes, and the indicator by validating it against the competency and client outcomes.

• Taking the time to make sure you clearly understand the competencies and indicators – and how they apply to your practice! – is an important first step in preparing a successful application. Once you’ve done all of the above, try to make sense of things relative to your work with clients. Once you’ve FOCUSed, then it’s easier to look at the Professional Development Activities List and determine what activities you’ve engaged in to best meet the indicators.

I think most of us do well if we have a goal and then set aside time regularly to work toward that goal. I’ve found in my discussions with people that working with someone toward certification is helpful and setting aside time to regularly go into your online application and work on writing the reflections to complete the process is helpful as well. Is there someone in your department who’d be interested in working on the application process with you as you go along? Someone form your state association? Or maybe just someone online! Whoever it is, make a plan to F.O.C.U.S.!

Christine Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH

SAGE advice…at a discount!

Gero folks, have you been looking at the competencies and indicators for Board Certification and said to yourself, “I wish I could talk to someone about these?” Well guess what? We’ve got the next best thing: someone talking to you. Over 550 pages of talking can be found in the new Self-Paced Clinical Course (SPCC) Strategies to Advance Gerontology Excellence: Promoting Best Practice in Occupational Therapy, or SAGE for short.

Wait! Don’t run away peds and other folks, there’s something here for you too. Patience, patience…

The editors of SAGE were part of the panel that developed the competencies for Board Certification in Gerontology, and they have kindly structured the sections of SAGE around the gero competencies. How fabulous is that? What’s even more fabulous? You can get it at a discount!

In case you missed it, AOTA is offering 20% off many products and publications through June 15!

Whether you are working toward (or thinking about!) certification in any of the 8 areas offered by AOTA, now is the time to stock up on that professional development! Here’s how you can use it toward certification requirements:

• For continuing education like SPCCs and online courses it’s pretty easy. These are considered to be “Learning – Formal” according to the Professional Development Activity List in the certification handbook. You save your documentation that shows a minimum of 12 hours of participation (you’ll get a certificate after passing the exam) and print out and save the course description and learning objectives from the web site and you’re good to go as far as documentation needed for certification.
  
• You want to buy a textbook, which doesn’t come with a certificate? Never fear! The category “Learning – Self-Directed (Independent)” is for you! Just make sure to establish your personal learning objectives for reading the book, track the number of hours you spend with it/them (you need a total of 12), and write up a brief critical analysis.

Now that you are armed with this information (not to mention a great discount!), here are some ideas of products to consider for each of the certification areas:

BOARD CERTIFICATION

Gerontology

• Strategies to Advance Gerontology Excellence (SPCC)
• Strategies to Advance Gerontology Excellence (Book)

Mental Health

• Cognition and Occupation Across the Life Span: Models for Intervention in Occupational Therapy, 2nd Edition (Book)
• Supported Education for Adults and Adolescents With Psychiatric Disabilities: Occupational Therapy’s Role (CE Article)

Pediatrics

• Collaborating For Student Success: A Guide For School-Based Occupational Therapy (SPCC)
• Collaborating for Student Success: A Guide for School-Based Occupational Therapy (Book)

Physical Rehab

• Neurorehabilitation Self-Paced Clinical Course Series: Core Concepts in Neurorehabilitation (SPCC)
• Living With Illness or Disability: 10 Lessons of Acceptance, Understanding, and Perseverance (Book)

SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION

Driving and Community Mobility

• Driver Rehabilitation Across Age and Disability: An Occupational Therapy Guide (Book with CD-ROM)
• Non-Driver Rehabilitation Specialists: Community Mobility Across the Life Span (Conference Session Webcast)

Environmental Modification

• Home Modifications: Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines (Publication)
• Occupational Therapy and Dementia Care: The Home Environmental Skill-Building Program for Individuals and Families (Book with CD-ROM)

Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing

• Dysphagia Care for Adults (SPCC)
• Introduction to Evaluation and Treatment of Children with Eating and Feeding Disorders (Online Course)

Low Vision

• Low Vision: Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention with Older Adults (SPCC)
• Functional Visual Behavior in Adults: An Occupational Therapy Guide to Evaluation and Treatment Options, 2nd Edition (Book)

See you at the bookstore!