First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. Im also now seeing occupational therapists starting their own chronic pain clinics (which I think is great; I go to a chronic pain OT myself and love her practice). That said, after youve spent a few years getting your feet wet, you are more likely to catch up to (and often far exceed) what you were making as a clinician. I am an OT student struggling to figure out what I want to do for my capstone project and the field that I want to go into, but your article has helped me so much. She now spends her work days connecting OTs with new research in the OT Potential Club. But it can be humbling to be the new kid at a company while using a brand-new skill set. There may be some small businesses in your area that focus on this specialty which you may be interested in working for or partnering with. Always appreciate the content and the transparency! Some require that you take a steep pay cut to enter the field. Hope this helps! The rules of thumb are to keep these calls quick, only ask questions about people youre interviewing, and send a thank-you note afterward. I am definitely fighting the burn out mode. There are also plenty of in-person events out there. Then list those experiences on your resume. Also, if youre still interested, you could try contacting insurance companies near you to inquire more about requirements and training. According to AOTAs article about low vision: Many older adults experience age-related vision changes that cant be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. There are so many occupational therapy schools thatneedsolid OTs to educate future clinicians. I am working as a paraprofessional in the school but I feel I can find something that uses my knowledge and skills closer to what I went to school for. There are also other holistic avenues you can take when starting your own private practice. This means a time commitmentand, yes, a money commitment. Much thanks Im so sorry to hear about leaving your job! Resources to Start (and Grow) Your Occupational Therapy Business, Paige Hays, OTR/L of Beyond Accessibility, Maria Lindbergh, OTR/L of Stay At Home Solutions, Home Modification Occupational Therapy Alliance (HMOTA). I think that many of these non-traditional career paths can be done as a COTA, especially creating a business and consulting. She also offers a great Non-Clinical Crash Course on Writing. . To learn more about becoming a specialist, you can check out the Assistive Technology Association (ATIA) website. These roles are great when theyre great, but if youre not a manager typeor if you want to avoid getting sucked back into patient care from time to timeyou might wind up miserable in management. Thanks! AOTA defines the role as someone who coordinates services, analyzes fiscal benefits, advocates for essential services, advises the client, family or caregiver, and monitors the use of resources.. As in inpatient OT, Ive been looking for alternative careers and economics and sales excite me the most. If you have a knack for writing and can pump out quality articles quickly that are free from errors, this is can be a flexible option that you can do from your own home. Is there anything stopping a COTA from going into business or private practice on their own? Aurora, NE 68818, OT Potential Occupational Therapy Resources. Areas of focus include office ergonomics, production ergonomics, musculo-skeletal injury prevention, general health and wellness promotion. While written for a physical therapy clinic, their model can certainly be followed for starting any type of therapy clinic. And if youre branched out into another non-clinical career path, please share your experiences in the comments below. Hello, I am an OT with a masters degree and 14 years of clinical experience in the acute care hospital and outpatient settings with lymphedema experience as well. 1. She is also the host of the OT Potential Podcast. If youre interested in working with home modifications, be sure to also check out AOTAs Home Modifications page. Occupational therapy practitioners help people with low vision function at the highest possible level by preventing accidents and injury (e.g., improving lighting), teaching new skills (e.g., eccentric viewing, visual tracking), modifying the task or environment (e.g., recommending magnifiers), and promoting a healthy lifestyle (e.g., ensuring they can participate in their daily activities).. The first thing that often comes to mind on this front is starting your own private practice. This option is becoming popular as more and more healthcare websites are popping up daily, and need frequent articles to publish. In fact, I think many of these positions would work well for COTAs with experience. Hello fellow therapist. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. If tapping people to ask for their time gives you the heebie jeebies, dont worry! At this time I need to take care of me, but I might need to try something else to bring in income. Email me at Sarah@myotspot.com for more information , First, what is a case manager? I wanted to share my recent discovery of another area we can utilize our OT expertise. They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. As an ergonomic specialist, youllspend time identifying environmental risks, coming up with creative strategies to reduce those risks, educating others on the importance of ergonomics, and drafting comprehensive plans for businesses to follow. A career change can affect more than just you. You may also be interested in becoming a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist. Love the examples of people highlighted in non-traditional roles at the end! Its definitely advisable for new grads (or people who have only worked in one setting) to consider whether they should spend a little more time in patient care before switching gears. We hope this article helped you think of some new ways you can reimagine your career! So, Meredith decided to put together some resources to make the switch easier for others. Definitelyequipment sales jobs are perfect for OTs and OTAs! What a great article to get the wheels turning! Very informative & encouraging site! She has since moved on to academia, but her business helped companiescome up with strategies to coach individuals on setting up their life and environment in a way that is conducive to healthy living. As noted above, financial considerations are real. Being an administrator, particularly at a hospital, means that you are a manager for therapists over a specific department. For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. This list of is certainly not exhaustive (as there are SO many options in this realm), but it should at least get the wheels turning! Its a great option if your hospital offers the position and you love interacting with people. 1109 12th Street Ste 3 If you want to try something different in the occupational therapy career space, these are just a few ideas which can help with your brainstorming. With driving rehab, you are still working with patients butare much more focused on one specific aspect of their life. If you enjoy working with patients, but you hate the time constraints and pressure of traditional settings, you can consider a role as an assistive technology personnel (ATP) or seating mobility specialist (SMS). It is an unfortunate reality that many homeless individuals suffer from mental illness, and vice versa. The desire to change to a non-traditional occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis normal. Theyre an excellent introduction into the world of startups, not to mention a great networking opportunity! Office jobs, sales jobs, ergonomics/workplace evaluator jobs, telehealth jobs, and assistive technology jobs are all considered non-traditional (or non-clinical or unconventional) in this article. Any suggestions? I regret not going back to school for my OTR, but I have to move forward. More information can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This is a real issue that we OTs need to address as soon as possible. Be sure to also check out Indeed.com as well for additional ideas to help you with a new income source. Educator. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Then, when you apply for the rehab liaison roles, play up your connections big timeyoull need them! With each course enrollment, you get job application materials (sample resumes, sample cover letters, etc.) Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). Im always learning about new avenues from this group, so be sure to join if youre interested in making a switch. If you have big ideas, energy, a passion for creating something from nothing, and you have the drive to creatively bring value to the world, you might have what it takes to start and grow your own OT business. Hi, and thank you for writing and posting such an insightful article! From my personal experience, being a very emphatic and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct patient care so challenging to balance. There is a huge need to be filled in this arena, and OTs are a great fit to help here as well. Your email address will not be published. You have to have an immense drive deep down to be able to put in the time and effort day after day as well as deal with the seemingly never-ending problems that will arise when starting a business. OTs are perfect for becoming Assistive Technology Professionals since we use it regularly with our patients, whether its low tech or high techassistive technology. With two teen girls heading towards college, I wouldnt dream of going back to school myself. I hope this post gave you some inspiration and ideas if youre looking for a change. Another great option would be to work in vocational rehab in a community-based setting. If you were a career changer, any previous leadership or instructing roles are relevant, too! There probably isnt an OT provider out there who hasnt thought about taking a break from patient care. Here, youll get the chance to work one-on-one with individuals, many times veterans, who need help getting back to work. 1. Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. My favorite part about my job was being creative, whether it was planned or on the fly, working one-on-one or in small groups, and discerning the level of assistance I should use so as to empower the student rather than inhibit he or she from progressing toward a goal. There is a really great Facebook group called Alternative Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals that has many COTAs in the group that have successfully switched gears into other ventures. Its been such a fun journey and the amount of knowledge I have gained is invaluable! If going back to college to work isnt your thing, you can also teach continuing education courses around the country in your specialty. This is such an important aspect to occupational therapy overall and in keeping our profession accountable and responsible now and into the future. 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