Essay Sample on Website Comparison and Contrast Between NJOTA and AOTA

New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association denoted as (NJOTA) has several similarities or common features with American Occupational Therapy Association denoted as (AOTA) in comparison. The two therapeutic associations have a similar heading title to “practice”. On the website, the heading gives a general knowledge of what is happening within the institution. For instance, in NJOTA the heading entails subtopics like licensure, practice area, multicultural interests, OTA scope of practice- school certification, and special interest group. When in need of practicing occupational therapy section, an individual has to read the heading practice as well as all the subtopics under the same heading(NJOTA, n.d). The heading “practice” on the AOTA website contains subtopics such as children and youth, health and wellness, and productive aging among others (AOTA, n.d). The mentioned subtopics help an individual to understand his role and the things he will achieve by understanding which subtopic he will tackle when practicing therapy sessions.

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Another similarity between AOTA and NJOTA is the professional development opportunities. Under the heading conference and events on both websites, the conferences held in the past had an aim of listing all the professional opportunities as career counsellor in USA. Some of professional opportunities in NJOTA discussed during the conferences included continuing education opportunities which was made easy by the introduction of NJOTA scholarships (NJOTA, n.d). While the conferences held by AOTA associates discuses professional development opportunities by highlighting exhibitors and sponsors and holding one month of occupational therapy conference to encourage people on the importance of becoming a therapist (AOTA, n.d).

The difference between the two therapies associations on the topic “practice” is that they handle different subtopics. These subtopics are as a means to make people understand what an individual should do in case he is interested in practicing therapy after completion of the course. NJOTA topic of practice handles sub topics such as licensure, practice area, multicultural interests, OTA scope of practice- school certification and special interest group while AOTA`s topic of practice handles subtopics such as children and youth, health and wellness, productive aging, rehabilitation and disabilities, work and industry among others.

Another difference is on the idea of the professional development opportunities. The two associations hold conferences that discuss different topics as a way of pointing out the development opportunities in therapy profession to therapists. According to NJUTA some of the professional development opportunities are scholarships and need to continue with education while AOTA’s professional development opportunities are exhibitors and sponsors then the events that should be held to encourage the practice such as a month of therapy conference.

Topics of Interest

The three main topics of interest in NJOTA and AOTA website are news, conference and students. The mentioned topics makes an individual to gain more interest and desire to know what occupational therapy associations entails. It also helps those students that pursue therapy as a career with a general knowledge of what their responsibilities are after completion of the course. Under the topic news, when clicked the website provides an update of what is happening around us such as the reasons why an individual should first attend an occupational therapy session before deciding on what career they want to pursue. The topic news also lists all the achievements, mission and goals of the occupational therapy institutions. The topic conference on the website gives an individual a summary on what was discussed on the past conferences as well as all the events that took place during and after the conference. The topic students outlines the qualification that an individual should have for him to secure admission in the therapeutic institutions. The topic also shows the duration of study alongside the courses that will be offered after admission.

The main role of Occupational Therapist Practitioner (OTP) is to assess clients, plan and implement involvements to meet individual client goals as well as measure the outcome. This role is achieved by providing a direct services, consulting and offering consumer education to make them understand what they will going through during and after every session. According to Reiter, Helgeson and Lee (2018), they listed some of the ways in in which the role of OTP is enhanced by knowledge professional involvement associations. These ways include self – reflection and self-awareness, cultural effectiveness and having a professional value and behavior.

Through self –reflection and self- awareness a therapist can be aware of how to control himself and not show any form of emotional instability and reassure clients that whatever they share remains confidential. He is also in a position to understand each group of client respective of their different views, opinions, stances, behaviors, expectations, and perception when it comes to counselling sessions. The above knowledge also helps the person going for counselling to trust therapist and open up to him or her on what he would like to pursue as a career.

Another way is by creating cultural effectiveness. Through cultural effectiveness therapist have the ability to understand and appreciate each culture hence during the meeting he may not sound judgmental when making the final decision. Because the therapist has a responsibility to involved himself in a critical evaluation before, during and after the meetings. This can be achieved when a therapist professional acquire the right knowledge, skills and attitudes when handling different individuals with different cultures. Therapy institutions should expose students who pursue occupational therapist career to cultural training so that they may have a general idea that very individual is unique and everybody has his or her own cultural practices and beliefs. Through cultural awareness, the role of OTP will be enhanced since many clients will have a positive comment on how the therapist understands each person despite the difference in their culture.

The final way of enhancing OTP is through professional values and behavior. A therapist should have specific knowledge, attitudes and values for him to have a successful counselling career. Some of the values a therapist should acquire include equality, truth, and prudence among others. These values helps one to have courage to handle different topics without getting confused on what to do.

Ways Students Can Get Involved In Political Advocacy

The APA Annual Convention held in August, 2012, stated that students could also get involved in the political arena and create a difference (Vasquez, 2012). Students get involved in political advocacy through practices such as voting, informing themselves, fuelling their passions and supporting their communities. When students get involved with their local communities through attending community organizations, shopping at local stores and volunteering activities, they make connections with like-minded individuals and collaborate with them to solve the challenges affecting their communities (Vasquez, 2012). Fuelling passion involves prioritizing issues relevant to a student and the respective political environment. A student researches for information vital to create sound decisions on their community and country’s political system. When voting, a student exercises his right to advocate for change through voting for an appropriate political leader.

Strategies to Improve Consumer Access to Occupational Therapy

Crabtree (1993), listed some of the ways to improve consumer access to occupational therapy through mimicry and authenticity. Other ways include the reduction of legalities to approve one to become a professional occupational therapist. The department of health should come up with laws that mandate all therapy institutions to minimize cost of therapy and lastly build therapeutic institutions in rural areas. When legalities are reduced, many people will acquire licensure to operate as therapists hence the number of therapists will increase and customers will have an adequate number of therapists attending to their needs. The mentioned strategies will enable customers to easily access therapy services without fear of expense or traveling over a long distance since the institutions will be near them.

References

America Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Home; AOTA. Retrieved from https://www.aota.orgCrabtree, J. L. (1993). Improving consumer access to occupational therapy: through mimicry or authenticity. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47(7), 651-652.

New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA). Home; NJOTA. Retrieved from https://www.njota.org

Reiter, K., Helgeson, L., & Lee, S. C. (2018). Enhancing Professionalism among OT Students: The Culture of Professionalism. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 2(3), 8. Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol2/iss3/8/

Vasquez, M. J. (2012). Psychology and social justice: Why we do what we do. American Psychologist, 67(5), 337.