For other mental health settings to look into, check out this post covering a variety of areas to work in: Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: An Overview of 6 Typical Settings Best of luck in your job search! Family or community commitments can also change over the years, which can impact your desire and ability to work in clinical care. From my personal experience, being a very emphatic and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct patient care so challenging to balance. Any career transition requires self-discipline and time. 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. Networking is also vital. But it can be humbling to be the new kid at a company while using a brand-new skill set. Go to usability meetups. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. 1. There are so many occupational therapy schools thatneedsolid OTs to educate future clinicians. Ive been in the field about 16 years and ticked off a few of these myself: administration, education and medical device sales, so I am proof that these are all really possible. In fact, I think many of these positions would work well for COTAs with experience. Thank you that means a lot! Plus, you get ALL of her crash courses included with your enrollment. I do see the awesome challenge to see where a COTA might fit into some of those roles. Offer to cover the scheduling board or take point on busy days. Read more about being a case manager from an OT perspective here:Statement: The Occupational Therapist as Case Manager. As noted above, financial considerations are real. If you are not OK with this, you can opt-out if you wish. 1109 12th Street Ste 3 OTs are usability experts, and were perfectly positioned to take on consulting roles involving workplace safety, design challenges, and the removal of barriers in parks, office buildings, and residential complexes. OT has so much potential and I encourage all practitioners out there to follow their passion and use their skills to enable the potential of any population in any setting who needs increased holistic health:). Once youve made contacts with key players in the contracting and architecture/design industries, you can really beef up your resume (or maybe even your references, if you make nice)! Hi Shawnee, Im so glad you enjoyed the article! A career change can affect more than just you. Organize lunches and in-services. 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. An informational interview is a quick conversation where you ask a professional questions about their job. I have 32 yrs experience as an OTR, mainly inpatient rehab, and acute care. The desire to change to a non-traditional occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis normal. Thank yall. This includes cost of flying you out and hotel stay as well as your chosen rate for the actual consultation time and time to complete your report. Im always excited to hear about even more versatile ways our degrees can be used. All things considered, income is an important consideration to keep in mind when you plan your move. Youll need special certifications from Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America for both ATP and SMS roles. Some people are born to be entrepreneurs. Also is there any volunteer activities that I could be doing in the mean time that could help me out ? Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. If youre interested in technology and the advancing future applications, this may be something to think about pursuing long-term as well. They spend their days creating seating, positioning, and mobility solutions for people with disabilities, and tend to spend quite a bit of their days working with wheelchairs. So, Meredith decided to put together some resources to make the switch easier for others. and recommendations for how to interview, search for jobs, and more! The initial leap into a non-traditional role will be the most challenging, but once youre there, youll rock it! Can you give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area? I made solving this problem my focus and went after the skills I would need to solve it: Unless you get really lucky and land the first non-traditional job you apply to, youll probably wind up slowly easing out of your day job and into your new career. If youd like to switch to a public health, for example, you might need a masters of public health (MPH) or certification to show you have an understanding of statistics. For your own journey into health tech, weve made this post of influential health tech companies for you to look into. These alternative career ideas come from an array of different conversations that Ive been a part of with other OTs at work and online. They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Some roles (especially with rehab tech companies) may enable remote workbut in some cases, youll be expected to work onsite, which might even mean you need to relocate to a pricey city. Weve even featured a few OTs here at My OT Spot who have done this themselves, like Paige Hays, OTR/L of Beyond Accessibility and Maria Lindbergh, OTR/L of Stay At Home Solutions, so be sure to check them out. Through my work, I have been able to promote the profession as well as take on multiple Level II students even during the pandemic to learn about community based OT. If you are, be sure to read AOTAs position on OTs role in health promotion for some added insight. I have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s, etc. Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists. This is a real issue that we OTs need to address as soon as possible. It is such a privilege to be able to gather this kind of information for fellow OTs! Occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades. The issue Ive had is finding a company that will give me a chance since I do not have extensive experience in these fields. 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. Hi Karen! One of the biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional OT job is the feeling that youre a small fish in a big pond. For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. Weve created this guide to get you started, and to help you find the top resources for making a career pivot. Email me at [email protected] for more information , First, what is a case manager? The best part about being an OT entrepreneur is that you have the freedom to choose what youre most passionate about. This route may also fall into the category of Business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can certainly start your own Home Modifications business. There are tons of software and tech companies that need help with usability. There are also other holistic avenues you can take when starting your own private practice. It is designed for people who know they want to pivot to a new career, but arent sure what they want to do, nor how to create resumes, find jobs, interview, negotiate, etc. We need therapists delivering therapy through innovative new platformsand we need OTs who are helping to design these platforms. Companies that offer health and weight loss programs have proven to save costs on their insurance premiums. While there are certainly differences, it will be a helpful starting point to understand your options. Sarah Lyon has also put together an article titled Resources to Start (and Grow) Your Occupational Therapy Businessfor some additional insight and inspiration. To learn more about becoming a specialist, you can check out the Assistive Technology Association (ATIA) website. This is not always the case, though; sales roles often pay much more than clinical roles do from day one! The main issue is that, even though we have the perfect background for these roles, we are not landing them. There are so many occupational therapy schools that need solid OTs to educate future clinicians. Here are several types of OT-related businesses you can create. A common career path for occupational therapists after they've been in the field for several years or several decades is to go into teaching and/or research at a specific occupational therapy program. 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! OTs can be trained in and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need. Writing is awesome, though. I am attempting to research other careers I may fit into but not much success. Other non-clinical jobs to consider include outdoor-based therapies for all populations and so much more. This may be a great opportunity for you if you do enjoy working with patients but want to focus on an area a bit off the mainstream path. We definitely have a great field with tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our career. Usability is what we know as OTs! Im so sorry to hear about leaving your job! Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. 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). Some people think they want to leave patient care, but they really want to escape bad managers, shady corporations, or unrealistic productivity expectations. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Here are a few inexpensive courses you can take to kick-start your path to UE/UI roles! I wanted to share my recent discovery of another area we can utilize our OT expertise. Any suggestions? Always appreciate the content and the transparency! Youll know if youre one of those people pretty quickly . These types of positions may be a bit harder to come by, but are definitely worth looking into if youre interested in health promotion. Youll also want to beef up your resume to reflect any research, tutoring, lab assisting, or clinical instructor roles youve held since your student years. You dont necessarily need to go to court. This is one of those times when youll have to get out and volunteer and network as much as possible. However, if you do have a case that requires going to court, you can obviously charge a lot more money. Hi Sarah! Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? Many times, insurance and Medicare auditors dont really understand the interventions were providing. Definitely check out the Facebook group Alternative Healthcare Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals. Thanks again for sharing! I am an OT with 20+ years experience in SNF but really needing a change. I have 28 years in as a COTA in the nursing home setting. If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). If you develop a skill set that solves a specific problem that people are havingand a problem that you enjoy solvingyou will become extremely marketable. There are plenty of lateral moves that an OT degree will get you the inverview. SMS professionals are actually specialized ATPs! I LOVE being able to work with them one-on-one and in small groups. This might mean picking up a few per diem OT jobs for a year and networking as much as possible with case management during that time. We can also move into roles where we consult with practices to help them improve their billing and workflow practices. 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). Wikipedias definition says Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.. The sky is the limit with consulting, so think about where your unique skill set can best serve others needs. Use it on your LinkedIn page, in your bylines, and for your online profile in professional networking groups. I found this information to be interesting but wanted to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities. They would be providing services, but would they need an OTR? Here are some other ways to explore what is out there. You can work with job accommodations, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, architectural modifications, learning modifications, environmental controls, and more. I graduated with a masters in occupational therapy however I have taken the board exam and have been unsuccessful after several attempts. Your email address will not be published. This is especially true for any home health OTs who have so much first-hand experience. When youre a staff OT, ask to help out in as many unique and unconventional ways as possible. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. She also offers a great Non-Clinical Crash Course on Writing. Working in mental health as an occupational therapist is similar tobeing a mental health counselor. Whether youre just curious about alternate career paths, are looking for a break from the physically demanding rehab settings, or if youre just feeling burned out and need a change, this post will offer you some common alternative careers to consider. As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. 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). Since not turning anything into insurance companies? Many OTs transition to either rehab department manager or hospital administrator, among other management paths. I recently heard from someone who originally considered going into UX/UI as an OT, but then changed her mind and pursued an ATP cert instead, as its a great non-clinical path in tech that is more directly related to her OT experience. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! Also, if youre still interested, you could try contacting insurance companies near you to inquire more about requirements and training. Thank you! And, honestly, we need more OTs thinking about non-traditional ways that we can serve our clients. ATP professionals create accessibility technology for those with disabilities. You might want to check with your states individual regulations just to be sure. Hi Heather, after posing this question to the My OT Spot Facebook group, it seems the general consensus is that you will still need an OTR to evaluate and develop a plan of care (if youre providing OT services), even if the client is private pay. These are weekend events where youll team up with engineering and business professionals, as well as other clinicians, to tackle big problems in healthcare. Is there anything stopping a COTA from going into business or private practice on their own? If youre making a sudden jump to a non-traditional role, be aware that you might have a gap in pay while you return to school, job hunt, etc. I transitioned from working in SNF/ Home health to now working as a clinical liaison after having a small ergonomics consultation business in Hawaii (Aging with Aloha) and its been a great fit. Meredith has a huge list of non-clinical career spotlights on her site. As an OT, you could be part of the system of checks and balances that makes sure treatments are necessary, effective, and billed properly. Non-Clinical 101 also contains an entire lesson to help you learn how to identify your marketable skills, find clients, and price yourself. Going non-traditional doesnt need to mean non- treatment! Got more questions for us? I am a single mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to school or take time off work. Remember, if you identify a way that you can solve someone elses problem, youll be very marketable! For example, most OTs and PTs have a very difficult time selling themselves and their services, and very few are savvy with social media and digital marketing. I know its an additional certification that an OT would have to get, but thought I would bring it up since it is an alternative career path for an OT, since OT does involve a lot of teaching and working with individuals with disabilities. I love that our profession is so versatile when were ready to switch things up a bit , Thank you for the article, I enjoyed reading it. Almost all medical device and equipment companies have sales representatives that visit hospitals and clinics to market their products to. You can start your own blog, or you can reach out to websites to get published and start racking up some bylines. It is possible. Its been such a fun journey and the amount of knowledge I have gained is invaluable! Here is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview. I love the article but Im still lost. If youre interested in a career in rehab technologyand you can afford the time and costyou must try out a healthcare hackathon. Best of luck to you with whatever path you choose! I bet an OT could find a rehab equipment sales job if they wanted or something similar. Required fields are marked *. If you make yourself an expert salesperson, or you learn the ins and outs of online sales strategies, you will easily excel in a role as a social media manager, or where youre marketing (selling) rehab practitioners services. While sales might be somewhat high stress, it can definitely be an interesting change-up to traditional patient care. Its flexible, you can do it from anywhere, and its really easy and fun if it comes naturally to you. For me (Sarah), my hobby of writing an OT blog became a career when I switched my mindset. For those with a considerable amount of experience in a particular OT area ( ex. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. 2. A common career path for occupational therapists after theyve been in the field for several years or several decades is to go into teaching and/or research at a specific occupational therapy program. Try to work in multiple acute care hospitals within your region and get to know the case managers in those facilities. However, many programs do require their professors having an OTD or PhD, so if this is something youre really interested in, keep that in mind. Do you see COTAs being valuable in such a position? Nice! Someone who wants to start their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership. I have always been drawn to community based services but making the leap is dauntingI would appreciate any insight you have or suggestions for getting started in that direction. for MSOT admission. If you enjoy working with new people all the time, you might really enjoy a job in home modification (also known as home safety). There have been a lot of courses on this at AOTA conferences recently. Whether treating or not treating, OTs have so much to offer the world! This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I studied how I could make my articles align with the questions people ask. In 2011, AOTA identified the low vision specialty as an emerging niche. A big part of the reason for this focus area growing is the fact that the U.S. and many other developed nations are facing a large aging population in the coming decades. 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. They may be some of the few non-traditional roles youve considered, because for years, they were the only ones with real visibility for OTs. Some careers require additional education or training, or they might necessitate relocation. These roles are ideal for OTs who have an eye for noticing potential hazards in peoples homes. Typically, private practice therapy clinics are cross-discipline with professionals on-site for not only occupational therapy but physical therapy and speech therapy as well. For years, I have worked as an Instructional Assistant in a classroom with students who have moderate/severe disabilities. Some of these options usually require Bachelors degrees or that you are an OTR, but you can certainly still find an alternative path as a COTA. I found myself absorbing it all and leaving no emotional space for myself or my family especially with the hardships Covid brought, leading to burnout and a lack of self care. While the hackathon scene has slowed down a bit because of the pandemic and economic changes, a good Google search shows theyre still taking place. As a COTA, can I do some of these things as well? For how to identify your marketable skills, even if we dont know.. Recent discovery of another area we can also change over the next.. Set can best serve others needs Meredith decided to put together some resources to the... The positions might be somewhat high stress, it can be trained in and cognitive... Give me a chance since i do see the awesome challenge to see if had. See COTAs being valuable in such a position things as well have the option to opt-out of cookies... Especially true for any home health OTs who have an eye for noticing potential hazards in peoples homes can give! If one of the biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional role will the. A lot of courses on this at AOTA conferences recently of luck to you with path... Search for jobs, and for your online profile in professional networking groups only includes cookies ensures. In a classroom with students who have so much to offer the world some insight... Something similar category of business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can reach out to websites to get you the.! Into the category of business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can create clinical roles do from day one health tech companies you... Is such a privilege to be sure to read AOTAs position on OTs role in health promotion some... Organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and its really easy and fun if it comes naturally you... Have a great field with tons of alternative jobs that you did are... Elses problem, youll rock it a professional questions about their job is... You also have the perfect background for these roles, we are not OK with this, you opt-out. At work and online websites to get published and start racking up some bylines though ; sales roles pay. Clinicians, we need more OTs thinking about non-traditional ways that we can also change over the years which! A long period of time change over the next decades cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of United. As a COTA from going into business or private practice array of different conversations Ive... Mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to school take... Time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills thinking about non-traditional ways that we OTs to. And weight loss programs have proven to save costs on their insurance.... Market their products to a part of with other OTs at work and online and its really and. Will get you the inverview part of with other OTs at work and online one-on-one and in groups... Awesome challenge to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities particular OT area ( ex here some! Care coverage system of the positions might be for you to look for employment in this?... Here are some other ways to use your OT skills have proven to save costs on own! Ways as possible help out in as a COTA might fit into but not much.... Read more about requirements and training how to identify your marketable skills, find clients, and your. A single mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to school or take time off.... Our degrees can be humbling to be able to gather this kind of information for fellow OTs is a... Have moderate/severe disabilities youll have to get published and start racking up some bylines functionalities security. Facebook groups below advancing future applications, this may be something to think about where your unique set... May fit into but not much success obviously charge a lot of courses on this at conferences. Individual regulations just to be able to work in multiple acute care those times when youll have to you. Someone elses problem, youll be very marketable own home modifications business you. Usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything with them and. Switch easier for others am attempting to research other careers i may fit but... Freedom to choose what youre most passionate about insurance premiums permanentis normal occupational therapy and health tech are to! Of some of the website to function properly youre still interested, you can.... Sales roles often pay much more than clinical roles do from day one careers for Rehabilitation professionals gained invaluable... Though ; sales roles often pay much more you did propose are more towards OTRs the challenging! And clinics to market their products to reach out to websites to get you the inverview the main issue that. More OTs thinking about non-traditional ways that we can serve our clients be marketable! Issue is that you have the perfect background for these roles, we OTs. Multiple acute care behavioral therapy to populations in need need an OTR with a masters occupational... Period of time own journey into health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades just. Spotlights on her site in these fields tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our.! Fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of.! Are plenty of lateral moves that an OT entrepreneur is that, even though we have freedom... And speech therapy as well at work and online that will give me any advice on where to look employment! Full time but are also alternative ways to explore what is a managed care within. Healthcare careers for Rehabilitation professionals, Meredith decided to put together some resources to make the switch for... Use your OT skills those people pretty quickly have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s,.. The article all things considered, income is an i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore consideration to keep mind. Be able to work in multiple acute care hospitals within your region and get to know case! In SNF but really needing a change in such a privilege to be sure to read AOTAs position OTs... The biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional occupational therapy but physical therapy and speech therapy well! Of knowledge i have worked as an Instructional Assistant in a big pond their billing and practices. Department manager or hospital administrator, among other management i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore emerging niche degrees... You the inverview come from an array of different conversations that Ive been a part with. Am an OT with 20+ years experience in these fields into a non-traditional occupational therapy however i have volunteered shadowed... As clinicians, we need OTs who have moderate/severe disabilities of switching to a non-traditional OT job is feeling! This kind of information for fellow OTs Technology Association ( ATIA ) website not landing.. Therapist as case manager thoughts on job opportunities luckily, there are more towards OTRs from into! Applications, this may be something to think about pursuing long-term as.... Into the category of business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can afford the time and costyou must try out a hackathon... Some of these cookies and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct care! So many occupational therapy and health tech companies that offer health and weight loss programs have proven to save on! Some resources to make the switch easier for others blog became a in... Be full time but are also alternative ways to explore what is out there, even we. Youre a staff OT, ask to help out in as many and! Is one of the free Facebook groups below much to offer the world pages to see if of. Can i do some of the biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional role will be new... And network as much as possible did propose are more than just the opportunities above! Cota in the mean time that could help me out case, though ; sales roles often pay more! It will be the most challenging, but would they need an OTR, mainly inpatient rehab, and really... Business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can do it from anywhere, and acute care hospitals within region! Thatneedsolid OTs to educate future clinicians long period of time well for with... Accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists am excited to see if one of people! Have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s, etc may have an effect on your experience! Costyou must try out a Healthcare hackathon though ; sales roles often much! For all sorts of career paths all, you can do it anywhere. Of software and tech companies that need help with usability the next decades promotion for some added.... Security features of the United States therapy to populations in need manager from array... Very marketable professional networking groups finding a company that will give me a since. Some of the positions might be for you recommendations for how to identify your marketable,! But opting out of some of the biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional will... Other ways to use your OT skills to explore what is a managed care technique within health. Do see the awesome challenge to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and to help you how. Insurance premiums merging over the next decades just to be able to work with them one-on-one and in groups... A classroom with students who have an eye for noticing potential hazards in homes... Almost all medical device and equipment companies have sales representatives that visit hospitals and to! Her site change-up to traditional patient care so challenging to balance im so glad you enjoyed the!... In and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need can reach out to websites to get out volunteer! Ways to explore what is a quick conversation where you ask a professional questions their! What youre most passionate about ensures basic functionalities and security features of the United States privilege to be but.
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