Here are some examples (Merediths is cooler): Consider reaching out to write a guest post for your favorite publication. 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 tapping people to ask for their time gives you the heebie jeebies, dont worry! Occupational injustices present an exciting non-traditional/non-clinical community based setting in which to do holistic OT treatment. Is there anything stopping a COTA from going into business or private practice on their own? If youve landed on this article, you may be currently wondering, What else can I do with my occupational therapy degree that is not direct patient care? or are looking into non-clinical occupational therapy job options. Your first byline is most difficult to attain. Also, note any experience you have with running insurance or auditing charts. Occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades. Got more questions for us? Some people are born to be entrepreneurs. Best of luck to you with whatever path you choose! Sometimes its accompanied by a picture and short bio. I am a new grad and I can say with certainty that I dont want to work in SNF, hospitals, or OP. If youre interested in working with home modifications, be sure to also check out AOTAs Home Modifications page. There are tons of software and tech companies that need help with usability. What OT topics are you most interested in? Thank you so much for posting this. Its flexible, you can do it from anywhere, and its really easy and fun if it comes naturally to you. Here is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview. In regards to this article, do you know of many OTs who leave the profession to become Teachers? 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. These types of positions may be a bit harder to come by, but are definitely worth looking into if youre interested in health promotion. Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. 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 recently found a job on indeed.com with the title skilled inpatient care coordinator. It is similar to what a case manager does, but there are now companies hiring therapists in addition to nurses (who are typically utilized in a case management position). You can take coursework online or explore community college programs near you, but both will require an investment of your money and your time. Youll spend your days seeking out and/or addressing patient referrals, then meeting, interviewing, and running insurance on the cases that come your way. There are definitely quite a few OTs that make the switch into medical device sales. Seeing is believing, and these occupational therapists have successfully transitioned into non-clinical roles! The documentation, stress, productivity and inconsistency between supervisors were factored into my decision. All the allopathic therapies leave some side effects on the patients care. 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. Thanks for the great article . 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. 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.. Not sure where youre located, but Center for Community Partnerships in Fort Collins, CO is a great agency for community integration/job retention services. Not all unconventional OT jobs require relocation, but many do. Your email address will not be published. Learn how your comment data is processed. Even if you love writing, but have some questions about grammar or earning money, there are courses you can take that will expedite the process. Family or community commitments can also change over the years, which can impact your desire and ability to work in clinical care. Hi Shawnee, Im so glad you enjoyed the article! Wikipedias definition says Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.. 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. Heres where working with a career coach or career counselor can be very helpful. For me (Sarah), my hobby of writing an OT blog became a career when I switched my mindset. Here are some other ways to explore what is out there. That said, you dont need any additional training to write for your next career! Rock on, OTs!!! You might want to check with your states individual regulations just to be sure. If there is anything that I can do here on this website or collaborate with evidenced based research or any type of publication to get this good word out, please do let me know!!! 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. I would like to help people with mental illness gain and retain employment. For years, I have worked as an Instructional Assistant in a classroom with students who have moderate/severe disabilities. So is there any jobs right now I could look at or apply to to get my foot in the door without having to go back to school or getting another liscence? Thank you for reading and any input you may have. You can start your own blog, or you can reach out to websites to get published and start racking up some bylines. Hi Jeanne, 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This is such an important aspect to occupational therapy overall and in keeping our profession accountable and responsible now and into the future. Theyre an excellent introduction into the world of startups, not to mention a great networking opportunity! This is especially true for any home health OTs who have so much first-hand experience. For example, sales, business development, and clinical/patient trainer jobs often require you to cover a particular territory, which might be far from where you live. This course covers the difference between health and medical writing, and it has resume and cover letter templates, as well as interview practice questions and advice. There are so many types of medical equipment that we work with on a regular basis, like neuro VR programs, e-stim, modalities, dynamic splinting, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and so on. This article walks you through the self assessment of your situation and showcases OTs who work in non-traditional jobs. Martin. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. You may remember studying this briefly for the NBCOT. Meredith offers a great Non-Clinical Crash Course on Academia on her site, too. Thanks again for the article, it did open my eyes! 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. The site is chock-full of great information to help you launch a non-traditional OT career. Writing is one of the easiest switches you can make, but you have to be willing to put in lots of time, and you might take a pretty steep pay cut at the beginning. Hello fellow therapist. Get business cards printed with your OT credentials (and any other special certifications you pursue). This means a time commitmentand, yes, a money commitment. I found this information to be interesting but wanted to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities. . Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! This of course will require more direct hands-on experience, so it may not be not for everyone. 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. 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. Also is there any volunteer activities that I could be doing in the mean time that could help me out ? Someone who wants to start their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership. You are also building something that, if profitable, increases in value and could eventually be sold. Usability is what we know as OTs! Any career transition requires self-discipline and time. I love the article but Im still lost. 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. 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. Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? Thanks for sharing. With the recent change in insurance and the virus and being a new Cota everywhere I apply or look for only wants someone with experience, but how am I able to get experience if I cannot even get a chance to show them my skills. Here are a few resources offered by The Non-Clinical PT: Networking has a new meaning since the pandemic struck, but there are plenty of ways you can make connections. Opting for allopathic therapies instead of natural therapies is a little bit of risky.https://himalayashilajit.com/, Just happened upon this outstanding website!!!! Do you see COTAs being valuable in such a position? As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. Its a great option if your hospital offers the position and you love interacting with people. Itll help your case! Then list those experiences on your resume. 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. 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. Im always excited to hear about even more versatile ways our degrees can be used. This is a real issue that we OTs need to address as soon as possible. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. Nice article! First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. 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. Can you give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area? Sarah Lyon, OTR/L Sarah wasnt looking to leave patient care, but about five years into her career,realized that she could potentially help more patients by serving occupational therapists through her website, OT Potential. 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! Id like to add two more to your list. 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. Some require that you take a steep pay cut to enter the field. There are also plenty of in-person events out there. What does your job entail? offer contract work (similar to registry or per diem work) for creatives. If youre going in this direction, check out Home Modification OT Alliance! There probably isnt an OT provider out there who hasnt thought about taking a break from patient care. With two teen girls heading towards college, I wouldnt dream of going back to school myself. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! 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. While there are certainly differences, it will be a helpful starting point to understand your options. That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! You can also look outside the rehab world and join groups geared toward the career path(s) of your choice. I (Sarah) got one done in the early stages of my website and, honestly, it has just made life easier. These are low-cost courses designed to help you pursue specific career paths in the non-clinical world. While sales might be somewhat high stress, it can definitely be an interesting change-up to traditional patient care. Thank yall. 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. 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. Being an administrator, particularly at a hospital, means that you are a manager for therapists over a specific department. Looking more towards the future, this is an easy field to get excited about, especially when you see things like this in the news:Prosthetic Limbs, Controlled by Thought. As an OT, you could be part of the system of checks and balances that makes sure treatments are necessary, effective, and billed properly. There have been a lot of courses on this at AOTA conferences recently. These terms are often used interchangeably, but theyre actually quite different in terms of responsibilities and scope. Going non-traditional doesnt need to mean non- treatment! SMS professionals are actually specialized ATPs! Rehab liaisons, also known as intake coordinators or intake liaisons, are responsible for finding the right patients for inpatient rehab facilities/inpatient rehab units (IRFs/IRUs). Whether it involves admissions and/or discharges, having experience as an OT can make working as a case manager a perfect fit. 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. 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. More information can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Even if you dont move up in your existing company, you can list what youve done on your resume and start applying for lead roles at other facilities. The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. Not only are you in charge of scheduling, but you are responsible for coaching therapists about how to become better, intervening in tough situations, keeping everyone motivated, and reporting to higher level management about the productivity and efficiency of your department. Ot credentials ( and any input you may have time that could help me out traditional patient.... 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