The good news is that those jobs are certainly out there! Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? There are people doing it. Writing is awesome, though. Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! For more on ergonomics, visit AOTAs ergonomics site here. If youre interested in giving this a try for My OT Spot, were always looking for guest collaborators to provide great occupational therapy content. I am interested to know if many OTs have considered Special Education Teaching or pursued it as career changers. What other alternative careers for occupational therapists and COTAs would you add to this list? 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. 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. It is a tough decision when leaving the clinical side of things when youve been doing that for so long. As an OT, you could be part of the system of checks and balances that makes sure treatments are necessary, effective, and billed properly. So I was trying to see if I would fit in any other career with my associates degree. My only doubts about going the OT route is thinking that I may one day regret not choosing to be a Special Education Teacher and not being smart enough for some of the advanced coursework. The world of education is filled with opportunities for OTs. Youll need special certifications from Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America for both ATP and SMS roles. You can also look outside the rehab world and join groups geared toward the career path(s) of your choice. I found this information to be interesting but wanted to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities. 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. Also, note any experience you have with running insurance or auditing charts. May I reach out to possibly feature you on The Non-Clinical PT?? Someone who wants to start their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership. Thank you for your great article. Attend mixers with local home builders, contractors, and corporate development firms. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address What does your job entail? There are many other resources for home modifications OTs, but these will get you started if youre interested in this alternative career path. In academia, If you have already successfully been through ACOTE accreditation for say transitioning from Masters to Doctoral program, you may qualify to be a hired as consultant to other Universities making that same transition. Nice article! 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. Educator. Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. The first thing that often comes to mind on this front is starting your own private practice. Statement: The Occupational Therapist as Case Manager, The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist, Alternative Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals, The Best Splinting Guide for Occupational Therapists, 6 of the Best Occupational Therapy Forums, 10 Reasons Why OTs Should Be Using Occupation-Based Interventions, Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: An Overview of 6 Typical Settings, Alternative Healthcare Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals. What would be most helpful for you? You would set your own hourly rates. I LOVE being able to work with them one-on-one and in small groups. Many jobs in mental health revolve around supporting the homeless population in the U.S. and abroad. It feels like every company I work with requests my headshot at some point. rehabilitation ) you can also look into being an expert witness. Family members, significant others, and even friends might feel the impact of your change, so its vital to consider how much of a change makes sense for you at any given time. While there are certainly differences, it will be a helpful starting point to understand your options. 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:). 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. It is such a privilege to be able to gather this kind of information for fellow OTs! If youre going in this direction, check out Home Modification OT Alliance! There are plenty of lateral moves that an OT degree will get you the inverview. Given the number of paths you can take within education, theres really no one set path to get there. However, if you do have a case that requires going to court, you can obviously charge a lot more money. Thank you! So, Meredith decided to put together some resources to make the switch easier for others. Working in mental health as an occupational therapist is similar tobeing a mental health counselor. If anyone can share any additional suggestions for Ashley please do! First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. I graduated as an Occupational Therapist and am now working as a surgical neurophysiologist. Networking is also vital. Youll find endless resources on how to get started, but this article on Becoming a Health Coach from Well and Good is a good one to check out initially. Workstation ergonomics involves a deep understanding of many different facets of a variety of workplace environments. One of the hardest parts of leaving patient care is figuring out what to do next. 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. I studied how I could make my articles align with the questions people ask. 2. Ive noticed a number of people with years of experience in OT on here.im looking to switch my major and getting a Masters in OT.can I please get a few inputs on that field. One of the most important independent activities of daily living is being able to get yourself from point A to point B. 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. I graduated with a masters in occupational therapy however I have taken the board exam and have been unsuccessful after several attempts. Aurora, NE 68818, OT Potential Occupational Therapy Resources. Jouyin Teoh, an Occupational Therapist in Malaysia, ran a private practice working with clients to help them start a weight loss journey and understand good habits and strategies that benefit their health. There is a huge need to be filled in this arena, and OTs are a great fit to help here as well. In her own journey into tech, she started with consulting on the side and this grew into full time opportunities. 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. If youre not familiar with this concept, it can be described as a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving according to Psych Central. Hi Sarah! 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. They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. When there is new construction in your area (especially smaller projects like parks or municipal buildings), reach out and offer your services for free. Explore different options/gain experience before leaving your day job, 8 specific non-traditional OT jobs you can look into, Non-Clinical Jobs and Networking for PT/OT/SLP Professionals, Non-Clinical 101: The Complete Guide to Launching Your Non-Clinical Career (Save $75), You can read more about my own non-traditional journey, including how I built OT Potential, in my spotlight, Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists, interview on her career path into OT academia, becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison), this inspiring story about a 90-year-old occupational therapist, UX Design and User Experience Design for Beginners, Become a UX Designer Learn the Skills and Get the Job, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. 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). Much thanks I am a new grad and I can say with certainty that I dont want to work in SNF, hospitals, or OP. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. Once you have a few published articles under your name, you can start using sites like Upwork to start getting freelance and contract work. Hi, and thank you for writing and posting such an insightful article! And if youre branched out into another non-clinical career path, please share your experiences in the comments below. An informational interview is a quick conversation where you ask a professional questions about their job. 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!!! Youll spend your days seeking out and/or addressing patient referrals, then meeting, interviewing, and running insurance on the cases that come your way. , mentioned above, is open to all rehab professionals and run by The Non-Clinical PT. Then list those experiences on your resume. Another great option would be to work in vocational rehab in a community-based setting. If youre interested in technology and the advancing future applications, this may be something to think about pursuing long-term as well. As a COTA, can I do some of these things as well? Thanks for sharing. My OT Spot uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. You may also be interested in becoming a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist. I think that there is a huge demand for this, in particularly targeting the opioid users where we are seeing such a wide spread use. Writing is awesome, though. Basically, if you have a favorite product, get in contact with the company and see if theyre hiring sales reps. You can always Google the company and search their open positions. 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. Individual ownership run by the non-clinical PT? people ask challenges of switching a. Their job can also look into being an expert witness work with requests my headshot at some point on! Great option would be to work in vocational rehab in a big pond education, theres no. Own private practice other resources for home modifications OTs, but these will get you started if interested. 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The side and this grew into full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills Alliance...
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