This year has been an extremely difficult year of landing a job. I am considering an alternative career in OT. Thank you so much for this specific post I think as creative as we OTs are its so hard to envision a career outside of direct patient care with the fear of judgment and let down (from others and ourselves). Thanks, Geraldine for these great suggestions! 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. Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists. 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). Getting back to driving under these circumstances is not always straightforward and requires the intervention of an OT specialist. Some people are born to be entrepreneurs. This means a time commitmentand, yes, a money commitment. Try to work in multiple acute care hospitals within your region and get to know the case managers in those facilities. Hi Karen! They provide pathways to non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals, including PTs, OTs, SLPs, and assistants. Organize lunches and in-services. 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. The rules of thumb are to keep these calls quick, only ask questions about people youre interviewing, and send a thank-you note afterward. This post was originally published May 30th, 2017 and updated on February 29, 2020. Non-Clinical 101 also contains an entire lesson to help you learn how to identify your marketable skills, find clients, and price yourself. For a great perspective on this, check out OT Devon Breitharts experience as a freelance writer, complete with tips on how get started. To learn more about becoming a specialist, you can check out the Assistive Technology Association (ATIA) website. If youre going in this direction, check out Home Modification OT Alliance! Attend mixers with local home builders, contractors, and corporate development firms. 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. Liaisons face quotas, so if you hate productivity requirements, you might not enjoy this role. It is a tough decision when leaving the clinical side of things when youve been doing that for so long. For those with a considerable amount of experience in a particular OT area ( ex. 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). This one is interesting, being that many of us dread the insurance auditors. It is such a privilege to be able to gather this kind of information for fellow OTs! I studied how I could make my articles align with the questions people ask. The first thing that often comes to mind on this front is starting your own private practice. Nice article! To get started, Upwork is a great platform that most businesses hire their writers from. Here is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview. Hi 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. Many times, insurance and Medicare auditors dont really understand the interventions were providing. Read more about being a case manager from an OT perspective here:Statement: The Occupational Therapist as Case Manager. The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. Im always excited to hear about even more versatile ways our degrees can be used. Go to usability meetups. There are some clinics that focus solely on occupational therapy, and these are typically in the pediatric and hand-therapy disciplines. Thank yall. In 2017, she launched The Non-Clinical PT, a career development platform that helps rehab professionals leverage their experience, education, and experience in fulfilling non-clinical careers. Other non-clinical jobs to consider include outdoor-based therapies for all populations and so much more. 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. Thank you for reading and any input you may have. The good news is that those jobs are certainly out there! 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. 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. If youre interested in giving this a try for My OT Spot, were always looking for guest collaborators to provide great occupational therapy content. For your own journey into health tech, weve made this post of influential health tech companies for you to look into. If youre interested in technology and the advancing future applications, this may be something to think about pursuing long-term as well. Whether treating or not treating, OTs have so much to offer the world! 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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).. Wikipedias definition says Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.. I have been struggling for a while to find my just right fit. Very informative & encouraging site! So I was trying to see if I would fit in any other career with my associates degree. Itll help your case! Thanks again for the article, it did open my eyes! I also have fibromyalgia and joint hypermobility syndrome. 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. 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. Because of this, treatments that really are necessary may get denied by auditors that dont understand working on deficits. I LOVE being able to work with them one-on-one and in small groups. Sometimes its accompanied by a picture and short bio. Going non-traditional doesnt need to mean non- treatment! While sales might be somewhat high stress, it can definitely be an interesting change-up to traditional patient care. Get business cards printed with your OT credentials (and any other special certifications you pursue). 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. It combines theory and functional knowledge of people and occupation, with the creative skills of design. Since not turning anything into insurance companies? This article walks you through the self assessment of your situation and showcases OTs who work in non-traditional jobs. I wanted to share my recent discovery of another area we can utilize our OT expertise. Then list those experiences on your resume. As in inpatient OT, Ive been looking for alternative careers and economics and sales excite me the most. Becoming a home modification specialist for aging in place or individuals with new disabilities is another great alternative that OTs are already very knowledgeable about. OTs can be trained in and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need. Much thanks Occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades. 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. There are so many occupational therapy schools thatneedsolid OTs to educate future clinicians. Always appreciate the content and the transparency! 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. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! There are several different popular avenues that OTs fit well into. This is an important question. Thank you! This is not always the case, though; sales roles often pay much more than clinical roles do from day one! There are also plenty of in-person events out there. ATP professionals create accessibility technology for those with disabilities. Its been such a fun journey and the amount of knowledge I have gained is invaluable! You can work with job accommodations, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, architectural modifications, learning modifications, environmental controls, and more. That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! 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. Rock on, OTs!!! Email me at Sarah@myotspot.com for more information , First, what is a case manager? 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!!! Opting for allopathic therapies instead of natural therapies is a little bit of risky.https://himalayashilajit.com/, Just happened upon this outstanding website!!!! Working in mental health as an occupational therapist is similar tobeing a mental health counselor. Its flexible, you can do it from anywhere, and its really easy and fun if it comes naturally to you. As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. Offer to cover the scheduling board or take point on busy days. This is especially true for any home health OTs who have so much first-hand experience. You can also look outside the rehab world and join groups geared toward the career path(s) of your choice. rehabilitation ) you can also look into being an expert witness. 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. Writing is awesome, though. I graduated last year and have been looking non stop for a position Ive applied to countless places and some respond back while others do not and I have had only 1 live interview and 4 phone call interviews. Thank you so much for posting this. Its not necessary, but its helps you feel committed psychologically when you feel youve truly exhausted all options in clinical care before trying something new. While written for a physical therapy clinic, their model can certainly be followed for starting any type of therapy clinic. This is a real issue that we OTs need to address as soon as possible. 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. Another common career path next to going into teaching is to become an administrator. 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. There is a huge need to be filled in this arena, and OTs are a great fit to help here as well. Definitely check it out! The guide helps you think through key questions to get your business off the ground like should you have a specialty, what equipment should you buy, and whats the best way to manage operations? If you are not OK with this, you can opt-out if you wish. Some require that you take a steep pay cut to enter the field. I hope this post gave you some inspiration and ideas if youre looking for a change. These types of positions may be a bit harder to come by, but are definitely worth looking into if youre interested in health promotion. Be sure to join the above mentioned Alternative Careers for Rehab Professionals FB group as there are a number of OTs in the group who have gone into sales and can give their perspective. offer contract work (similar to registry or per diem work) for creatives. 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. In fact, I think many of these positions would work well for COTAs with experience. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. In our interview with Kaia Health Product Manager, Winnie Tsui, OTL, CHT, MBA, Winnie shares the importance of building (and showcasing) a pathway into tech via stepping stones. 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. Youre so welcome and Im glad the article gave you some ideas! It is possible. Occupational injustices present an exciting non-traditional/non-clinical community based setting in which to do holistic OT treatment. If there is any other advice you could give me i would really appreciate it, thank you for your time. Usability is what we know as OTs! Companies that offer health and weight loss programs have proven to save costs on their insurance premiums. Hello fellow therapist. Definitely check out the Facebook group Alternative Healthcare Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals. I came to the conclusion that Occupational Therapy most closely aligned with my personality. I do see the awesome challenge to see where a COTA might fit into some of those roles. Reach out to companies like MedBridge, OccupationalTherapy.com, and Embodia Academy; if youve got quite a bit of niche clinical experience, you may be able to teach a course with them! 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. The issue Ive had is finding a company that will give me a chance since I do not have extensive experience in these fields. For more information about careers in medical sales, check out this post on Monster.com:Pharma, Biotech, Medical-Device Sales: Which Is for You? 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. My OT Spot uses cookies to improve your experience. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Id like to add two more to your list. There are plenty of lateral moves that an OT degree will get you the inverview. 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). You can take coursework online or explore community college programs near you, but both will require an investment of your money and your time. At this time I need to take care of me, but I might need to try something else to bring in income. And if youre branched out into another non-clinical career path, please share your experiences in the comments below. This is Merediths flagship course. 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. 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. 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. Networking is also vital. Here, youll get the chance to work one-on-one with individuals, many times veterans, who need help getting back to work. I am a COTA/L in NC with over 22 years of experience mainly in pediatrics. Youll also need to take exams to get certified. Here are several types of OT-related businesses you can create. But it can be humbling to be the new kid at a company while using a brand-new skill set. We can also move into roles where we consult with practices to help them improve their billing and workflow practices. 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. We definitely have a great field with tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our career. A headshot is an easy way to start establishing your personal brand. Youll spend your days scrutinizing environments, then making recommendations to ensure they are free from hazards and have injury prevention measures in place. It might take a bit of applying to a variety of positions but explaining to the prospective employers about your experience will be really beneficial. Interesting, how much training did you need for that? The first thing youll need as a writer is to get published online. They would be providing services, but would they need an OTR? Once you have a few published articles under your name, you can start using sites like Upwork to start getting freelance and contract work. These articles are basically done-for-you informational interviews of all sorts of rehab professionals in non-traditional roles . We need therapists delivering therapy through innovative new platformsand we need OTs who are helping to design these platforms. For more on ergonomics, visit AOTAs ergonomics site here. 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. One of the hardest parts of leaving patient care is figuring out what to do next. Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! Interesting that UX/UI is highlighted as that was one of my "backup" plans in case I didnt get accepted into OT school. They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). Here are some other ways to explore what is out there. Being an administrator, particularly at a hospital, means that you are a manager for therapists over a specific department. 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. Educator. Its a great option if your hospital offers the position and you love interacting with people. Hi Shawnee, Im so glad you enjoyed the article! Leave them in the comments! Many of these non-traditional roles, like client/customer success, might not initially be as lucrative as clinical roles. If youre interested in working with home modifications, be sure to also check out AOTAs Home Modifications page. I would love to hear more about your experience! For me (Sarah), my hobby of writing an OT blog became a career when I switched my mindset. There are definitely quite a few OTs that make the switch into medical device sales. The group moderators are very motivating and its informative seeing what others are doing with their therapy degrees. Glad I found you at the perfect time in my career. If so how/ where shall I begin..? Thanks! 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. One of the most important independent activities of daily living is being able to get yourself from point A to point B. Definitelyequipment sales jobs are perfect for OTs and OTAs! Remember, if you identify a way that you can solve someone elses problem, youll be very marketable! 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. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. 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. Hi Martin, thanks for your comment. 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:). 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. . Any suggestions? Many OTs and COTAs have also tied their love of health promotion into starting their own health coaching business that targets people looking to improve their health and well-being. The wonderful thing about being an occupational therapist or COTA is that our education and experience is so versatile, but it can be hard to know exactly where to turn if you want to do something out of the norm. This route may also fall into the category of Business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can certainly start your own Home Modifications business. 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. , mentioned above, is open to all rehab professionals and run by The Non-Clinical PT. The income potential long-term is far greater, and if set up properly, would allow you to make money even when youre not at the clinic. If youre making a slow transition into a new career, you may be able to make some money as a registry or per diem OT during the process. Almost all medical device and equipment companies have sales representatives that visit hospitals and clinics to market their products to. I do hope this list at least gives you a few non-physical types of job ideas to help you with your career transition. 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. I graduated as an Occupational Therapist and am now working as a surgical neurophysiologist. Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. Life happensyou may have an injury or health condition forcing you to step away from something you love, or you may simply be burned out and seeking change. Be sure to also check out Indeed.com as well for additional ideas to help you with a new income source. Youll know if youre one of those people pretty quickly . Aurora, NE 68818, OT Potential Occupational Therapy Resources. 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. Your first byline is most difficult to attain. With two teen girls heading towards college, I wouldnt dream of going back to school myself. Thank you! There are many avenues your non-traditional OT career could take, but here we highlight nine of the most common. 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. our interview with Kaia Health Product Manager, Winnie Tsui, OTL, CHT, MBA. If youre wrinkling your nose at such ideas, it doesnt mean you cant pursue non-traditional workbut being open-minded and willing to shake things up certainly broadens your options. Some people think they want to leave patient care, but they really want to escape bad managers, shady corporations, or unrealistic productivity expectations.
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