MSOT December 2015 copy - Manitoba Society of Occupational

December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
Manitoba Society of
Occupational Therapists
Update
Enabling Ability by Building the Occupational Therapy Community.
Connect I Enable I Grow
In This Issue:
p. 2—Professional
Development
Opportunities
p.2— CoRS
Endowment Fund
Project Competition
2016
p.3-Season's Greetings
from MSOT
p.3—Profile on OT
p.4—OT Month
Update
p.4—AGM update
p.5—Learning from
our key stakeholders:
Client perspectives
on client-centred
care
p.6—Call for
Intermediate I
Placements
p.7-8—Career Mentor
—Thea Toews, O.T.
Reg. (MB)
It is my great honour and pleasure to deliver my first address as MSOT President. I would like to thank all of our outgoing board members for their dedica@on, passion, and leadership over the past few years! I would especially like to thank Ka@e Kitchen, my immediate predecessor, for paving the way over the past two years as President and for her mentorship, leadership, and dedica@on to MSOT. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am excited to welcome our new board members this year, many of which are new graduates. I look forward to hearing their fresh perspec@ves and seeing their crea@ve methods in engaging membership in the upcoming year. Please consider joining our energe@c team, as we s@ll have a few open posi@ons! I would like to thank all MSOT members who aHended this year’s AGM in October. If you missed it, we shared the ini@al results of our strategic plan survey with membership. Thank you to all members who par@cipated in the survey and provided informa@ve feedback and responses. We appreciate your con@nued support and ideas to further occupa@onal therapy in this province. During the 2014-­‐2015 year, MSOT has con@nued to grow fiscally. We received $8560.45 from the CAOT Na@onal Conference that was held in Winnipeg earlier this year. This addi@onal income will allow us to effec@vely address the needs and issues faced by the occupa@onal therapists in Manitoba this upcoming year. As I embark on this new leadership experience, I look forward being a part of the con@nued growth and advocacy efforts to further occupa@onal therapy in Manitoba. As we con@nue to pave the way for our ever changing and evolving profession, I look forward to con@nuing to engage with you, and welcome your comments, ques@ons or feedback at any @me to my confiden@al MSOT email address, msot.president@gmail.com. Have a wonderful holiday season! p.9—Submission
Sincerely, Information
Alana Hosegood, O.T. Reg. (MB)
President, MSOT http://www.free-vectors.com/vector-happy-holidays-wallpaper/
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
Professional Development Opportunities
Klinic Community Health Centre (for more informa@on visit hHp://klinic.mb.ca/educa@on-­‐training/) ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), March 23 & 24, 2016, May 18 & 19, 2016
Trauma Informed Care (1/2 day), October 7, 2015, November 4, January 12, March 16, May 18.
Becoming Trauma Informed: Mind/Body Approaches to Creating Connection (2 day), November 25 & 26,
January 20 & 21, April 20 & 21.
Vicarious Trauma (Trauma Exposure Response), February 24, May 11.
Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute Inc. (for more information visit www.ctrinstitute.com)
Autism—Strategies for Self-regulation, Learning and Challenging Behaviours, December 8+9, 2015
Anxiety—Practical Intervention Strategies, December 10, 2015
Rehabilitation Centre of Children (for more information, please contact Yvonne Kash at
204-452-4311)
**Relate Program Introductory Series: Please try to attend both sessions**
Introduction to Dynamic Intelligence and the Guiding Relationship, February 11th, 2016
Becoming an Effective Guide, February 18th, 2016
Aulneau Renewal Center (for more information visit: http://aulneau.com)
Attachment Treatment Series: Attachment and Depression, December 2, 2015
COLLEGE OF REHABILITATION SCIENCES ENDOWMENT FUND—
2016 PROJECT COMPETITION
The College of Rehabilitation Sciences Endowment Fund was established at the University of Manitoba in 1988.
The purpose of the Fund is to support the development of the College through its various constituencies—
students, faculty members, support staff and alumni. Examples of projects that could receive support from the
fund are: enhancement of facilities, innovative teaching methods, staff development, research—any proposal that
will enhance the College and its mission is eligible for support.
Currently, over $500,000 has accumulated in the fund as a result of donations, student pledges of support and
accrued interest. Each year a portion of interest earnings are distributed to student bursaries and the
Endowment Fund Project competition. This year, approximately $29,000 will be available for distribution. One
half of the allocation will go to student bursaries and the balance to the project competition. The CoRS
Endowment Fund Project Committee extends an invitation to apply for these funds.
The deadline for application is Monday, February
1, 2016
Application forms (containing guidelines) can be obtained from the CoRS website:
http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/health_sciences/medrehab/endowment.html
Submitted by:
Ed Giesbrecht, Chair (ed.Giesbrecht@umanitoba.ca), CoRS Endowment Fund Project Committee
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
Profile on OT…
In case you missed it,
occupational therapist, Melissa
Colbeck from HSC’s MS Clinic
was featured on CBC’s
“Keeping Canada Alive.”
Access the link here: http://
www.cbc.ca/player/
play/2676860408 or you can
check out the post on twitter!
Submitted by: Julie DeGroot,
O.T. Reg. (MB)
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
OT Month Update
The MOT students on the OT month committee planned a great month of various events and activities, with
the hopes of raising money for Riding for the Disabled Association and COTF! Their efforts were not in
vain, as this year they raised $3400.00 with the support of their
classmates, faculty, and clinicians!
A special thanks goes out to Lauren Casey, Nicole Vercaigne,
Ellen Stafford, Kyrsten Godard, Sylvie Punga, Danielle Degagne,
Rebecca Alley, Kathleen Vo, Kazia Nault, Jocelyn Charpentier for
all their hard work, as partnerships formed with community
organizations, including Awesome Yoga, Acceleration Performance,
Winnipeg Harvest, Access dance for life, among others. Team OT
was also present at CIBC Run for the Cure, Winnipeg Harvest and
read You, Me and My OT by Paulette Bourgeois to children at an
inner city school.
Lauren Casey, OT month planning committee chair, would like to send special thanks to the OT community,
donors, the University of Manitoba and the MSOT board for their support during OT month. Lauren thanks all
those who participated and made this month a great success!
From a communications/social media perspective, people across Canada were engaged in Twitter
conversations throughout the month of October. The hashtag was #31dayOTchallenge. People can view the
tweets online at twitter.com. In total, there were 5,567 Tweets, 751 Participants, and 9,903,784 Impressions!
I would consider that a success. Talk about OT promotion!!
Social media update provided by: Julie DeGroot
Pictures and OT month committee update courtesy of: Lauren Casey,
MOT2 Candidate and MSOT Student Representative
COTM/MSOT AGM update
78 members attended the AGM this past October (in person or by proxy), which represents approximately
25% of the membership. There was much to discuss and the meeting was a success. The new MSOT year has
begun with several changes to the board. Katie Kitchen’s term as president has concluded and we would like
to thank her for her contributions. We would also like to thank the following outgoing members: Liz Forbes,
Karley Van Den Buscche, Amanda Deslauriers, Michelyn Brown, Nicole Brinkman, Savanna Matyas, and
Andrea Hall.
We welcome Alana Hosegood as the new MSOT President, as well as Randi Vandale, Coordinator of Member
Services; Amanda Pereira, MSOTRF co-chair; Rebecca Alley, MOT1 Student Representative; Thea Toews,
Current Affairs chair; Robyn Bonnell, Nominations and Awards co-chair; Gina Laliberte, Professional
Development co-chair, Dayna Mascitelli, Public Relations chair; and Lana Hochman & Robyn Taylor, Special
Events co-chairs. Some positions remain vacant including, Northern Rural Connector, Current Affairs and
Public Relations co-chair. We hope this year will be an eventful adventure with new endeavours and the
continuation of success and excellence for MSOT.
Submitted by: Robyn Taylor, Special Events Committee Co-chair
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
Learning from Our Key Stakeholders:
Client Perspectives on Client-Centred Practice
Client-centred practice is a fundamental concept of occupational therapy, that has mostly
been explored from the therapists’ perspective. Interestingly, although client-centred practice is
by definition focused on the client, few researchers explore what this concept means to our
clients.
Over the past year we explored occupational therapy clients’ perspective of clientcentred practice by conducting a small qualitative study where we interviewed four people with
multiple sclerosis about their experiences with OT’s. The opportunity to gather data about
client-centred practice from the clients’ perspective was a well-timed opportunity for us, four
students who were soon to enter occupational therapy practice. This article will share some of
the results that were most striking to us, and the lessons we will carry forward as we transition
from being students to practicing clinicians.
We heard participants highlight the importance and value of therapists explaining the
full scope of occupational therapy. Not knowing what OT's could do meant that clients weren't
sure what issues to mention to their therapists, and possibly left out relevant details that led to
missing out on important services and interventions. It was enlightening to us to hear that this
lack of information put pressure on clients, making them responsible to share, rather than
making therapists responsible to gather information. Similar challenges in communication
occurred when clients were not sure how much information clinicians already had about them
and their medical history. Both of these issues emphasized the importance of taking time to
explain our role and knowledge to clients; this gives clients the opportunity to receive holistic
care that addresses their most important needs, and allows us to use our full range of skills as
occupational therapists. Becoming aware of this finding will remind us to continue to check in
with clients, making sure that they are well-informed about their options for intervention.
Additionally, we learned that participants valued and responded to a wide range of
approaches to therapy. Some participants found coaching by the OT helpful, while others
appreciated the use of humour. Other participants shared how they still valued learning through
trial and error, while others felt they benefited most from the therapist’s caring attitude. The
range of preferences varied across the participants interviewed; this highlighted that each client
has his or her own preferred way of interacting and learning with therapists, resulting from their
unique lived experiences. We recognize that it is easy to fall into a routine in practice and to lose
sight of the individuality of each client. As we move into our careers, we will strive to continue to
develop our skills in multiple areas of practice, and get to know our clients in order to find the
unique approach that best fits each one.
Submitted by: Ivanka Babiak, Elissa Dykstra, Chris Friesen and Marie-Renee Lachance
Occupational Therapy Students, University of Manitoba
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
COLLEGE OF REHABILITATION SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
INTERMEDIATE I PLACEMENTS NEEDED !
May 2-June 24, 2016
We are currently short approximately 20 placements for the Intermediate I placement block. If you would
like to offer an Intermediate I placement (or discuss whether it might be a good fit for you) please contact:
Lisa: lisa.mendez@umanitoba.ca (204)-977-5632
or
Teresa: teresa.allison@umanitoba.ca (204) 789-3217
We asked some OT Fieldwork Educators why they offer during this timeframe—here are some of their
responses:
‘I actually think Intermediate I might be my favorite placement to offer as it seems like students at
this time come with a good chunk of OT knowledge and reflection experience but are also “fresh”
enough that the clinical experiences they gain during they’re placement can be endless.’
‘I feel a student at this stage of their learning “know enough to know what they don’t know” and ask
really good questions! Also, I see a lot larger gain which is very satisfying as a supervisor.’
‘We do a lot of report writing so it allows the student to get a lot of experience with developing their
documentation skills, which I know is typically an area that requires a lot of practice.’
‘I really enjoyed taking a student for the Intermediate 1 placement. It was a good fit because the
student had endless direction in which to tailor her learning.’
We also heard comments that this placement fits well with new OT roles, OT roles that are broad, and OT
roles that are very specific!
Coming Up:
t
The Advanced “call for offers” will be sent out via email in the New Year (that said we’d happily accept
offers now). This is the final placement (6 weeks) and has flexible start and finish dates, as long as it is
within June 27 and September 9th. We can wait to confirm the dates until your holidays have been
finalized.
t
Margaret Anne Campbell Rempel will be offering an” Introduction to Fieldwork Education for
Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Educators” workshop in March 2016. Keep an eye out for information
in the next MSOT Update newsletter!
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
COLLEGE OF REHABILITATION SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
CAREER MENTOR – THEA TOEWS
Thea Toews, Occupational Therapist
25 successful years, 25 career mentors
October 19, 2015 — Thea Toews [MOT/2012] is one of 700+ Career Mentor volunteers
who devote time to meeting and supporting University of Manitoba students. Each year,
career mentors share their knowledge and advice to guide the career plans and contribute
to the success of students. In celebration of 25 successful years, 25 career mentors have
agreed to share their career stories and advice…
Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are
your greatest challenges within this profession?
I am an occupational therapist working in a case management role with Home Care.
The most rewarding aspect of my work is building relationships with clients and their
families, facilitating and witnessing positive change in their lives over time. In many
occupational therapy roles, including my own, a lot of the work is time sensitive, so it
can be challenging to proactively serve those clients whose needs are more related to
quality of life than to basic health and safety.
While you were completing your degree, what experiences and activities
helped bring you to your career decision or helped you succeed in your
occupation?
I discovered several unanticipated areas of interest and passion through volunteer
experiences and by taking a variety of university courses that caught my eye. Then
I had the opportunity to complete exploratory undergraduate practicum placements with
occupational therapists both in a personal care home and at St. Amant Centre.
The diverse, challenging and thoroughly enjoyable experiences I had on these
these practicum placements convinced me that occupational therapy was definitely the career path for me.
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
Describe your career planning journey. Please include any highlights,
bumps or roadblocks.
I used a career exploration website in high school to identify some career options suited
to my interests and strengths, and there I discovered occupational therapy. During my
undergraduate degree, I completed the pre-requisites and confirmed through my practicum experiences that occupational therapy was a great fit for me. After a break from studies to travel, teach English and work, I took a few courses in early childhood education;
however, I quickly realized that occupational therapy was still what I wanted to do.
What inspired you to be a Career Mentor?
Within the Manitoba occupational therapy community, there is a strong culture of
mentorship, resource sharing and otherwise supporting one another. I have benefitted from this many times and have also had informal opportunities to ‘pay it forward.’
When a colleague told me about the Career Mentor Program, highlighting that
occupational therapists are the most frequently requested mentors, it just seemed logical
to formally participate.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in following in
your footsteps?
Work hard in the pre-requisite courses, as your average in these is a significant part of how your application to the occupational therapy program is ranked. Beyond that, pursue
whatever your interests are and become a well-rounded person who knows yourself well.
Occupational therapists need to be as diverse as the client they serve, and “therapeutic use
of self” will be a lot easier to do with clients if you have a wide range of life experience
outside of academia.
What career advice do you have for university students?
University teaches essential skills that you can apply everywhere, including how to
think critically, research thoroughly and ask good questions. Use this time to learn
more about yourself, gain exposure to new ideas and fields, and every time you meet someone with an interesting job, ask to hear that person’s story; this will reassure you
that every career path is different and show you ways to creatively turn what you love
into a living.
Originally published in UM Today News
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December 2015
Volume 21 Issue 6
SPOTLIGHT on OT SERIES:
Are you working in a new OT position?
Perhaps in a new position that is not
specifically for OT, but OT is a great fit?
Do you know someone who is
contributing to Manitoba’s OT
community through new and innovative
strategies? Or maybe you just want to
share your experience as an OT in
Manitoba with MSOT members?
Submit your story to
msot.newsletter@gmail.com
Join our Team!!
We are still looking for members to join
the MSOT board!
We are currently seeking:
•
Northern Rural Connector
•
Current Affairs co-chair
•
Public Relations co-chair
If you are interested in learning more,
please contact us at
msot.awards@gmail.com
2015-2016 MSOT ADVERTISING RATES All submissions are due on the 10th of the month prior to the month of publicaCon. Please email submissions to msot.newsleGer@gmail.com Please contact MSOT to discuss your advertising needs. Email: msot@msot.mb.ca or
call (204) 957-1214, Ext. 21
ONE TIME ADVERTISING:
1) Email blast to all MSOT members : $100
2) Newsletter: full page $200, half page $100, small ad $25
3) Web post (in members-only area of website): $200/mth
4) OT Celebration Night (annually in May): full page $300, half page $150
PACKAGES:
1) Email blast package: $250 (pkg. of 3 within a 6 month period, same ad)
2) Email blast + web post: $250
3) Email blast + web post + full page newsletter ad: $350
Editorial Policy… The Update is published 6 @mes a year and is distributed the first week of February, April, June, August, October and December. Statements, claims and opinions made in ar@cles and adver@sements are those of the author or adver@se and do not necessarily reflect the views of MSOT members or execu@ve. Submissions are also subject to editorial changes. 9