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Perspectives from Emerging Leaders

Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, OTR/L
o Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC)

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L
o California Children’s Services (Los Angeles, CA)

D’Andre Holland, OTD, OTR/L
o Every Child Achieves (Los Angeles, CA)

Catherine Hoyt Drazen, OTD, OTR/L
o Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

Nadine Kwebetchou, MS, OTR/L
o VA Palo Alto (Palo Alto, CA)

Stacy Wilson, MS, OTR/L
o WakeMed Health and Hospital (Raleigh, NC)
 Rationale
and Background
 Focus Group Results and Discussion
 Personal Perspectives
 Moving Toward the Diverse Workforce of the
Centennial Vision
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We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful,
widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based
profession with a globally connected and diverse
workforce meeting society's occupational needs.
(AOTA, 2007)

di·ver·si·ty
noun \də-ˈvər-sə-tē, dī-\
: the quality or state of having many different forms, types,
ideas, etc.
: the state of having people who are different races or who
have different cultures in a group or organization
(Merriam Webster, Inc., n.d.)
Age
Socioeconomic
status
Sexual
orientation
Education
Diversity
Religion
Gender
Nationality
Race/
Ethnicity

Population (2012): 313, 873, 685
o
o
o
o
Under 5 years: 6.4%
Under 18 years: 23.5%
19 to 64 years: 62.8%
65 and over: 13.7%
o Female: 50.8%
o
o
o
o
o
o
White, alone: 63.0%
Black/African American, alone: 13.1%
American Indian/Alaska: 1.2%
Asian, alone: 5.1%
Two or more races: 2.4%
Hispanic/Latino: 16.9%
(U.S. Department of Commerce, 2014)
(U.S. Department of Commerce, 2014)

AOTA Academic Programs Annual Data Report: 2011-2012
(AOTA, 2012)

AOTA Faculty Workforce Survey (December 2010)
(AOTA, 2010)
AIAN=American Indian and Alaska Native; NHPI=Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
70
60
50
40
2012
2035
2060
30
20
10
0
White
Black
AIAN
Asian
NHPI
Two or
More
Races
Hispanic
(As cited by U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division in Census.gov, n.d., p. 45)

AOTA Academic Programs Annual Data Report: 2011-2012
(AOTA, 2012)

AOTA Academic Programs Annual Data Report: 2011-2012
(AOTA, 2012)

AOTA Faculty Workforce Survey (December 2010)
(AOTA, 2010)




B.1.3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of
human behavior... including but not limited to introductory sociology or
introductory anthropology.
B.1.4: Apply knowledge of the role of the sociocultural, socioeconomic
and diversity factors and lifestyle choices in contemporary society to
meet the needs of individuals and communities.
B.1.5: Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and practical
considerations that affect the health and wellness needs of those who
are experiencing or are at risk for social injustice, occupational
deprivation and disparity in the receipt of services.
B.2.9: Express support for the QOL, well being and occupation of the
individual, group or population...considering the context (cultural,
personal, temporal, virtual).
(AOTA, 2011)





B.4.7: Consider factors that might bias assessment results, such as
culture, disability status, and situational variables related to the
individual and context.
B.5.20: Effectively interact through written, oral, and nonverbal
communications with the client, family, significant others, communities,
colleagues, other health providers and the public.
B.5.33: Provide population-based occupational therapy intervention
that addresses occupational needs as identified by the community.
B.6.3: Integrate current social, economic, political, geographic and
demographic factors to promote policy development and the provision
of OT services.
B.7.9 (OTD only): Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to write
program development plans for provision of services to individuals and
populations.
(AOTA, 2011)

“Occupational therapy practitioners have the responsibility to
intervene with individuals and communities to limit the effects of
inequities that result in health disparities. Practitioners have
knowledge and skills in evaluating and intervening with
individuals and groups who face physical, social, emotional, or
cultural challenges to participation. Further, the American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) supports advocacy to
increase access to health services for persons in need, and
efforts to lessen or eliminate health disparities are consistent
with the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics
Standards (2010) (AOTA, 2010).”
(AOTA, 2013)
Benefits and drawbacks to diversity:
o Pros: Increased creativity and innovation
o Con: increased conflict through a variety of ideas and
beliefs presents
o Mediating factors to negative effects of diversity are:
1. Leadership
2. Communication
(Dreachslin, Weech-Maldonado, & Dansky, 2004)

“Leaders who are able to validate alternative realities and
appreciate different perspectives appear to moderate the potential
negative effects of racial diversity on team communication
processes and strengthen the positive aspects of diversity”
(Dreachslin, Hunt, & Sprainer, 2000, p. 1403)

“Minorities receiving care in hospitals with a less diverse
inpatient population may face greater barriers to health
care than those receiving care in hospitals with a more
diverse patient population.”
(Weech-Maldonado et al., 2012, p. 821)
“There is a need for occupational therapy to deepen its
understanding of how the experience of being a minority group
client within a therapeutic relationship intersects with the
process and outcomes of occupational therapy.”
(Kirsh, Trentham, & Cole, 2006)