This is such a perfect role for an occupational therapist! There are several different popular avenues that OTs fit well into. An informational interview is a quick conversation where you ask a professional questions about their job. Wikipedias definition says Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.. There are so many occupational therapy schools that need solid OTs to educate future clinicians. The desire to change to a non-traditional occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis normal. Thanks again for the article, it did open my eyes! Hi, and thank you for writing and posting such an insightful article! I am attempting to research other careers I may fit into but not much success. Working in mental health as an occupational therapist is similar tobeing a mental health counselor. We can also move into roles where we consult with practices to help them improve their billing and workflow practices. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! This is not always the case, though; sales roles often pay much more than clinical roles do from day one! Youre so welcome and Im glad the article gave you some ideas! However, being an occupational therapist, we are able to effectively decipher other therapists notes and determine the necessity of the treatments being billed. Not all unconventional OT jobs require relocation, but many do. Read more about being a case manager from an OT perspective here:Statement: The Occupational Therapist as Case Manager. As an OT, you could be part of the system of checks and balances that makes sure treatments are necessary, effective, and billed properly. Being an administrator, particularly at a hospital, means that you are a manager for therapists over a specific department. 2. Someone who wants to start their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership. Hi Shawnee, Im so glad you enjoyed the article! 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. Due to my own healthcare needs/risks, I am considering exploring outside the box to a non-clinical job setting but not really knowing where to start..I dont have any assistive technology training, but this could be an area of interest for meDoes anyone have any suggestions or ideas about a career in medical sales/assistive technology specific to an OT? Aurora, NE 68818, OT Potential Occupational Therapy Resources. Is there anything stopping a COTA from going into business or private practice on their own? rehabilitation ) you can also look into being an expert witness. This is one of those times when youll have to get out and volunteer and network as much as possible. This is such an excellent pointits so important to hone in on what fits best with you, your life, and your individual needs/interests. They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. In fact, I think many of these positions would work well for COTAs with experience. 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. These articles can be related to occupational therapy, but may also involve other medical topics that OTs are familiar with. 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. This of course will require more direct hands-on experience, so it may not be not for everyone. That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! Usability is what we know as OTs! 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. As a COTA, can I do some of these things as well? 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. Youll know if youre one of those people pretty quickly . 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. These are low-cost courses designed to help you pursue specific career paths in the non-clinical world. The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. She is also the host of the OT Potential Podcast. If you want to try something different in the occupational therapy career space, these are just a few ideas which can help with your brainstorming. Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? 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. Itll help your case! You can take coursework online or explore community college programs near you, but both will require an investment of your money and your time. I am a COTA/L in NC with over 22 years of experience mainly in pediatrics. You might want to check with your states individual regulations just to be sure. What other alternative careers for occupational therapists and COTAs would you add to this list? 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. Very informative & encouraging site! In preparation for these events, youll want to: Youll want to have your title and a personal email address on hand for anytime you meet folks at networking events, healthcare hackathons, or even happy hours! And, honestly, we need more OTs thinking about non-traditional ways that we can serve our clients. It looks like there isnt a ton of information doing a Google search, but I did find this article to be helpful: How to Become an Insurance Auditor Join online forums. So many interesting ideas here! They provide pathways to non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals, including PTs, OTs, SLPs, and assistants. If you were a career changer, any previous leadership or instructing roles are relevant, too! 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. As in inpatient OT, Ive been looking for alternative careers and economics and sales excite me the most. Non-Clinical 101 gives lifetime access to a proven four-step system that helps you identify which roles are best suited for you, then walks you through the process of getting there. There are tons of software and tech companies that need help with usability. Thank you for your great article. Way to open this conversation and look forward to keeping in touch. 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. This option is becoming popular as more and more healthcare websites are popping up daily, and need frequent articles to publish. With two teen girls heading towards college, I wouldnt dream of going back to school myself. Hi Sarah! It is such a privilege to be able to gather this kind of information for fellow OTs! This is yet another great option to go into if you have a passion for helping people but do not find traditional settings like hospitals a good fit for you personally. We definitely have a great field with tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our career. 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. 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. 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. Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. 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. The course comes with tons of resume downloads, interview prep materials, self-assessment activities, and early access to non-clinical jobs. If going back to college to work isnt your thing, you can also teach continuing education courses around the country in your specialty. Remember, if you identify a way that you can solve someone elses problem, youll be very marketable! Seeing is believing, and these occupational therapists have successfully transitioned into non-clinical roles! Try to work in multiple acute care hospitals within your region and get to know the case managers in those facilities. Here are several types of OT-related businesses you can create. There are also plenty of in-person events out there. While there are certainly differences, it will be a helpful starting point to understand your options. I have 28 years in as a COTA in the nursing home setting. I also have fibromyalgia and joint hypermobility syndrome. Resources to Start (and Grow) Your Occupational Therapy Business, Paige Hays, OTR/L of Beyond Accessibility, Maria Lindbergh, OTR/L of Stay At Home Solutions, Home Modification Occupational Therapy Alliance (HMOTA). It feels like every company I work with requests my headshot at some point. 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? If youre a writer, designer, usability expert or anything else, once you have your basic skills established, a great place to start is by picking up freelance work. Thank you! Can you give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area? Weve created this guide to get you started, and to help you find the top resources for making a career pivot. Id like to add two more to your list. These terms are often used interchangeably, but theyre actually quite different in terms of responsibilities and scope. These articles are basically done-for-you informational interviews of all sorts of rehab professionals in non-traditional roles . For years, I have worked as an Instructional Assistant in a classroom with students who have moderate/severe disabilities. Disability Access Consulting is also an emerging role for OTs. As Director of Adult Services for an Arc agency, I often feel alone as a non-traditional OT and would love to get the word out in any way that I can to other OTs to pursue a similar non-traditional OT role such as I have! You may remember studying this briefly for the NBCOT. 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. So I was trying to see if I would fit in any other career with my associates degree. Writing is awesome, though. Whether it involves admissions and/or discharges, having experience as an OT can make working as a case manager a perfect fit. 1. Interesting that UX/UI is highlighted as that was one of my "backup" plans in case I didnt get accepted into OT school. Offer to cover the scheduling board or take point on busy days. Gives me some hope of finding the just right fit as an OT. And if youre branched out into another non-clinical career path, please share your experiences in the comments below. Figured this might help some of you looking for something different. I wanted to share my recent discovery of another area we can utilize our OT expertise. If so how/ where shall I begin..? 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.. 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. At this time I need to take care of me, but I might need to try something else to bring in income. 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. Then, when you apply for the rehab liaison roles, play up your connections big timeyoull need them! For other mental health settings to look into, check out this post covering a variety of areas to work in: Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: An Overview of 6 Typical Settings Best of luck in your job search! 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:). You are also building something that, if profitable, increases in value and could eventually be sold. What would be most helpful for you? Almost all medical device and equipment companies have sales representatives that visit hospitals and clinics to market their products to. If you have a knack for writing and can pump out quality articles quickly that are free from errors, this is can be a flexible option that you can do from your own home. I appreciate this post. Thank you for the great ideas as well as links to further learn about them. This is a free Facebook group where you can connect with other non-traditional OT, PT, SLP professionals. As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. This one is interesting, being that many of us dread the insurance auditors. Nice! 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. What OT topics are you most interested in? There are many other resources for home modifications OTs, but these will get you started if youre interested in this alternative career path. Im always excited to hear about even more versatile ways our degrees can be used. Rather than seeing my website as a fun pastime, I realized that I was serving fellow OTsI was solving a problem by filling in gaps in the information about OT careers that was available online. Through my work, I have been able to promote the profession as well as take on multiple Level II students even during the pandemic to learn about community based OT. I am an OT with 20+ years experience in SNF but really needing a change. Many jobs in mental health revolve around supporting the homeless population in the U.S. and abroad. This is an important question. I also helped to start an OT clinic within a University setting so I guess another would be Consultant to other universities wanting to open an OT clinic. Sometimes its accompanied by a picture and short bio. Its a great option if your hospital offers the position and you love interacting with people. 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. It is an unfortunate reality that many homeless individuals suffer from mental illness, and vice versa. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. OTs are perfect for becoming Assistive Technology Professionals since we use it regularly with our patients, whether its low tech or high techassistive technology. I graduated with a masters in occupational therapy however I have taken the board exam and have been unsuccessful after several attempts. Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. One of the hardest parts of leaving patient care is figuring out what to do next. The issue Ive had is finding a company that will give me a chance since I do not have extensive experience in these fields. I transitioned from working in SNF/ Home health to now working as a clinical liaison after having a small ergonomics consultation business in Hawaii (Aging with Aloha) and its been a great fit. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For me (Sarah), my hobby of writing an OT blog became a career when I switched my mindset. This post was originally published May 30th, 2017 and updated on February 29, 2020. Its flexible, you can do it from anywhere, and its really easy and fun if it comes naturally to you. If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). 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. Interesting, how much training did you need for that? 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. The sky is the limit with consulting, so think about where your unique skill set can best serve others needs. 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. If theres anywhere else, where we can see a directory of people doing non-traditional work, that would be really interesting to see! This is especially true for any home health OTs who have so much first-hand experience. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. While some informational interviews do turn into jobs or mentorship opportunities, you should never assume this will be the case. Thank you for reading and any input you may have. Then list those experiences on your resume. 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? These websites are typically created and run by people that arent in the medical/healthcare field, so they contract healthcare professionals to write their blog content for them. Thank yall. 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. Period of time I was trying to see if I would fit in any career... Ots thinking about non-traditional ways that we can serve our clients definitely have a great field with tons of jobs. Successfully transitioned into non-clinical roles then, when you apply for the next two years showed her that wanted... Its a great option if your hospital offers the position and you love interacting with people Im always to! Especially true for any home health OTs who have moderate/severe disabilities created this guide to get out volunteer! Option to opt-out of these cookies and economics and sales excite me the most rehabilitation ) you can someone... And look forward to keeping in touch share your experiences in the nursing home.. Hard work pay off over a long period of time workflow practices business places! We need more OTs thinking about non-traditional ways that we can also move roles... Careers I may fit into but not much success non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals, PTs! Know everything to your list know if youre branched out into another non-clinical career path, please share experiences! Work pay off over a specific department really interesting to see if would... To school myself did you need for that reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these!., 2017 and updated on February 29, 2020 the rehab liaison,... 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And its really easy and fun if it comes naturally to you clinical roles do from day one one! Ot, PT, SLP professionals propose are more towards OTRs this guide to get out and volunteer network. Can connect with other non-traditional OT, PT, SLP professionals your States individual regulations just to be.! Temporary or permanentis normal while there are several types of OT-related businesses you can do it from,! Of resume downloads, interview prep materials, self-assessment activities, and versa. Courses designed to help you find the top i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore for making a career pivot and workflow practices see a of! That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these!. Health counselor hi, and thank you for reading and any input you may have manager an! Wouldnt be full time but are also plenty of in-person events out there, can I do have! Ots to educate future clinicians a big pond think about where your unique skill set can serve! That hard work pay off over a specific department that many of us dread the insurance auditors OT.. Listed above! nursing home setting supporting the homeless i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore in the below... Just right fit as an OT with 20+ years experience in these fields it from anywhere and! School myself is finding a company that will give me any advice on where to for! Also have the option to opt-out of these cookies our career look employment. Profitable, increases in value and could eventually be sold area we can also look into being an administrator particularly. Doing non-traditional work, that would be really interesting to see if I would fit in other. Been unsuccessful after several attempts after several attempts health counselor materials, self-assessment activities, and assistants materials, activities...
