The following message was 'bounced' to me for technical reasons. I am re-directing it back to the list.
Ron ========================================================================= I certainly hope Ms. Phillips is not talking about censoring Ron's right to speak his mind, or anyone else's right to do so. Simply because you may disagree with Ron's opinion does not mean that "this list has outlived its meaning and usefulness." While each member of this list has a right to his or her own opinion, you, Ms. Philiips, have a right not to read the responses or even unsubscribe from the list if you feel that strongly. Please do not infringe on MY right to participate in this list, which I think is serving a great purpose of promoting dialogue about OT which can only help our profession in the long run. >From: "Joanne Seng" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RE: What's wrong with OT (long) >Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 15:16:31 -0400 > >Let me try this again. With respect, I do not agree that Ron is "whining >about OT.". In my opinion, he brings to the table some of the most >important >issues that we are all struggling with as OT's. I see his concerns every >day >in my job as a department head and with the therapists I supervise. I hope >I >can adequately explain: > >I work in a residential state facility for 357 persons who have >severe/profound DD. I am very lucky to work with three other OTR's and 8 >COTA's. The staff in my department assist with self care, spend a lot of >time in the dining rooms and assist with leisure activities. Additionally, >our administrators "restructured" so that our teacher and educational >assistant staff work more in the homes, on weekends and second shift. So, >there are far fewer teachers working at our three Learning Resource >Centers. >As a consequence, I have been told that my staff will be a part of the >LRC's >and have "classes". My staff are ready to mutiny. They feel I/we should >adopt a "medical model" so that we can keep our professional identity. I >resist, saying that we are a health care profession, not just medical. >Sometimes it is not what we do but the quality of what we do and how we do >it that set's us apart from other professions. Interestingly, it is the >COTA's that have a harder time with with professional identity that the >OTR's. Perhaps it is because they do not have as much training in theory as >OTR's > >I think being holistic and broad- based is a blessing and a curse at the >same time. At times, I sigh and wish I had become a nurse. After all, no >one >questions what they do. I think we need to face the idea that "occupation" >and "purposeful activity" are a PART of every health care profession. >Teachers would argue that they are preparing students for occupation as >adults and engaging their students in purposeful activity, nurses want >their >patients as independent as possible, too. Psychologists want their patients >to be able to function in society, hold down jobs and have quality of life. >To others, it may appear that we have taken bit and pieces of their >profession and made it a part of our own. In this respect, have other >professions encroached on our "turf" or have we encroached on others >professions'? I don't think the answer is all that simple. > >But I love OT and want it to be able to mesh theory and practice in a way >that will make sense to us, to the people we serve and to the people who >pay >our salaries. > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of >Irene Phillips >Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 1:16 PM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: What's wrong with OT > > >Ron, > >Let me start with my disclaimer...you, Ron, may be offended by what I am >about to say. > >What's wrong with OT is "people like you." Since your creation of this list >you have done nothing but whine about OT. You need to ask yourself the >question, what is it about OT that bothers you so much? Perhaps, OT is not >your calling and you should consider a career change. > >I believe that we should continue to debate how we practice, and how we can >keep pace with the trends in this global economy. There are many OTs out in >the practice arena who like what they do and do it well. If there is a >disparity between theory and practice, and if you are as good an educator >as >you think that you are, it is your responsibility to bridge theory and >practice by integrating such into the curriculum of your OT program. >Education is designed to teach students how to think--it cannot make them >into an OT. Practice makes one into an OT. > >Your email is a "disparity" piece itself. Reread what Reilly said..."Our >failure to appreciate what we do for patients will be the cause of our >disappearance." Ron, your failure to appreciate the profession of OT and >whatever role you think you have in it will contribute to our >disappearance. > >We live in a capitalistic and competitive society. This will not change. >The >issue is for OT to keep pace in this kind of an environment. Therefore, >unless you can constructively contribute to this dialogue, instead of >whining and bashing people the majority of the time, I suggest that you >move >on and out of our way. If you have created the OT list for it to be your >"personal forum to vent your frustration," perhaps this list has out-lived >its meaning and usefulness. > >Challenging feedback does not offend me. What offends me are assumptions >not >based upon substantive research. > >Irene Phillips, ABD, MPA, MA OTR/L >Assistant Professor >Winston-Salem State University > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ron Carson > Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 8:11 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: What's wrong with OT > > Hello: > > OK, I need to start with a disclaimer... I'm probably getting ready to >say > some things that may offend some readers and things that are much more > personal opinion rather than any sort of fact. I need to vent some > frustration and OTnow seems like a perfect forum! So, here goes! > > I don't think it will come as a big surprise to most that there's >something > "wrong" with the profession of OT. To me the biggest symptom of this > "wrongness" is the fact that we've been in existence for almost 100 >years > and people still don't know who we are. Obviously, there are reasons >for > this lack of identity but what are they? I'll be the first to say that >I > neither know exactly what nor why our profession has identity issues, >but >I > sometimes feel like I have insight into some possibilities. > > To me, I think the biggest single problem with OT having poor identity >is > that we have little continuity between what our profession say's it does >and > what practitioners and educators are doing. IF, this is an accurate > assumption (granted, it's a big if), then the consequences are >potentially > grave. > > If practitioners are not practicing in a manner consistent with our > theoretical foundations then they have little theoretical support for >what > they are doing. Likewise, if the profession's theoretical base is not >being > practiced then there's little likelihood that that base will be >validated >or > continue to expand and grow. Either of these situations is bad enough, >but > taken together, they yield a profession that is floundering in its own > 'ignorance'. (Sorry,I know that will offend some). Gosh, though, we >MUST > do something about our profession's identity problem. Otherwise, I > sincerely believe that OT will cease to exist. In fact there's a great > quote by Mary Reilly [unknown source or date] that says this same thing: > > "We won't be put out of business by any budget change or any >malice > from any other group or any kind of neglect on the part of >society. > It will be because we who are out practicing in the field fail to > realize the enormous nature of the work that we do. Our failure >to > appreciate what we do for patients will be the cause of our > disappearance". > > I think Ms. Reilly is 100% accurate and additionally, General Patton has > words of wisdom for us: "We have met the enemy and he is us". Well, IF > (another big if)we are our worst enemy then there is no reason why can't > become our own best ally. Along those lines, I would like to challenge > readers to engage in dialogue within themselves, among their peers, >among > students, with other colleagues and providers, and with AOTA to discuss >the > issue of disparity between theory and practice. And to discuss and other > issues of disparity about our profession. > > Thanks, > > Ron > > ~~~~~ > www.OTnow.com > > *********��*********** > > Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist > > ** List messages are archived at: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > *********��*********** > > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx *********��*********** Unsubscribe? 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