For the season four opener, OT JEDI looks at state-level advocacy in occupational therapy with special guest Beth Chiariello, President of the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) and Chair of the OT Department at Touro University.

Beth shares her insights on how legislation and policy shape everyday OT practice, why staying informed at the state level is essential, and how NYSOTA supports practitioners and students through advocacy, education, and professional development. From recent legislative wins to common misconceptions about state laws, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration.

We also explore the value of NYSOTA membership, the importance of being involved in shaping policy, and what the future holds for OT in New York. Plus, hear about NYSOTA’s annual conference and educational offerings that help keep the profession thriving.

For more information on and to join the New York State Occupational Therapy Association, go to https://www.nysota.org/

In this episode of OT JEDI, we explore a critical but often overlooked topic—sexual health literacy among older adults living with HIV. Joined by occupational therapists Riley David and Dr. Kathryn Burke, we dive into their pilot study evaluating occupation-based sexual health education programs. We discuss how knowledge, stigma, fear, and pleasure intersect in the lives of older adults, and how occupational therapy can play a key role in fostering safe, empowered, and fulfilling intimate experiences.

Resources

The Network for LGBTQIA+ Concerns in Occupational Therapy | Queer Health

The Capstone Collective

Follow Dr. Burke on Instagram @otkate or find her at Johnson & Wales University

References

David, R. & Burke, K. (2025, April 5). Evaluating the effectiveness of
occupation-based programming on the sexual health literacy of older adults living with HIV [Poster session]. American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Inspire, Philadelphia, PA. https://tinyurl.com/y96srmd4

In this episode, our guest, Karen Jacobs, explores the role of AI in occupational therapy—from streamlining documentation and facilitating communication through translation to addressing health disparities while considering ethical implications. She discusses AI’s potential in assessment, intervention, client engagement, and its ability to make OT education more equitable.

Referenes

Alowais, S. A., Alghamdi, S. S., Alsuhebany, N., & et al. (2023). Revolutionizing healthcare: The role of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. BMC Medical Education, 23, 689. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04698-z

Çela, E., Fonkam, M. M., & Potluri, R. M. (2024). Risks of AI-Assisted Learning on Student Critical Thinking: A Case Study of Albania. International Journal of Risk and Contingency Management (IJRCM), 12(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJRCM.350185

Gandhi, T. K., Classen, D., Sinsky, C. A., Rhew, D. C., Vande Garde, N., Roberts, A., & Federico, F. (2023). How can artificial intelligence decrease cognitive and work burden for frontline practitioners? JAMIA Open, 6(3), ooad079. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamiaopen/ooad079

Mansour, T., & Wong, J. (2024). Enhancing fieldwork readiness in occupational therapy students with generative AI. Frontiers in medicine, 11, 1485325. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1485325

Montenegro-Rueda, M., Fernández-Cerero, J., Fernández-Batanero, J. M., & López-Meneses, E. (2023). Impact of the Implementation of ChatGPT in Education: A Systematic Review. Computers, 12(8), 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers12080153

Nilsen, P., Sundemo, D., Heintz, F., Neher, M., Nygren, J., Svedberg, P., & Petersson, L. (2024). Towards evidence-based practice 2.0: Leveraging artificial intelligence in healthcare. Frontiers in Health Services, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2024.1368030

Vahedifard, F., Sadeghniiat Haghighi, A., Dave, T., Tolouei, M., & Hoshyar Zare, F. (2023). Practical use of ChatGPT in psychiatry for treatment plan and psychoeducation. arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.09131. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2311.09131

Zhai, C., Wibowo, S., & Li, L. D. (2024). The effects of over-reliance on AI dialogue systems on students' cognitive abilities: A systematic review. Smart Learning Environments, 11, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7

In this episode, we sit down with Laura Rowan, an occupational therapist and founder of Essential Pelvic Health, a private practice specializing in pelvic health. She shares her journey into this specialization, the unique needs of clients who benefit from pelvic health services, and the crucial role of advocacy and education in expanding awareness and access to care.

Resources

Essential Pelvic Health

Referenes

Alappattu, M., Hilton, S., & Bishop, M. (2019). An International Survey of Commonly Used Interventions for Management of Pelvic Pain. Journal of women's health physical therapy, 43(2), 82–88. https://doi.org/10.1097/jwh.0000000000000131

Alden, J., Sanses, T., Pearson, S., Ukaegbu, A., Gopaul, S., & Hill, L. (2020). Women’s pelvic floor and urinary incontinence (UI) health literacy: A mixed-methods study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4, Suppl. 1), 7411510314p1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-PO7408

Fyhrie, J., Schmid, A., Le Fevre, E., Weaver, J., & Fruhauf, C. A. (2024). OTs’ perspectives on their unique role in pelvic health. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(Suppl. 2), 7811500263p1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.78S2-PO263

Schmitz, J. R., Schoener, H., Atler, K., Fruhauf, C. A., Pearce, D., Schmid, A., & Mathias, K. (2023). Women’s experience receiving OT for pelvic floor dysfunction: A case series. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(Suppl. 2), 7711510310p1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.77S2-PO310

Watts, C. (2024). Barriers & supports to occupational therapists working in pelvic health across three healthcare delivery systems: Outpatient, hospitals, and home health (Publication No. 36964687). Georgia State University. https://doi.org/10.57709/36964687

In this episode of OT JEDI, we sit down with Clarice Grote, occupational therapist, advocate, and founder of Amplify OT, to explore the critical intersection of occupational therapy and healthcare policy. Clarice shares her journey from Columbia University to Capitol Hill, detailing how her experiences shaped her passion for advocacy, equity, and policy-driven change.

We discuss how Medicare and healthcare policies impact OT practice, reimbursement, and access to care, and Clarice breaks down these complex systems into actionable strategies for OTs.

She offers insights on how OTs can become effective advocates, address healthcare inequities, and use policy as a tool for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to expand your impact, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways to help bridge the gap between policy and practice.

Listen for an inspiring discussion on how OTs can amplify their voices, navigate healthcare policy with confidence, and drive meaningful change in the profession.

Resources

The OT Amplifier Collective - Amplifyot.com/membership

AOTA’s advocacy page - AOTA.org/advocacy

Here is where you can contact your legislators - AOTA.org/takeaction

The Amplify OT Podcast podcast - podcast.amplifyot.com

In this episode on the OT JEDI Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome Sarah Vines, who shares her incredible work supporting individuals after top surgery. Sarah discusses best practices for gender-affirming care, the critical role of mental health in the process, and how occupational therapy can make a difference in the lives of transgender clients.

Resources

WPATH Standards 8: https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/SOC%20v7/SOC%20V7_English.pdf

A Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care: https://www.newharbinger.com/9781684030521/a-clinicians-guide-to-gender-affirming-care/

An introductory resource created by Dr. Sarah Vines is available on COTAD's site: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/606b6cc4347e673687921b0e/t/64f0d99a66448a49ac21e769/1693505950408/COTAD+Practicum+Project+%284%29.pdf

ACLU Legislative updates: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2024

HRC state legislative map: https://www.hrc.org/resources/attacks-on-gender-affirming-care-by-state-map

Trevor Project 2024 stats: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/

References

De Brouwer, I., Elaut, E., Becker-Hebly, I., Heylens, G., Nieder, T. O., van de Grift, T. C., & Kreukels, B. P. C. (2021). Aftercare needs following gender-affirming surgeries: Findings from the ENIGI multicenter European follow-up study. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 18(11), 1921–1932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.08.005

Kcomt, L., Gorey, K. M., Barrett, B. J., & McCabe, S. E. (2020). Healthcare avoidance due to anticipated discrimination among transgender people: A call to create trans-affirmative environments. SSM - Population Health, 11, 100608–100608. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100608

Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J. J., & Min, D. (2011). Transgender discrimination survey. National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: Washington, DC, USA.

Mikulak, M., Ryan, S., Ma, R., Martin, S., Stewart, J., Davidson, S., & Stepney, M. (2021). Health professionals' identified barriers to trans health care: a qualitative interview study. British Journal of General Practice, 71(713), e941–e947. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2021.0179

Rosol, M., Rogers, K., Borsh, R., Pavlinec, R., Russell, M., & Russell, A. N. (2022). Occupational therapy students’ perceived preparedness to work with transgender clients. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060302

Stroumsa, D. (2014). The state of transgender health care: Policy, law, and medical frameworks. American Journal of Public Health, 104(3). https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.30178

Swenson, R., Alldred, P., & Nicholls, L. (2022). Doing gender and being gendered through occupation: Transgender and non-binary experiences. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 85(6), 446-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226211034422

Last season in episode 5, we explored the history of Black occupational therapists with guest speaker Toni Solaru. She spoke of systemic barriers in legal, governmental, and educational contexts. Highlights included Lela A. Llorens' 1969 Slagle Lecture, the only one by a person of color, and discussions on initiatives like AOTA's 1988 minority recruitment study, the founding of COTAD and BLM in the 2010s, and the addition of DEI as a pillar in Vision 2025. Despite these efforts, AOTA's inconsistent support for BIPOC and individuals with disabilities remains a concern. The discussion also addressed the lack of education on BIPOC history in OT and whether it’s fair to expect BIPOC faculty to take on this responsibility. Lastly, we critiqued how many JEDI and DEI initiatives have been performative and noted their decline in prominence by 2024.

We reconnect with Dr. Solaru to discuss the impactful work of Diverse OT National and the programs they support. She also highlights key initiatives such as Disrupt OT and the Unconference, emphasizing actionable steps and the importance of staying vigilant and informed in advancing equity within the profession.

References and Resources

https://www.blackbeyondthebinarycollective.org/

https://us.jkp.com/products/occupational-therapy-disruptors

https://givebutter.com/DiverseOT

https://www.commonnotions.org/everything-for-everyone?srsltid=AfmBOorVhJCZeHS2ze5KDe5XBWjfCZZx5xWQHXsl9VUunnUdt3oU88Ri

Interested in joining the book club?

• Reading for the Revolution, first meeting is January 22, 2025 from 6-8:30 PM CST, 2.5 CE/PDUs credits available. FREE event.
• Advocacy in Action #1: Where Are All the Black OTs? The first meeting is February 1, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. Four CEs/PDUs are available. A $50 suggested donation is suggested. Use code ACCESS4ALL for free registration. All funds go to supporting DOT operations.

What We Owe Each Other - References

Davis, A. Y. (2022). Freedom is a constant struggle (F. Barat, Ed.). Penguin Books Ltd.

Gates, H.L. (2016, Nov 9). Black America since MLK: And still I rise, black panthers [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_E8O8rlnoo&list=PL8DMaz5ynUE269cN892SpNPiBSESfbd70&index=12&ab_channel=HenryLouisGates%2CJr.

hooks, b. (2018). All About Love: New Visions . HarperCollins.

King, M. L., Jr. (2018). Letter from Birmingham Jail. Penguin Classics.

Peck M. S. (1998). The different drum : community making and peace (2nd Touchstone). Simon and Schuster.

TRT. (2021, Jun 16). Deep dive: A history of Black-Palestinian solidarity [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAl5YrNQHWs&ab_channel=TRTWorld

Hello, OT JEDI listeners! As we approach the 2024 election, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the enduring importance of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion—our JEDI principles. Since 2020, there’s been a powerful call for justice and equity that has resonated across communities, professions, and industries. But as new challenges arise, we need to keep JEDI values central in all that we do.

I'm speaking to you now as the new Program Director of SUNY Downstate’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (PP-OTD) program, where diversity and inclusion are integral. The faculty and student diversity at SUNY Downstate is essential, and I'm actively fostering this by building an inclusive, accessible, and representative program. To support practicing professionals, I've introduced a credit-for-prior-learning initiative, waiving up to 9 credits, saving students close to $10,000—a step toward making higher education more equitable.

Amid this transition, I’m thrilled to bring back OT JEDI with Season 3, focusing on sustaining and amplifying the JEDI movement. Let’s continue advancing these values together, in every sphere of life. Stay tuned for new episodes soon, and thank you for being part of this journey toward a more inclusive future.