THE AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Advocacy and awareness: aota represents the profession of occupational therapy to the general public, payers for ot services, and policymakers at the state and national levels. At the federal level, aota represents the profession to both the legislative and executive branches of government. Aota provides relevant research or needed information for government policymakers.at the state level, aota serves as a liaison to state occupational therapy associations and state regulatory boards/state agencies, leading advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels related to health care reform and medicaid redesign. Aota initiated a licensure compact initiative in collaboration with nbcot. The compact greatly enhances the mobility of ot and ota practitioners in meeting workforce demands.at the state level, aota efforts are focused on protecting the profession, supporting the framework of state practice acts that form the legal basis for the practice of ot, promoting the use of aota's professional standards by state regulators, and assisting state associations in engaging effectively on critical policy issues at the state level.aota works with therapists, employers of therapists, and payers of ot services, such as insurance companies, to assist in the proper payment and allocations of services. Additionally, aota works to promote the profession in focused advertising and branding initiatives.