Grow Your Career. Shape Our Future.
The OOTA Mentorship Program is Here!
Connect. Learn. Lead. Forge meaningful connections that power your professional journey and strengthen the entire Ohio OT community.
The Ohio Occupational Therapy Association is thrilled to launch our new Mentorship Program, designed to support OTPs at every stage of their career.
We are pursuing this initiative with the intent to facilitate meaningful connections that promote professional and personal growth, support new practitioners, cultivate future leaders, and strengthen our state’s OT community.
Read on below to see how you can take part in these plans, and have an impact on OT in OH!
Why Participate?
- For Mentees: Find your guide. Gain confidence, navigate career transitions, and build a powerful professional network.
- For Mentors: Share your wisdom. Refine leadership skills, give back to the profession, and leave a lasting legacy.
- For Our Profession: Together, we reduce burnout, bridge the gap between education and practice, and build a more resilient, connected future for Ohio OT.
Program Timeline at a Glance:
- Applications Open: October 27, 2025
- Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
- Orientation: Two Dates in March TBD
- Program Kick-Off: April 1, 2026
Ready to take the next step in your professional journey? Applications are now open!
Embark on a 9-week guided journey with fellow OTs to explore critical issues of race, equity, and justice in our profession.
The OOTA DEIJAB Committee invites you to a winter book club focused on Antiracist Occupational Therapy. This is more than just a reading group—it’s a dedicated space for meaningful dialogue, reflection, and collective growth.
From February 1 to April 4, 2026, we will explore chapters weekly on the Fable app, culminating in a live Q&A session with the book’s editor/author. Engage with peers, challenge perspectives, and commit to actionable allyship.
What to Expect:
- ✅ 9-Week Guided Program with weekly readings & discussions
- ✅ Exclusive Access on the Fable mobile app
- ✅ Live Interactive Session with the editor/author in Week 9
- ✅ A Supportive Community of Ohio OT practitioners
Ready to grow with us?
Spots are limited. Secure your place in this transformative professional development experience before the end of week 1 on February 7, 2026.
OHIO AOTF Scholarship Application Winners 2024-2025
Please join OOTA in celebrating three outstanding students who have been awarded prestigious scholarships from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF)! Their dedication and promise exemplify the future of our profession.
Learn more about these merit-based awards at the AOTF Scholarship page.
OTD STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Danielle Francis, Kettering College of Medical Arts
$770.00
OTD STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Cora Pack – Xavier University
$770.00
OTA STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Laura Knight – Lorain County Community College
$770.00
Tell us about your (or your colleagues') accomplishments!
The form below will be used by OOTA’s communications team to enhance our understanding of the incredible work being done by OOTA members. If you’d like to share a story/accomplishment from your own work experience, or recommend one of your peers and colleagues for recognition due to a story/accomplishment of their own, please do so!
OOTA’s staff and/or Newsletter Committee volunteers will follow up with you (or the appropriate party) with any additional details and to schedule a time to speak (briefly!). Our conversation will help staff/volunteers understand the best way for sharing your insights across OOTA’s audience.
Exciting Changes at OOTA! Welcome our New Staff!
We’re thrilled to announce some exciting changes at the OOTA! We’ve recently welcomed a brand new staff team supported by AOTA, that is dedicated to supporting your needs and advancing the field of occupational therapy in Ohio.
OOTA is now part of a collaborative effort with three other states – Nevada, Tennessee, and Missouri – under the AOTA-ASAP Pilot Collaborative. As shared at the 2023 OOTA Annual Business Meeting, this initiative involves utilization of an Association Management Company (AMC) among the four states, which is made possible by cost-sharing between the state associations involved.
The goals of the Collaborative include:
- Delivering a more robust and consistent value proposition to our members
- Growing both State Association and AOTA membership
- Increasing the depth of the volunteer pool and improving the volunteer leadership experience
- More effectively advancing our collective mission to assure the quality of occupational therapy services, improve consumer access to health care services, and promote the professional development of members in our respective states
Day-to-day changes for OOTA will include staff assistance and collaboration across multiple areas of daily operations for OOTA, including membership, accounting, communication, and event planning (including on demand webinars, live CE events, and Annual Conference). Visit HERE for the 2023 Annual Business Meeting Presentation to see details about the Collaborative and what it means for OOTA (slides 24-26).
Our staff comes to us with a wealth of experience supporting nonprofit membership organizations. As OOTA is now part of this initiative supported by AOTA, we have 8 new team members helping volunteers achieve their personal goals in reaching our organizational mission! All OOTA members are encouraged to get involved in activities ongoing, or ones you would like to pursue. This is a great time to explore how OOTA can help you!!
You may have noticed that our HQ address has changed to Virginia – this is correct, as our new staff is based there. In addition to our address change, we have a new OOTA email address that contacts staff directly. Please use this new email address for all inquiries: ootastaff@gpsforgrowth.com.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Next month, we will be highlighting an article introducing all our new staff members, including their contact information and a little “get to know them” section.
We are excited about this new partnership and all the benefits that it will bring to OOTA and its members! Stay tuned for more information!
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The new office address is
5605 Maple Brook Court
Midlothian VA
The new telephone is 804.639.9213
The fax is 804.639.9212
OOTA Communications Sign Up
Please use this form to sign up to receive OOTA communications. OOTA communicates regularly about upcoming continuing educational programming, volunteer opportunities, community events, advocacy updates, and more! If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact ootastaff@gpsforgrowth.com. Thank you!