OSOT intoduces new Strategic Plan

Leading by providing Vision, Voice, Value …

… and Visibility!

 

Executive Summary

As the first decade of the new century draws to a close, OSOT finds itself in a dynamic environment that differs, in many respects, from when this decade began. Certainly this deep recession is historical. As well, there are many longer-term public policy reviews and shifts, and evolving areas of the public’s interest in health, that provide Ontario’s OTs with novel challenges and opportunities.

Shifts in the public’s thinking, such as a focus on preventio, mental health and the needs of aging, make OTs’ traditional areas of focus increasingly complementary with health policy direction.

However, health policy review also brings certain risks such as the blurring of distinctions among various professions’ areas of practice. Fortunately, OSOT is seen as highly credible and is invited to represent Ontario’s OTs at important policy discussions. However, as one of the smallest health-related professions, our resources are taxed to the maximum in our efforts to articulate OTs’ highly varied interests to multiple audiences.

The challenge of enhancing OTs’ influence is compounded, our members tell us, by the fact that the profession of Occupational Therapy is not widely known and understood, especially compared to the larger professions with whom we compete to be heard. This is not a new phenomenon, and arises partly by the fact that OTs often do the vital work that is inherently not high profile. This creates somewhat of a “Catch 22” dilemma for our profession – an inherently low profile profession that faces the challenge of becoming better known and understood, and yet with fewer volunteer and financial resources with which to do so. Nonetheless, it is a challenge we embrace as a highlight of the strategic plan we are adopting for the next four years.

Related to that is our need to depart from OTs’ historic restraint in:

• self-promotion, both as a profession and as individual practitioners, and
• embracing “the business of health”.

The substantial and rapid changes we face also highlight our need to considerably strengthen our organizational capacity – both volunteer and staff. Doing so is a necessary condition for succeeding in the other strategy areas that we’ve identified. While OTs are indeed feeling burdened by workloads and anxious about some of the changes they face, their interests will be better served than ever by being a member of their provincial Society and by investing their commitment to our profession and contributing their unique skills and perspectives to our profession’s organizational capacity as volunteers.

 

Based on this contextual perspective, OSOT’s Mission will continue to be to advance the interests of its members for the benefit of all who greatly need and depend on them. We have a great Vision – big dreams – for the flourishing of the OT profession in Ontario! Our Vision for OSOT is to lead our profession by providing Vision, Voice, Value and Visibility[1] for Ontario’s OTs!

Our five Strategies for doing so are:

1.       Strengthen OSOT's paid and volunteer human resource base

2.       Promote access to OT services across health care sectors and the continuum oof care in Ontario

3.       Engage in a public awareness marketing initiative

4.       Make OSOT the premier resource choice for Ontario occupational therapists

5.       Support practice excellence and leadership in our members.

 

See the details of OSOT's new

Strategic Plan - click here!

 

OSOT looks forward to partnering with virtually all Ontario OTs along this exciting journey!