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Update from October 31, 2009 AGM

Thursday, December 03, 2009

 

The Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists was held October 31, 2009 in Toronto.  Over 85 participants shared in both the Society's Summit on Aging  and the AGM which provided a wonderful opportunity for sharing of past accomplishments, new plans, awards and some really good news! 

 

The Annual Meeting actually acknowledged the activity and accomplishments of the 2007-8 membership and fiscal year.  This period is documented in the Annual Report 2007 - 8 Investing in a Strong Future.

 

View draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, October 31, 2009. Minutes are formally approved by the membership at the subsequent AGM.

 

President Rosemary Lysaght's Address

Rosemary highlighted key initiatives in the 2008 - 2009 membership year using the Society’s vision statement  Providng Vision, Voice and Value for Ontario Occupational Therapists as a context for her comments.

 

Vision

• Development of new Strategic Plan 2009 – 2013 developed in spring 2009 and based on member input, environmental scanning and stakeholder consultation
  
• Focus on Aging

 

Voice

• Engagement of a Government Relations consultant to facilitate development of stronger relationship and visibility with government and promotion of OT in relation to mental health strategy, Family Health Teams, Local Health Integration Networks

·     Representation of OT to government consultations on Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, LTC Homes Regulations, COTO Regulation Development, Accessibility for Ontarians Standards Development, Financial Services Commission of Ontario 5 Year Review of Auto Insurance

·      Rosemary announced the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s announced support to move forward to fund occupational therapy services within Family Health Teams.  This announcement not only reinforces the value of OSOT’s government relations and advocacy activities but creates new work opportunity for occupational therapists in Ontario.  It may, indeed, be a leadership decision that will impact occupational therapy across the country.

 

Value

• Continuing focus on provision of excellent professional development (Conference 2008, Mental Health and Auto Insurance Sector workshops and co-hosting of 2009 CAOT Conference in Ottawa) and commitment to engage additional staff to support this function
  
  
• Value and resource of OSOT Office and staff
  
  
• Member feedback regarding the value placed on the voice of OT that OSOT can represent

 

The Introduction of the Strategic Plan’s new “V” Visibility was highlighted along with the commitment of the plan to increase the visibility of OT in Ontario through a more aggressive marketing and promotions approach over the next four years

 

Rosemary emphasized that it will be vital to move forward, and to respond to these changes by committing to change how and what we do, by recognizing the value of being evidence informed, and to be proud to be who we are as OTs and of what we can provide to our clients and the health care system in which we work.  In closing, Rosemary acknowledged the privilege and value of being on the OSOT Board over the past years and encouraged members to consider volunteering to be future Board members.

 

The membership recognized and extended appreciation to Rosemary in a heartfelt applause recognizing the completion of her term of office and the many accomplishments the Society achieved under her leadership.

  

Welcome to OSOT Board of Directors 2009 – 2010

AGMs mark bittersweet moments when organizations like OSOT bid farewell and extend appreciation to outgoing Board Directors and welcome and congratulate new Directors.  On October 31, 2009 President Rosemary Lysaght, Vice President/Secretary Laurie Macdonald and Directors Mary Beth Bezzina, Danielle Carile and Andrea Thompson completed their 2 year terms of office.  We know all members join in the salute of appreciation they received at the AGM.

 

Members welcomed the 2009 – 2010 Board of Directors:

President                                           Gail Teachman

Vice-President/Secretary              Rhysa Leyshon*

Treasurer                                           Pat Clancy

Director                                              Lynda Batist-Friedman

Director                                              Alice Kusznir*

Director                                              Iona MacRitchie

Director                                              Karen Rebeiro*

Director                                              Cathy Vandersluis*

*        elected to the Board for a 2 year term 2009 – 2011

 

 

Congratulations to OSOT Award Recipients

All members will join those at the AGM in acknowledging with pride and appreciation the contributions of Award recipients recognized at the AGM.

 

 

OSOT Student Awards 2007 – 2008

The following graduates were recognized for their commitment and demonstration of active, continued interest and initiative in professional affairs (public relations, professional advocacy, professional issues).

          McMaster University                        Colleen McGrath

Queens University                            Chelsey Wyrostok

University of Ottawa                        Stephanie Drouin

University of Toronto                        Megan Trueman

University of Western Ontario        Stephany Berinstein

 

 

OSOT Volunteer Awards 2009

The following individuals were recognized and celebrated for their valued and longstanding service and commitment to OSOT.

April Belbeck

Wayne Halenda

Laurie Macdonald

 

Tribute to April Belbeck
April is a member of the Society's Auto Insurance Sector Team.  To people working in this sector, her name has also become synonymous with "all things related to the assessment of need for attendant care benefits".  Last year, the Society published a much anticipated and applauded practice resource Supporting OT Practice In Ontario's Auto Insurance Sector: Assessment of Attendant Care Needs Form 1: A resource for reflective practice.  This resource may have OSOT's name on it but many will think of it as "April's book" because of the incredible leadership and tenacious attention to detail she dedicated to ensure the resource was a stellar leadership document that positioned OT well as key assessors of this benefit in the sector.  "April's book" was truly authored by many, but beautifully coordinated by April.  Her leadership and project management skills for a project that was not without signficant clinical and ethical debate are held as an exemplary model of leading by example.  Her commitment and drive through the 2.5 year process of development kept the project alive.  Her professional approach to work, communiations and the need for evidence not only lent to the quality of the document but also brought respectful attention from colleagues in all professions across the sector.  Perhaps it is a fitting tribute that the Financial Services Commission of Ontario formally recognized the leadership work of OSOT in the area of attendant care benefit assessment and made recommendations in their 5 year review of the auto insurance regulations to limit the performance of attendant care benefit assessments to occupational therapists and nurses.

 

Tribute to Wayne Halenda

Wayne has sat as an external member of the OSOT Finance Committee for 16 years...since 1993 when it was first struck!  Wayne has brought special skills and talents to the Committee - an experienced financial perspective and insights that have repeatedly guided policy development and fiscal planning and decision-making.   There is not a Treasurer who has not valued his capacity for crystallizing financial issues and information to facilitate the work of even most novices of Treasurer's.  Wayne's background in the financial services industry (he is Managing Director, CIBC Wood Gundy, Toronto) gives away the other unique quality of his contribution - Wayne is neither an OT nor a member - rather a friend of the  Society who has given his time and expertise to advise and assist the Board in the management of its resources.  This is a true exercise of the spirit of voluntarism!  We are truly indebted to his special generosity!

 

Tribute to Laurie Macdonald
Laurie has been a part of OSOT's formal structure for over 12 years.  If one is a studious read of OSOT Annual Reports over the last many years, it is noted that one name, more than any other, is evident year after year.   Laurie has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1996-7 and is recognized as a true friend and leader of the Society. Laurie hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario and in her first role on the Board represented the northwestern Region 1 of the Society as a Regional Director.   Laurie's colleagues in the north shoudl always be proud to have been represented by an individual who has felt passionate about bringing to the provincial table a strong flavour and insight of the north or less populated areas of the province.  Consultative, collaborative and committed she has for many years ensured provided valuable opportunity for exchange of ideas across the miles.  Representation was only one of many roles Laurie has assumed and lived with commitment over the years;

• chair of the OSOT Provincial OT Week Committee
• Completing her term as Regional Director but being elected as Director Education Portfolio in 2000 a role she held to 2003 when she assumed the position of Vice-President/Secretary.
• Laurie has completed 3 two year terms in this role, assuming the demands of the role to be the President's support and to chair the Process Monitoring Committee of the Board

It's impossible to count the hours Lauriehas gifted over time...but it is her ever willing "I can help" approach to all that we do that is a beacon of example amongst us.  Anyone that has crafted minutes will understand the amount of time it take to fairly represent a meeting - Laurie has been doing this for years.  It is a fitting tribute that in future years our archives will leave future generations learning about OSOT in the 1990's and 2000's through Laurie's eyes and words!

 

Consider for a moment the number of true leaders in our province that have insight into the diverse issues that have shaped and challenged our profession in the past decade!  Laurie has participated in leadership decisions such as;

• positions about the divestment of homecare in 1997/8
• the first negotiated fee agreement in the auto insurance sector in 1998
• first position paper on primary care in 1998
• two new structures and 3 bylaw revisions for OSOT
• the launch of OSOT's first website in 1999
• the evoluntion of OSOT's advocacy programs to include government relations consultation
• and then.. there's the by-laws, the policies and the strategic plans.

We celebrate the wisdom and perspective you have brought to the Board and acknowledge with some awe the ongoing and longstanding commitment you have lived to support OSOT.  Our Boards and membership s have been well served by your passion, your conscientious attention to fair and due process and your positive, solutions-focused approach to issues and challenges.  Every Board should have a "Laurie"! Please know how appreciative we all are that we've had a "laurie" since 1997!

 

 

CAOT/OSOT Citation Award

The Citation Award is awarded annually by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and its provincial/territorial partners to persons or organizations not affiliated with occupational therapy but who have contributed signficantly to the health and well-being of Canadians in a manner that is recognized and valued by occupational therapists.  At the AGM, OSOT and CAOT presented a 2009 Citation Award to Millie Graham and Helen Henderson.

 

Millie Graham

Millie Graham has touched the lives of hundreds of people in Ontario, including occupational therapists (OTs) and OT students, with her message to “live life from the heart”.  In 1992, at the age of 44, she suffered a massive stroke.  The following year she became involved in the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and was soon relating her stroke recovery experience to other stroke survivors and their families, raising over $7.7 million for the foundation in the process. 

 

Millie tells her story in a way that deeply touches her audience. Her anecdotes convey her vulnerability and resilience, as well as the wonderful and disastrous roles played by health care professionals.  Her descriptions of her experiences with OT are particularly inspiring.  In September 2008, she spoke to OT students at the University of Western Ontario during their  “Welcome to the Profession” ceremony and in 2007 she delivered the keynote address at the annual OSOT Conference. At both events the common reaction was “Now I know hwy I chose Occupational Therapy!” 

 

As Millie says, “If I can bring encouragement to some people who are struggling with their life out there and it doesn’t have to be a stroke, it can be anything that people are dealing with.  If you work at it and get a handle around the circumstances you can end up having a really wonderful life, which I do.  I want that message to go out to people.” (Beacon Star, News, Friday October 26, 2007, retrieved from: http://www.parrysound.com/press/1193411148/)

 

 

Helen Henderson

Helen Henderson is a dedicated and passionate freelance journalist whose work regularly appears in the Toronto Star.  Over 25 years ago, she proposed to the newspaper that it accept the challenge to report more stories about issues related to Canadians living with a disability.  Her well received and respected column has since become both popular and influential.

 

Over the years, Helen has informed her readers on a wide variety of topics related to disability; frequently infusing her writing with the voices of people whose perspective is less often reported.  Helen’s column has tackled issues around access to public transportation, mental health, school inclusion, discrimination in existing legislation and policy, sport and disability, sexuality and disability, euthanasia, and a vast array of other issues.  She continues to shed a bright spotlight on stories of injustice, inequity and apathy, always encouraging and inspiring her readers to advocate for change.

 

Helen Henderson has set an example within Canadian mainstream media to abandon a “victim-of-the-week” approach that often patronizes.  Instead, her writing has challenged a very large, public audience to reconsider their attitudes towards disability.  She has set a new standard of writing about disability issues that celebrates and embraces people living with a disability while continuing to inform about the work yet to be done in order to achieve a more civil and inclusive society.  This call to action has been a hallmark of Helen’s writing and is consistent with occupational therapy philosophies.