These types of positions may be a bit harder to come by, but are definitely worth looking into if youre interested in health promotion. Whether treating or not treating, OTs have so much to offer the world! For example, most OTs and PTs have a very difficult time selling themselves and their services, and very few are savvy with social media and digital marketing. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. You have to have an immense drive deep down to be able to put in the time and effort day after day as well as deal with the seemingly never-ending problems that will arise when starting a business. for MSOT admission. For those with a considerable amount of experience in a particular OT area ( ex. Here are some other ways to explore what is out there. Pharma, Biotech, Medical-Device Sales: Which Is for You? Explore different options/gain experience before leaving your day job, 8 specific non-traditional OT jobs you can look into, Non-Clinical Jobs and Networking for PT/OT/SLP Professionals, Non-Clinical 101: The Complete Guide to Launching Your Non-Clinical Career (Save $75), You can read more about my own non-traditional journey, including how I built OT Potential, in my spotlight, Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists, interview on her career path into OT academia, becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison), this inspiring story about a 90-year-old occupational therapist, UX Design and User Experience Design for Beginners, Become a UX Designer Learn the Skills and Get the Job, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. Nice article! But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Definitely check out the Facebook group Alternative Healthcare Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals. Occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades. Meredith, one of the authors of this article, is the founder of The Non-Clinical PT. Just this week I quit my job from acute care. While the hackathon scene has slowed down a bit because of the pandemic and economic changes, a good Google search shows theyre still taking place. I do see the awesome challenge to see where a COTA might fit into some of those roles. Also, youll definitely want to take few courses on usability and user experience to legitimize yourself as a candidate. Ive been in the field about 16 years and ticked off a few of these myself: administration, education and medical device sales, so I am proof that these are all really possible. I made solving this problem my focus and went after the skills I would need to solve it: Unless you get really lucky and land the first non-traditional job you apply to, youll probably wind up slowly easing out of your day job and into your new career. Interesting, how much training did you need for that? Another great option would be to work in vocational rehab in a community-based setting. This is such a perfect role for an occupational therapist! The initial leap into a non-traditional role will be the most challenging, but once youre there, youll rock it! For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. Wikipedias definition says Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.. Also, note any experience you have with running insurance or auditing charts. I regret not going back to school for my OTR, but I have to move forward. Some of these options usually require Bachelors degrees or that you are an OTR, but you can certainly still find an alternative path as a COTA. Ive noticed a number of people with years of experience in OT on here.im looking to switch my major and getting a Masters in OT.can I please get a few inputs on that field. For example, some cases are more about chart reviews and writing your expert opinion based on what youve read. If you are, be sure to read AOTAs position on OTs role in health promotion for some added insight. Getting back to driving under these circumstances is not always straightforward and requires the intervention of an OT specialist. Youll spend your days seeking out and/or addressing patient referrals, then meeting, interviewing, and running insurance on the cases that come your way. Thank you! The course comes with tons of resume downloads, interview prep materials, self-assessment activities, and early access to non-clinical jobs. We can also move into roles where we consult with practices to help them improve their billing and workflow practices. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Not only are you in charge of scheduling, but you are responsible for coaching therapists about how to become better, intervening in tough situations, keeping everyone motivated, and reporting to higher level management about the productivity and efficiency of your department. Youll also need to take exams to get certified. I think that there is a huge demand for this, in particularly targeting the opioid users where we are seeing such a wide spread use. If you want more info, heres a comprehensive guide on Merediths site that covers transitioning from clinician to copywriter. Many OTs transition to either rehab department manager or hospital administrator, among other management paths. So is there any jobs right now I could look at or apply to to get my foot in the door without having to go back to school or getting another liscence? So many interesting ideas here! My OT Spot uses cookies to improve your experience. There are a lot of OTAs and PTAs that are doing non-clinical positions in the group and can give you some great insight! Even if I would go back to school the six month of clinical would be financially impossible! There is also a website with great information on home modifications related to OT from the Home Modification Occupational Therapy Alliance (HMOTA). I love the article but Im still lost. I also helped to start an OT clinic within a University setting so I guess another would be Consultant to other universities wanting to open an OT clinic. Thanks again for sharing! You can work with job accommodations, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, architectural modifications, learning modifications, environmental controls, and more. If youre going in this direction, check out Home Modification OT Alliance! My favorite part about my job was being creative, whether it was planned or on the fly, working one-on-one or in small groups, and discerning the level of assistance I should use so as to empower the student rather than inhibit he or she from progressing toward a goal. First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. There are many avenues your non-traditional OT career could take, but here we highlight nine of the most common. Non-Clinical 101 also contains an entire lesson to help you learn how to identify your marketable skills, find clients, and price yourself. For more on ergonomics, visit AOTAs ergonomics site here. As an ergonomic specialist, youllspend time identifying environmental risks, coming up with creative strategies to reduce those risks, educating others on the importance of ergonomics, and drafting comprehensive plans for businesses to follow. Due to my own healthcare needs/risks, I am considering exploring outside the box to a non-clinical job setting but not really knowing where to start..I dont have any assistive technology training, but this could be an area of interest for meDoes anyone have any suggestions or ideas about a career in medical sales/assistive technology specific to an OT? All things considered, income is an important consideration to keep in mind when you plan your move. Youre going to need to network as much as possible. There is more to it than you might think, and if youre interested, Id recommend checking out The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. What OT topics are you most interested in? Best of luck to you with whatever path you choose! Hi Jeanne, Writing is one of the easiest switches you can make, but you have to be willing to put in lots of time, and you might take a pretty steep pay cut at the beginning. It can be a strange feeling to start to self-identify as something other than an OT. If you have a knack for writing and can pump out quality articles quickly that are free from errors, this is can be a flexible option that you can do from your own home. What does your job entail? Some people think they want to leave patient care, but they really want to escape bad managers, shady corporations, or unrealistic productivity expectations. If so how/ where shall I begin..? They provide pathways to non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals, including PTs, OTs, SLPs, and assistants. If you make yourself an expert salesperson, or you learn the ins and outs of online sales strategies, you will easily excel in a role as a social media manager, or where youre marketing (selling) rehab practitioners services. There are some clinics that focus solely on occupational therapy, and these are typically in the pediatric and hand-therapy disciplines. Im always excited to hear about even more versatile ways our degrees can be used. Definitely contact your schools alumni association to see if theres anything you can do to network or put your name out there. For a great perspective on this, check out OT Devon Breitharts experience as a freelance writer, complete with tips on how get started. There are tons of software and tech companies that need help with usability. Hope this helps! Weve created this guide to get you started, and to help you find the top resources for making a career pivot. Hi Sarah! If tapping people to ask for their time gives you the heebie jeebies, dont worry! Occupational therapy practitioners help people with low vision function at the highest possible level by preventing accidents and injury (e.g., improving lighting), teaching new skills (e.g., eccentric viewing, visual tracking), modifying the task or environment (e.g., recommending magnifiers), and promoting a healthy lifestyle (e.g., ensuring they can participate in their daily activities).. Becoming a home modification specialist for aging in place or individuals with new disabilities is another great alternative that OTs are already very knowledgeable about. If you want to try something different in the occupational therapy career space, these are just a few ideas which can help with your brainstorming. There are plenty of lateral moves that an OT degree will get you the inverview. The best part about being an OT entrepreneur is that you have the freedom to choose what youre most passionate about. Aurora, NE 68818, OT Potential Occupational Therapy Resources. Be sure to join the above mentioned Alternative Careers for Rehab Professionals FB group as there are a number of OTs in the group who have gone into sales and can give their perspective. You would set your own hourly rates. The income potential long-term is far greater, and if set up properly, would allow you to make money even when youre not at the clinic. OTs are perfect for becoming Assistive Technology Professionals since we use it regularly with our patients, whether its low tech or high techassistive technology. Many OTs and COTAs have also tied their love of health promotion into starting their own health coaching business that targets people looking to improve their health and well-being. Way to open this conversation and look forward to keeping in touch. If going back to college to work isnt your thing, you can also teach continuing education courses around the country in your specialty. I found this information to be interesting but wanted to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities. AOTA offers a Low Vision certification that you can learn more about here. If these courses seem a bit daunting (even though theyre designed for relative beginners), consider taking a basic course in Adobe Photoshop, like this one! There are also plenty of in-person events out there. Go to usability meetups. Organize lunches and in-services. The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. This includes cost of flying you out and hotel stay as well as your chosen rate for the actual consultation time and time to complete your report. Plus, you get ALL of her crash courses included with your enrollment. Offer to cover the scheduling board or take point on busy days. I recently found a job on indeed.com with the title skilled inpatient care coordinator. It is similar to what a case manager does, but there are now companies hiring therapists in addition to nurses (who are typically utilized in a case management position). That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! Writing is awesome, though. I would love to connect with you and chat is there a way to share contact info here? Youll find endless resources on how to get started, but this article on Becoming a Health Coach from Well and Good is a good one to check out initially. OT has so much potential and I encourage all practitioners out there to follow their passion and use their skills to enable the potential of any population in any setting who needs increased holistic health:). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Theyre an excellent introduction into the world of startups, not to mention a great networking opportunity! Once you have a few published articles under your name, you can start using sites like Upwork to start getting freelance and contract work. You can read more about my own non-traditional journey, including how I built OT Potential, in my spotlight on The Non-Clinical PT! Thank you so much for posting this. In 2011, AOTA identified the low vision specialty as an emerging niche. A big part of the reason for this focus area growing is the fact that the U.S. and many other developed nations are facing a large aging population in the coming decades. There are so many types of medical equipment that we work with on a regular basis, like neuro VR programs, e-stim, modalities, dynamic splinting, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and so on. If youre lucky enough to live near any of the 10 ADA centers in the U.S., you can also offer to volunteer. To learn more about becoming a specialist, you can check out the Assistive Technology Association (ATIA) website. I bet an OT could find a rehab equipment sales job if they wanted or something similar. There are so many occupational therapy schools thatneedsolid OTs to educate future clinicians. Writing is awesome, though. While written for a physical therapy clinic, their model can certainly be followed for starting any type of therapy clinic. This is Merediths flagship course. Be sure to also check out Indeed.com as well for additional ideas to help you with a new income source. These cookies do not store any personal information. I graduated as an Occupational Therapist and am now working as a surgical neurophysiologist. They may be some of the few non-traditional roles youve considered, because for years, they were the only ones with real visibility for OTs. Not sure where youre located, but Center for Community Partnerships in Fort Collins, CO is a great agency for community integration/job retention services. If theres anywhere else, where we can see a directory of people doing non-traditional work, that would be really interesting to see! Thanks! Sarah Lyon, OTR/L Sarah wasnt looking to leave patient care, but about five years into her career,realized that she could potentially help more patients by serving occupational therapists through her website, OT Potential. I am definitely fighting the burn out mode. Thank you so much for this specific post I think as creative as we OTs are its so hard to envision a career outside of direct patient care with the fear of judgment and let down (from others and ourselves). Family or community commitments can also change over the years, which can impact your desire and ability to work in clinical care. As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. Also, check out Aramehs interview on her career path into OT academia and what she has found fulfilling and challenging about it. 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