Join an Association that will take you to the next level - become a member of CAOT today!

For less than a cup of coffee a day, join the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and transform your commitment to occupational therapy into a powerful national voice. By being a member of CAOT you will have access to a wealth of resources and services that meet your individual needs and help you thrive in an increasingly competitive health care environment. Together, we can advance excellence in the profession of occupational therapy and improve the well-being of all Canadians.

How do we achieve such success? Through voice, leadership and service.

VOICE

CAOT provides a national voice to over 12,000 occupational therapists in Canada. Each year, CAOT undertakes a wide variety of initiatives to promote visibility and access for occupational therapy. Here’s a look at just a few of our advocacy efforts:

• To increase access by all Canadians to occupational therapy services, members will partake in an “Ask for It” campaign during National Occupational Therapy Month in October 2011. Members will look to employers and insurance providers to modify extended health benefit or flex health benefit plans to include coverage for critical occupational therapy services provided to clients by occupational therapists.
• In response to the success of last year’s “Lobby Day” on Parliament Hill, the CAOT Board of Directors will once again visit the Hill in November 2011 to host a repetitive strain consultation for Parliamentarians.
• CAOT, in collaboration with the Department of National Defense and Veterans Affairs Canada, participated in a conference on Operational Stress Injuries affecting the military and veterans as well as a research roundtable on military and veterans’ health. CAOT is pleased to be invited once again to attend this year’s conference and continue to foster this important relationship.
• CAOT promoted occupational therapy solutions with federal deputy ministers, public service unions and senior public servants with the publication and distribution of a workplace manual of occupational therapy solutions to common workplace issues. CAOT will continue advocacy efforts in promoting occupational therapy solutions through national public service announcements.

LEADERSHIP

As a national Association, CAOT is dedicated to exploring opportunity and fostering positive relationships with its partners to ensure effective leadership for the profession. CAOT leads national projects that demonstrate the valuable role of occupational therapists in addressing significant population health needs which result in valued tools and resources. Here are just a few examples:

• CAOT has formed a new partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation and will work together in 2011-2012 on the Global Accessibility Initiative.
• As part of the Occupational Therapy Examination and Practice Preparation (OTepp) Project, CAOT developed the Trial Occupational Therapy Examination (TOTE), an online exam that contains items similar to those on the National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination. TOTE was trialed with OTepp participants in 2011 and will be available to all exam candidates in 2012.
• CAOT hosted a consensus meeting and developed a lexicon of occupational therapy terms in French and English for quality and consistency in translations of CAOT messaging, products and services, which will be used as a guideline for translation, particularly for a revised version of Enabling Occupation II for introduction in 2012.
• CAOT implemented new online communities of practice, including the Aboriginal Health network and a rural practice network and is in the process of creating others.
• CAOT received funding to develop a document to provide occupational therapists strategies for managing elder abuse. Tools will be ready as early as fall 2011.
• CAOT provided support to provincial occupational therapy organizations in Saskatchewan to advocate for a provincially based school. In British Columbia, CAOT advocated for an increase in entry level education seats for occupational therapists. CAOT continues to work closely with its partners to advance the profession.

SERVICE

CAOT has a long-standing commitment to providing exceptional resources and services to members. Take a glimpse at just a few of the resources you will have access to as a member of CAOT.

• NEW! Launch of the Case Management Planning Tool (CMPT), brought to you by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist, the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, and the Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologitst. 
• NEW! Beginnning in late 2012, CAOT members will have free online access to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. This is in addition to the currently available free online access you have to the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Now, the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, the British Journal of Occupational Therapy,  and the Journal of Occupational Science, among others.
• NEW! Access to the Occupational Therapy Marketplace through the CAOT website. This tool will perform targeted searches for products and services needed to keep your practice running.
• NEW! As part of the Occupational Therapy Examination and Practice Preparation (OTepp) project, CAOT developed the Trial Occupational Therapy Examination Manual (TOTEM) and the Trial Occupational Therapy Examination (TOTE). Both resources have been developed for those preparing to write the Canadian National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination.
• NEW! OT Weekly, an e-newsletter on current CAOT actions, projects, and news articles of interest to occupational therapists.
• NEW! Comprehensive and flexible home and auto insurance at competitive rates through the CAOT partnership with our new provider, The Personal.
• COMING SOON! CAOT has formed an agreement with SAGE Publications to allow enhanced online features for reviewing the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (CJOT).
• COMING SOON! CAOT will be launching a new eBook delivery system which will allow you to download and view CAOT publications online.
• Eligibility for access to a Member Assistance Program (MAP) whereby you are eligible to receive legal counselling, referral and information services for you and your family.
• Access to the HT Health Works website to allow you and your family or clients to monitor personal health information.
• Access to social media services including a profile on Facebook and twitter (@CAOT_ACE) where breaking news is brought directly to your fingertips.
• Access to a series of professional development and education-based webinars, such as Lunch & Learn and Water Cooler Talks. These webinars help support your professional development and inform you on the latest CAOT projects and member benefits.
• Registration in OT Finder, our public database of occupational therapists across Canada. (Only members who are registered in their provincial regulatory organization are eligible to be listed on the OTFinder database).
• Access to Network Exchange, a network sponsored by CAOT that will connect you with colleagues and allow you to exchange information regarding research and practice.
• Access to the Mentoring Gateway, a network that connects mentors and mentees with information and resources about mentoring.
• Access to Information Gateway, a portal that provides you with valuable tools and resources to help you with evidence-based occupational therapy practice. 

For a complete list of member benefits, please click here.