Conference Information:

The 2025 Annual OTAO Conference will be held at the Seaside Convention Center this November 8th through 9th.

Our theme this year is Occupational Justice for All: Advancing Rights and Equity.

Register now and save up to $50 in registration fees

Early Registration ends October 10th

Keynote Speakers

Michael Falcon, OTD, OTR/L, MHA

Ellen Pinney, Principal Ombudsperson, Oregon Health Authority

Ellen Pinney (she / hers) has served for 15 years as Principal Ombuds for the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Revised Statutes establish the OHA Ombuds to serve as advocate for people eligible for or receiving Medicaid or Oregon Health Plan services.  Ellen is the first OHA Ombuds and was the only Ombuds for 9 years.  Now she is lead for a team with 10 other Ombuds.   Ellen's background is in community organizing so advocacy has always been part of her world.  As Executive Director of the Oregon Health Action Campaign for 25 years, Ellen fought for Medicaid expansion, patient protections and Medicaid member rights.  She worked in Baton Rouge and New Orleans with Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) on campaigns to eliminate red lining and police brutality, is a Merchant Marine and spent several years working cattle and sheep ranches in Montana and Wyoming.

Presentations: 

• Matsutsuyu’s occupational therapy journey: Culture and missing papers | Christine Peters, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

• NBCOT® National Certification Exam: Information You Need to Know | Brianne Salvati (she/her), OTD, OTR/Lal

• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Justice-Involved Individuals and Executive Function Consequences on Transition and Reintegration into the Community | Alaina Randerson (she/her)
  

• Principles of Color Accessibility and Inclusive Design for those with Visual Impairment | Chrissy Van Osdol (she/her)

• Occupational Therapy's Place in Outdoor Spaces: Promoting Justice and Wellbeing | Chrissy Van Osdol (she/her)

• Reclaiming Therapist Well-Being: The Burnout to Balance™ and RehabTenure™ Approach | Joanie Johnson, MPA-HA, OTR/L, CCM

• The Occupation of Retirement: Keeping Life’s Occupations in Balance Through the Retirement Years | Daniel Canchola (he/him)

• Ready or Not? Building Confidence and Community for Level II Fieldwork | Stacey Vieyra-Braendle (she/her), OTD, OTR/L, MT-BC
  

• Vacant Spaces in Whole-Person Healing: The Occupational Therapist’s Guide to Preventing and Identifying Eating Disorders | Greta Jarvis (she/her), MS, MPH

• Beyond Survival: How OT Enhances Psychosocial and Functional Outcomes in PICU Patients Post-Suicide Attempt or Ingestion | Vanessa Verboort (she/her), OTD, OTR/L, Carly Andre (she/her), MOT, OTR/L

• OTAGO: An In-Home Fall Reduction Program for Older Adults | Sarah Foidel (she/her), OTD OTR/L FAOTA, Davie Nicolas (he/him), OTD, OTR/L

• "Wheels to Participation: Promoting Occupational Justice Through Basic Seating and Mobility" | Jenn Pidkowicz (she/her), OTD, OTR/L, CSRS, CAPS

• Beyond Inclusion: Mentorship, Advocacy, and the Future of Occupational Therapy in Oregon | Zipporah Brown (she/her), ppOTD, MS, OTR/L, DipACLM, Erin Wallace (she/her), OTD, OTR/L

• What Should I Know about the Representative Assembly of AOTA? | Halley Read (she/her), PhD, OTR/L, Kristin Nxumalo (she/her), OTD, OT/L, CLT

• Empowering Early Parenthood: Occupational Therapy at Individual, Group, and Societal Levels | Amalia Sletmoe (she/her), OTD, OTR/L

• "From Value to Action: Operationalizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Occupational Therapy Practice" | Sancler Andrade (he/him), OTD, MBA, OTR/L

• Enhancing Fieldwork Preparedness: Supporting Level 1 Fieldwork Students at Camp for Youth in Care | Irene Dominguez (she/her), OTD

• Navigating Pediatric Feeding Disorders for Occupational Therapy Practitioners without Advanced Dysphagia Practice Experience: Your Responsibility as an Occupational Therapy Practitioner | Julia R. Farrell (she/her), POTD, OTR/L, IBCLC
  

• From Brain to Function: Applying Neuroscience into Occupational Therapy Practice | Sarah Foidel (she/her), OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA Sancler Andrade (he/him), OTD, MBA, OTR/L

• Providing Neurodiversity-Affirming Care through the Social Model of Disability: Insights from a Home- and Community-Based Pediatric Practice | Amanda Martini (she/her)

• Emerging Practice Area: OT’s role in supporting Late-Identified Autistic Adults | Shannon Wagner (she/her), OTD

• Authentically Autistic: a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic group for autistic adults with mental health conditions in a community mental health setting | Dae Y. Diamond-Melendez (they/them), OTD, Jordan E. Andrews Noah (she/her), OTD, OTR/L, QMHP

• Reducing Recidivism: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Promoting Occupational Engagement in a Community Corrections Setting | Charmaine Alejo (she/her), OTD, OTR/L
  

• Reimagining the Level II Fieldwork experience for building therapeutic skills and understanding through a strong mentorship program. | Molly Pierce (she, her)

• Psilocybin and the Role of Occupational Therapy Using the OT Practice Framework | Heather Thomas (she/her), Ph.D, OTR/L, DipACLM, FAOTA

• Mindful Movement Group 2.0 | Paul Zulak, OTR/L. QMHP

• Promoting Occupational Justice with the Visual Activity Sort: Integrating Strengths-Based, Trauma-Informed & Self-Determination Frameworks | Katie O'Day (she/her)

• Tier 1 Interoception Intervention to Support Self Regulation Skills in a 1st/2nd Grade Classroom | Natalie Wiswesser (she/her), OTD, OTR/L

• Empowering Function, Advancing Care: The Future of Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy in OT | Ronaly G Taylor, OTD, OTR/L
  

Don't forget to nominate an Oregonian OT practitioner who has contributed to our profession and clients for one of the conference awards. Awards will be given at the conference. 

• The Grace Black Award of Honor: Awarded in order to express special recognition to an OTP member of OTAO for long term contributions made to the advancement of the occupational therapy profession. Must be an OT practitioner with more than 10 years of experience, and have made an active and on-going contribution of OTAO for a period of more than 5 years.
• The Sybil Hedrick Park Award of Merit: To recognize an OTP with more than 4 years of experience and active with OTAO for at least 2 years who has made a continuous contribution to the national/state/local OT community. These contributions can be through legislation, program/service development, management, public relations, promotion of occupational therapy, and recruitment.
• The Award of Appreciation: To express the appreciation of the OTAO to an individual or group of non-OTs who have contributed to the advancement and/or recognition of the occupational therapy profession.