Occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students are frequently called upon to take action to influence change to support individual- and population-based occupational participation and to advocate for the profession as part of a solution for a more inclusive and sustainable society.
Effective actions to influence change require knowledge about the change management process, skills to communicate your messages and strategy to determine when and how your efforts can be successful. Tools available from WFOT to assist with leadership and advocacy include:
- Description of the advocacy process and considerations for your advocacy strategy
- Advocacy letter samples and templates
Innovative Change Agency Narratives
Narratives that describe occupational therapy initiatives for influencing change, with an emphasis on analysing lessons learned.
- Advocacy for the dignity of older adults - Describes how occupational therapists in Québec, Canada denounced low quality of care for older adults living in residential care.
- Occupational Therapy as a Statutory Service in the Norwegian Municipal Health Service Act - Describes the successful advocacy efforts of the Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists Association to include occupational therapy services in the Norwegian Municipal Health Service Act.
- Successfully advocating for an occupational therapy law in Argentina - Outlines the work of the national occupational therapy association to update the legal framework for occupational therapy practice in Argentina. Also available in Spanish.
- Statements developed by WFOT on a broad range of topics to inform and offer support for messages included in your change strategy
- Statements that provide the WFOT perspective for significant topical issues of relevance to the occupational therapy profession
- Tips to help you write effective messages for the media
- WFOT description of occupational therapy and guiding principles for the profession