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On Demand Virtual Learning
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8th Annual Mental Health Symposium (virtual)
WAS ON May 30, 2026
| 2026 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Effective Integration of Occupational Therapy into TAY (Transitional-Aged Youth) Mental Health Teams and Programs - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Michelle Burlyga, MS, OTR/L, MAJ, USAR This presentation will reflect on multiple mental/behavioral health teen and young adult focused programs, with emphasis on strategies to successfully develop and promote occupational therapy’s unique and essential profession within multi-disciplinary teams and this population. A case study will be shared with interactive discussion to develop a deeper understanding and ability to advocate on occupational therapy practitioners’ complementary mindset and natural integrative services to ensure long-term success, within the team and the agency. - 5/2026 |
| Let's Meet at the Intersection of Pediatrics and Specialty Mental Healthcare - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.25 PDUs Shelby Surfas, OTD, OTR/L, BCP Within occupational therapy, the intersection of pediatrics and mental healthcare is at a curious moment in our political and societal landscape. Occupational therapy is moving with societal shifts, showing increased recognition and importance of mental health and behavioral health needs of children. Despite these (non-competing) realities, confusion and misinformation about the role of occupational therapy is pervasive. Occupational therapy practitioners, supervisors, and educators are expected to know the scope of practice, the billing codes, the interdisciplinary lines and the current evidence for our interventions in pediatric mental health when the answers to this information are diffused, scattered, and limited in depth, volume, and practical application. In this session, we will share with you our journey and process towards filling these gaps, clarifying the role of occupational therapy practitioner as LMHP (licensed mental health practitioner) in specialty mental health services for outpatient pediatrics together with occupational therapy students, educators, and clinicians. - 5/2026 |
| Occupational Therapy in Inpatient Mental Health: Historical Trends, Challenges, and Best Practices - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Colleen Carroll, OTD, OTR/L Occupational therapy has deep historical roots in mental health care, yet practitioners remain underrepresented in inpatient behavioral health settings. This session will examine historical and legislative influences shaping the role of occupational therapy, including deinstitutionali-zation movements and policy shifts, and exploring current inpatient realities such as increasing acuity and variable lengths of stay. Participants will learn practical, evidence-based strategies to support functional recovery and engagement in high-acuity environments. The session will also include brief international comparisons showing how alternative systems successfully structure mental health care around social integration, autonomy, and participation. - 5/2026 |
| OT Role in Behavioral Health and Mental Health Promoting Engagement Through Structured Activities - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.25 PDUs J. R. Maico (Jay), OTD, OTR/L (NV); and Elijah Boston, OTD, OTR/L (NV): Nevada State Mental Health Program and State This session explores the use of occupational therapy to increase participation and motivation through the implementation of structured functional activities, ADLS, IADLS for improved wellbeing. - 5/2026 |
| Roundtable Discussion: Moving Forward: Advocacy and Action with the OTAC Mental Health Fact Sheet - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Mental Health Committee Members: Jessica De Brun, PP-OTD, MOT, OTR/L; Ingrid Leu, OTD, OTR/L; Erin McIntyre, OTD, OTR/L; Emily Petersen, OTD, OTR/L; Kayla Wei, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, DipACLM A collaborative and open discussion regarding the OTAC Mental Health Fact Sheet. - 5/2026 |
Cancellation/Refund Policy. $35 is retained to cover cancellation/refund processing costs. Written notice must be received in the OTAC office by May 20, 2026 to be eligible for refunds. No refunds after this date. Disclaimer: OTAC reserves the right to make changes to the program. No refunds will made based on these changes.
Past Mental Health Symposiums
2025 7th Annual Mental Health Symposium
| 2025 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Addressing Functional Cognition in Mental Health: Practical Strategies for Occupational Therapists - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Experience an interactive roundtable discussion with fellow practitioners on current trends and interventions to address cognitive deficits. This is a great networking opportunity! - 5/2025 |
| Classroom Spotlight: Evidence-Based Interventions in Mental Health Practice - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Celso Delgado, Jr., OTD, OTR/L, BCMH; Tessa Milman, OTD, OTR/L This presentation will review the evidence-based interventions taught in the mental health curriculum at USC Chan Division of Occupational Therapy and provide suggestions for incorporating these interventions into clinical practice. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on how these interventions align with their curriculum or context. - 5/2025 |
| OTD Capstone Experience: Translating Evidence into Practice - $15 members/$30 nonmembers - 0.75 PDUs Meira Becirovic, OTD, OTR/L (TX) This presentation will highlight the impact of integrated capstone students into mental health settings through the lens of EmpowerHER, a doctoral capstone project focused on supporting women at the intersection of PIV and disability in shelter environments. Projects like EmpowerHER can inspire OT/OTA students to pursue mental health practice while addressing gaps in underserved communities. Attendees will learn how student-led initiatives can deliver meaningful, evidence-based interventions, expand access to OT services, and advocate for the profession’s vital role in mental health care. - 5/2025 |
| Panel: OTD Capstone Coordinators - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs Amy Lyons-Brown, MS, OTD, OTR/L; Elise Leizerovich, OTD, OTR/L; Deanna M. Mannarelli, OTD, OTR/L Join us for a panel of OTD capstone coordinators as they share their experiences guiding mental health doctoral students. This is a great opportunity for practitioners and educators to consider capstone opportunities and how they may support unmet needs at their sites. It is also an opportunity for students interested in pursuing mental health to explore and understand the capstone experience. - 5/2025 |
2024 6th Annual Mental Health Symposium
| 2024 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Cognition Roundtable: Current Trends & Interventions - $15 members/$30 nonmembers - 0.5 PDUs Experience an interactive roundtable discussion with fellow practitioners on current trends and interventions to address cognitive deficits. This is a great networking opportunity! - 5/2024 |
| Occupational
Therapy in Program Development: Advocating for Cognition Inclusion for
In-Home Support Services Evaluations - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1
PDU Lea Le, MS, OTR/L Advocacy is an everyday practice for occupational therapy practitioners and can be used to identify gaps and develop new programs. This session will explore how a nonprofit agency noticed gaps with in-home support services (IHSS) and created its own program to address it. By including occupational therapy practitioners in the contract, it allowed for funding for a comprehensive evaluation that also includes cognitive assessment, something that was previously omitted in other resources and services. Through the program, occupational therapy practitioners utilized assessments to advocate for IHSS for individuals living in permanent supportive housing who have a history of chronic homelessness, experience mental health conditions, cognitive challenges, and physical health issues. The additional support has helped individuals avoid evictions, maintain housing, and live independently in the community. - 5/2024 |
| Occupational Therapy's Future in Psychodelic Mental Healthcare - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs Christy Billock, PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM The future landscape of mental healthcare is being shaped by the current renaissance of research showcasing the efficacy of psychedelics in treating various mental health disorders. Occupational therapy’s unique skillset for promoting holistic health and wellbeing can align with the evolving needs for qualified mental health professionals to deliver psychedelicassisted therapies. This presentation will explore the burgeoning research on utilizing psychedelics in the treatment of PTSD, depression, and a variety of other conditions and illuminate how occupational therapy’s scope of practice can integrate into the provision of psychedelic-assisted therapy. - 5/2024 |
| Student Perspectives Panel - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs Jawad Aqil, OTD, OTR/L; Christine Villalobos, OTS; Emily Randell, OTR/L Join us for a panel of recent graduates and current students as they share their mental health capstone and fieldwork experiences. - 5/2024 |
| The Injeti Self-Esteem Model - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Praveen Injeti, OTD, OTR/L, MFT This session will discuss an intervention, based on psychoeducation and guided by CBT, to help adolescents increase insight into self-esteem as a predictor of healthy decision-making in intimate relationships. - 5/2024 |
2023 5th Annual Mental Health Symposium
| 2023 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Carrying Our Stories into Mental Health Practice: Anti-Oppression in Occupational Therapy - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs
Ryan Lavalley, PhD, OTR/L; Karen Park, OTD, OTR/L, BCP The therapy practitioner and client each bring their own story and lived experience with them to the therapeutic process. Examining these stories informs strategies to redress oppression, both individually and systemically. We will discuss how occupational therapy practitioners can approach this work considering systemic injustice rooted in structures like racism, queerphobia, and sanism, and briefly give participants the opportunity to dialogue about how their own stories can inform their approach to this work. - 5/2023 |
| Occupational Therapy and Forensic Mental Health Panel - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Julian Prado, OTD, OTR/L; Gina Gosparini, MA, OTR/L; Jessie Tien, MA, OTR/L; Carlos Aguilar Hear from a panel of occupational therapy practitioners working in community-based forensic mental health services. Current best practices, contextual challenges, and personal strategies for self-care and preventing burnout will be explored. - 5/2023 |
| Professional Advocacy and Program Development in Nontraditional Roles for Persons Experiencing Homelessness Stephanie Moon, OTD, OTR/L Session was not recorded at presenter request. |
| Putting on Our People Lens: Lived Experience as Pedagogy - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1.5 PDUs Tessa Milman, OTD, OTR/L; Celso Delgado, Jr., OTD, OTR/L; Leslie Moren; Guyton Colantuono; John Travers; Maggie Yeo This session will describe the process and outcomes of an innovative pedagogical design that engaged mental health consumers, experts by experience, to co-lead debriefs with occupational therapy students learning about mental health practice. Qualitative and quantitative outcomes indicated that this course design broadened students’ understanding of mental illness and recovery. Attendees will reflect on opportunities to include experts by experience as mentors or instructors in their own practice contexts. - 5/2023 |
2022 4th Annual Mental Health Symposium
Registration Brochure| 2022 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Attachment, Trauma, and Mental Illness: Intersections and Implications at the Micro, Meso, and Macro Levels - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Carol Lambdin-Pattavina, OTD, OTR/L Despite a growing body of evidence that is 50 years in the making, little space is afforded dialogue about and exploration of the intersections between attachment, complex trauma, and illnesses that often bear psychiatric labels in the medicallyoriented psychiatric community that continues to dominate mental health care. Understanding these intersections can shift occupational therapy practice and intervention outcomes at the micro (individual), meso (community), and macro (societal) levels. Participants will gain a better understanding of the implications of insecure attachments on mental illness and explore trauma-sensitive approaches that can foster healing for all clients. - 7/2022 |
| Beyond the Medical Model: Seeing Psychosis through a Human Lens - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Elise Blanton-Hubbard, MOT, OTR/L; Twylla Kirchen, PhD, OTR/L, CLA; Christine Linkie, PhD, OTR/L, CPRP In this session, participants will engage in a discussion related to the importance of understanding psychosis as a human experience rather than through the lens of the medical model. The presenters and facilitator, who are educators and practitioners, have been a part of the AOTA Psychosis Community of Practice (CoP) for several years and have shared their work at the AOTA Annual Conference. The focus of this discussion will be centered on how best to embed the human process perspective into occupational therapy practice. - 7/2022 |
| Occupational Therapy and Intimate Partner Violence: Overcoming Trauma and Finding Meaning - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Heather Javaherian, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects about one in five women and one in seven men. The trauma of violence by an intimate partner has a significant impact on mental health and occupational participation. This presentation will describe the role of occupational therapy in working with survivors of IPV, interventions, as well as challenges to service provision. Implications for advocacy will be discussed. - 7/2022 |
| Optimizing Client Mental Health through Trauma Responsive Occupational Therapy Practice - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU
Amy Lynch, PhD, OTR/L, TBRI ® Educator, FAOTA Trauma has a rippling impact upon the habits, roles, and routines of our clients, responsible for instability in mental health and jeopardizing satisfaction in self and occupational engagement. In this keynote, Lynch will discuss the "who, what, where" and why the time is now to put trauma-informed principles at the forefront of our practice. - 7/2022 |
| Trauma, Marginalized Intersectional Identities, and Your Occupational Responsibility - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Alaa Abou-Arab, OTD, OTR/L; Nuriya Neumann, MS, OTR/L This conversation will create a trauma-focused space for learning about experiences and perspectives related to trauma and healing from minoritized and often neglected identities. Panelists will share information about historic and current day attitudes, biases, and systems of oppression that impact engagement in meaningful occupations and access to health and wellness. The focus of this session is to develop and deepen participants' understanding of intersectional identities and their relationship to trauma and health as well as identifying the role of occupational therapy practitioners in mitigating the harm caused to marginalized communities across the lifespan and improving outcomes for all individuals. - 7/2022 |
2021 3rd Annual Mental Health Symposium
| 2021 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| A Family of Veterans: An Introspective View of Intersectionality on Military Culture and Female Soldiers of Color - $19 members/ $39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Alondra Ammon, MOT, OTR/L This presentation will provide attendees with greater insight into some of the challenges females of color experience within a military culture through personal reflections from sisters who each served in a different military branch. - 4/2021 |
| Building and Sustaining Healthy Communities: Understanding the Impact of Racism on Mental Health and Occupational Engagement - $15 members/$30 nonmembers - 0.5 PDUs Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L - 4/2021 |
| Panel: Occupational Justice for the Unhoused - $19 members/ $39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Gina Phelps, OTD, OTR/L; Erin McIntyre, OTD, OTR/L; Bianca Doherty, OTD, OTR/L; Robin Martin, OTS Panelists will share their experiences in providing mental health occupational therapy services to the unhoused population in various community settings. Strategies for how the panelists promoted occupational therapy and partnered with community sites will be shared. - 4/2021 |
2020 2nd Annual Mental Health Symposium
| 2020 Mental Health Symposium On Demand Recordings |
| Exploring Voice-Hearers’ Experience of Romantic and Sexual Relationships - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Emilio Villavicencio, OTS; Kristen Gottheil, OTS There is limited research within occupational therapy that explores the impact of occupations with individuals who hear voices. Currently there are no studies that solely focus on romantic and/or sexual relationships with individuals who hear voices. The purpose of this presentation is to address that gap by capturing the experience of romantic and sexual relationships through a qualitative phenomenological study for those who hear voices. - 4/2020 |
| Introduction to Cultural Responsiveness - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Elizabeth “Beth” Ching, OTD, M.Ed., BSOT, OTR/L Occupational therapy as a profession must diversify its workforce to meet the needs of a diverse population. This presentation is an excerpt from a module taught to occupational therapy graduate students to introduce the concept of culturally responsive care. “Cultural Competence” is the language used in many health professions that suggests an end-point; however, “Cultural Responsiveness” is a term used in both the professions of education and health to suggest lifelong learning. The learner will participate in brief activities that explore issues of identity and implicit bias. Reducing health disparities with the goal of health equity for all is the call to all health providers. - 4/2020 |
| Lived Experience - $19 members/$39 nonmembers - 1 PDU Amanda Lipp, Filmmaker | Social Entrepreneur | Speaker Amanda shares her story from psychiatric hospitalization during college to becoming an entrepreneur and filmmaker in mental health. She challenges people to think “outside the crayon box” of traditional mental health paradigms: from illness to identity, and adversity to opportunity. Amanda will share how drawing with crayons during the hospital led her to recovery and advocacy in mental health. She will also provide insights and clips from the documentary films she makes in NYC and around the U.S. that promote youth mental health programs and research. - 4/2020 |
2019 1st Annual Mental Health Symposium
Registration Brochure
Event was in-person. No recordings produced.