Earn .1 AOTA CEU (1.25 NBCOT PDU/1 contact hour)
Abstract
The fourth edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (OTPF-4; American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020b) was completed by the AOTA Commission on Practice (COP) and adopted by the AOTA Representative Assembly in spring 2020. Having been initially published in 2002 after several years of work by the COP, this document has evolved and gained acceptance by the profession during its nearly 20 years of existence. Through the years and much like shaping of a bonsai tree, the OTPF-4 has been pruned where pruning was required and allowed to strengthen and flourish in those areas that define the foundations of the profession it underlies.
This article describes two recent and significant changes to the fourth edition of the Framework and discusses how they will support the practice of occupational therapy in the third decade of the 21st century. Among the changes described are (1) the addition of Cornerstones of occupational therapy practice and the complementary contributors, and (2) the addition of Health Management as an occupation in the domain of occupational therapy. Both of these additions support and give voice to the core values and beliefs of the profession and guide practitioners in their understanding of what occupation is, how it is addressed in clinical practice, and how it affects those we serve.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the Cornerstones of occupational therapy that are part of the OTPF-4
2. Identify the contributors to the Cornerstones of occupational therapy
3. Discuss how the Cornerstones and contributors support practitioners by providing a firm foundation for practice
4. Describe the occupation of Health Management
5. Describe how the addition of Health Management will help advance the profession through greater attention to an important area of occupation in the 21st century.
Learning Level: Introductory
Target Audience: Occupational Therapy Practitioners and students
Content Focus: Domain of Occupational Therapy; Occupational Therapy Process; Professional Skills
Reference Information:
Amini, Debbie, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA
(CEA February, 2021) The OTPF-4: Continuing Our Professional Journey Through Change