Little by Little
TOTA's 2008 Conference has officially ended. The OTs, OTAs and OT students who attended have returned to their homes throughout Texas, and Austin has settled back to it's normal routine.
The weekend finished just as enthusiastically as it began, with educational sessions all day Sunday. Before they began, however, many attendees settled down for breakfast and a talk with Terry Crowe, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, who travels internationally practicing OT, teaches and regularly writes a column for ADVANCE. Her message was clear: get involved . . . on an international level.
Occupational therapy, she said, is a profession with the unique ability to facilitate change in local communities, nationally and internationally. To do this, however, OTs should branch out. If they have an interest in international work, then they should, by all means, expand their work into different countries.
To help OTs do this, Crowe provided a list of strategies to help find the best international fit for you:
1. Zero in on a country
2. Reflect on the amount of time you can commit
3. Decide whether you are looking for something voluntary or paid
4. Assess your language skills
5. Understand your comfort zone
6. Assess your strengths
Once you've narrowed down what you would like to do, Crowe recommended contacting the US WFOT delegate, the executive director of WFOT or the particular country itself (all information can be found at wfot.org). You can also use Google to find a program or contact various networks, as well.
Then, before you go, do your homework; know what you're getting in to. If you aren't prepared for a huge change of setting, take a small step first. You don't have to make a life altering change. Something small will help just as much.
Take it poco a poco, little by little or drip by drip.