Practice

University of Scranton
graduate students
Kathleen Phelan
and Courtney Ruch
(pictured left to right)
and faculty mentors
Verna Eschenfelder,
and Marlene Morgan,
EdD, OTRL presented
a poster on A Relational
Content Analysis
of Current and
Future Pedagogical
Instruction of Motor
Control Approaches.
Being a global profession means continuously developing the
means by which expertise and knowledge are shared to address
challenges that our clients face, taking into account the many
varying regions, countries, conditions, and settings. It is both our
diversity as a profession and our ability to draw on the pool
of our diversity that makes us effective.
United States, Canada, and Ireland, and
attendees presented 404 oral papers, 303
posters, 13 symposia, and 87 workshops.
Highlights included an opening ceremony
featuring harp, whistle, and fiddle
music as well as a greeting in Gaelic from
the president of the university.
Although this was a European
Congress, there were many attendees
from the United States. Some of the
presenters included Karen Jacobs, EdD,
CPE, OTR/L, FAOTA, from Boston
University; George Tomlin, PhD, OTR/L,
from the University of Puget Sound;
Nancy Krusen, PhD, OTR/L, from Pacific
University; Katherine Phelan, Courtney
Ruch, Verna Eschenfelder, PhD, OTR/L,
Marlene Morgan, EdD, OTRL, and Rita
Fleming-Castaldy, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,
from the University of Scranton; Kristine
Haertl, PhD, ACE, OTR/L, FAOTA, from
St. Catherine University; Donna Costa,
DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, from Touro University;
Peggy Martin, PhD, OTR/L (OT),
from the University of Minnesota; Susan
Burwash, PhD, OTR/L, and Diane Norell,
MSW, OTR/L, CPRP, from Eastern Washington
University; and Pollie Price, PhD,
OTR/L, from the University of Utah. Bill
Wong, OTD, OTR/L, both presented and
contributed to the Twitter feed from the
Congress. Shannon Brawley, a new OTR
from Wenatchee, Washington, presented
narrative inquiry research into homeless
women’s experiences at a drop-in center.
Also attending were then AOTA President
Virginia Stoffel, PhD, OT, BCMH,
FAOTA, and then AOTA President-Elect
Amy Lamb, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA, AOTA.
One of the aims of the joint Congress
was to launch the public face of occupational
therapy in Europe through the shared
visual identity of the website, but also as a
shared voice, demonstrating the collaborative
power of both COTEC and ENOTHE.
As such, the executives of the Congress
identified eight areas of significant interest
for the profession to be considered and
addressed at a European level and created
workshops for delegates to contribute to
the discussions and direction of the conversation.
Congress delegates were asked to
choose one of the following workshops in
which to consider these key topics:
l The importance of evidence-based
practice
l The accessibility of occupational therapists
in primary care across Europe
l The increasing number of occupational
therapists working with
refugees
l The struggle in many countries to provide
sufficient fieldwork opportunities
l The successes and challenges of curriculum
development for occupational
therapy in emerging areas
l The role of practitioners in social and
political changes
l E-health as a developing area in medical
practice
l Creating and developing a self-sustaining
research branch of ENOTHE
The Brexit vote, which followed hard
on the heels of the COTEC-ENOTHE
Congress, highlights recent European
sociopolitical discourse in which the
specters of disunity, separation, and
nationalism reared their heads. This
discourse is, of course, not limited to
the Eurozone. The conference theme of
connecting seems especially relevant in
this context. It remains more important
than ever that the profession is outward
looking, collaborative, and “without
borders.” Being a global profession means
continuously developing the means
by which expertise and knowledge are
shared to address challenges that our
clients face, taking into account the many
varying regions, countries, conditions,
and settings. It is both our diversity as
a profession and our ability to draw on
the pool of our diversity that makes us
effective.
The next COTEC-ENOTHE joint Congress
is scheduled for Prague in 2020.
Perhaps we’ll see you there? In the meanwhile,
slán go fóill (goodbye for now).
Thomas Hawksworth is recent graduate of the bachelor
of science Occupational Therapy Program at the University
of Derby, United Kingdom, and is now working for the U.K.
National Health Service’s Priory Group with Eating Disorders
in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Susan Burwash, PhD, MSc(OT), OTR/L, OT(C), is an associate
professor at Eastern Washington University.
Shannon Brawley, MOT, OTR/L, is a recent graduate of
the Occupational Therapy Program at Eastern Washington
University.
24 AUGUST 22, 2016 • WWW.AOTA.ORG