Officials with an advocacy group for occupational therapy in the Washington suburbs brought their message directly to lawmakers in support of legislation being debated on Capitol Hill, according to a press release.
Virginia Stoffel, vice president of the American Occupational Therapy Association in Bethesda, Maryland, praised the efforts of a March 19 staff briefing for the U.S. House and Senate, which was done in support of the Occupational Therapy Mental Health Act, HR 3762.
"We were able to bring a clear message about how occupational therapy is different from other professions and how it makes an impact in a person's life. I think that people walked away with a clear and consistent message. The power and clarity of the message is what really got accomplished," said Stoffel, who also is an associate professor with the Occupational Science & Technology Department at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. "I believe that we have so much to offer in the provision of quality care to individuals in the mental health and substance abuse systems. I have spent the first 10 to 15 years of my practice as an occupational therapist in this kind of a setting. It is why I am still a very proud occupational therapist."
The efforts advocated for the benefits of work performed by professionals who hold occupational therapy jobs for people with various mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major clinical depression.