CAOT develops position statements in areas that reflect government priorities and maintains their currency and accuracy to the extent possible so that they can be used as communication tools for advocacy purposes to increase knowledge and raise awareness about occupational therapy amongst decision makers. Information in position statements, such as recommended actions, serve to support occupational therapists in the evolution of their practice.
CAOT’s current Position Statements:
| Now available! | Joint Position Statement - Toward Equity and Justice: Enacting an Intersectional Approach to Social Accountability in Occupational Therapy (2024) |
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CAOT Position Statement: Occupational Therapy to Prevent and Support Recovery from Suicide We are proud to launch the new CAOT Position Statement: Occupational Therapy to Prevent and Support Recovery from Suicide! This advocacy document highlighting the meaningful role of occupation across the suicide prevention continuum has been created with the support of CAOT’s Addressing suicide in occupational therapy Practice Network. We are grateful to them for all their energy and expertise in creating a timely document of great importance to the profession. The document presents five calls to action guiding the advancement of suicide prevention work by engaging occupation and occupational therapy professionals, and is designed to equip decision-makers with an overview of why occupational therapy is important; what occupational therapy contributes to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention; and how occupational therapy professionals facilitate meaningful outcomes. As best put by a focus group participant during the development phase of the Position Statement: “Occupational therapists help people to live, not only to stay alive”. |
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Occupational therapy and Aging in Place (2019) Occupational therapy and Indigenous peoples (2018- revised) Occupational Therapy and End-of-Life Care (2017 – revised) Occupational Therapy and Home & Community Care (2016 – revised) Occupational Therapy and Mental Health Care (2017 - revised) Autism spectrum disorders and occupational therapy (2015) Occupational Therapy and Older adults (2011 – revised) |
Joint Position Statements:
In development: A new joint position statement on Equity & JusticeA collaborative comprised of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy University Programs (ACOTUP), the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO), Alliance of Canadian Occupational Therapy Professional Associations (ACOTPA) and the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation (COTF) as members of Occupational Therapy Canada (OTC) have established a Working Group to develop a Joint Position Statement on Equity and Justice. Established in November 2020, the Working Group is made up of a diverse group of occupational therapists and scientists with experience and work rooted in equity and justice. The purpose of the Joint Position Statement on Equity and Justice is to name and redress the systemic and intertwined oppressions that lead to inequities across health, social, and economic systems, as they relate to, and can be actioned by, the occupational therapy community. These systemic oppressions compromise occupational justice for under-represented equity-seeking and deserving groups, including but not limited to those who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled and with mental health conditions, Mad, Deaf, and those living with invisible/episodic/fluctuating conditions among others. We recognize that intersections of ableism, ageism, classism, citizenship status, colonialism, the gender binary, heteronormativity, racism, saneism, sexism and/or structural poverty & structural violence produce differential experiences and outcomes. This position statement will complement the proposed new competencies for occupational therapy in Canada. It will also aim to serve as a social accountability/intersectionality framework to foster conditions that shift normative and dominant cultures, dismantle systemic barriers, repair harm, support healing, eradicate discrimination, and aspire to co-create spaces that allow us to promote occupational justice more equitably within the scope of occupational therapy practice. This statement will replace the 2014 Joint Position Statement on Diversity, which was retired by CAOT and its OTC partners in September 2020. CAOT is focused on co-constructing a new Joint Position Statement on Equity and Justice, in collaboration with diverse perspectives representative of our membership, other national occupational therapy organizations, and justice-focused initiatives. It is anticipated that the new joint position statement will be released in early 2024. Members of the Working Group are: Havelin Anand, Marianne Baird, Giovanna Boniface, Fizza Jafry, Leanne Leclair, Susan Mahipaul, Samira Omar, Elizabeth Pooley, Hélène Sabourin, Ruheena Sangrar, Danny Tran, and Hiba Zafran. For more information, please contact advocacy@caot.ca |
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Professional responsibility in fieldwork education in occupational therapy CAOT & ACOTUP (2012) Evidence‐based Occupational Therapy CAOT, ACOTRO, ACOTUP, PAC (2009 - reviewed) Professional identity, individual responsibility and public accountability through the use of title in occupational therapy CAOT, ACOTRO, ACOTUP, COTF, PAC (2013 - revised) Inclusive Occupational Therapy Education for Persons with Disabilities CAOT & ACOTUP (2018) The Role of Health Professionals in Tobacco Cessation CAOT, CCPA, CDHA, CMA, CNA, CPA (2011 - revised) |