Target Audience:
OTPs interested in starting a side hustle or a private practice
When:
Live Webinar Occurred
Tuesday, May 13th 7-8 PM CST
Thursday, May 15th 3-4 PM CST
Learning Outcomes:
- Learn requirements to start an occupational therapy business.
- Identify two tools to build a successful occupational therapy business.
1 contact hour available for OTPs. Must be present for the entire webinar to receive CEU credit or watch the replay and pass the test with 80% accuracy.
Speakers:
Dr. Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP- is the founder of AskSAMIE and OT Connected, platforms designed to make getting to the right adaptive equipment and resources easier for caregivers and occupational therapists alike. With a deep belief in tech-powered care and community-driven practice, she’s helping OTPs across the country grow their impact—and their income—without doing it all alone.
Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS- is co-founder of Senior AI, a friendly AI phone assistant that connects older adults and caregivers to trusted local services. She’s also the founder of Higher Standards Caregiver Training and where she empowers families and professionals with practical, evidence-based strategies rooted in occupational therapy.
Maria Lindbergh, MOT, OTR/L, ECHM is an occupational therapist with a background in home modifications and working with older adults. She created Toilet Talk, which is an online resource with candid toileting tips and bathroom solutions to make your bathroom beautiful and safe for a lifetime.
Educational Level:
Introductory
Evidence Based Rationale
This professional development activity is supported by evidence demonstrating the importance of mentorship, leadership development, and structured professional support in enabling occupational therapy practitioners to expand into nontraditional and entrepreneurial roles. A program evaluation published in The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy found that participation in a structured mentorship model improved practitioners’ confidence, problem-solving skills, and ability to navigate professional challenges, including role strain and system-level barriers. These findings support the session’s objective of helping OTPs understand foundational requirements for starting and sustaining occupational therapy businesses, as mentorship and guided learning are key enablers of successful practice ownership and innovation.
In addition, healthcare entrepreneurship literature highlights that clinician-led ventures benefit from access to mentorship, peer networks, and practical tools that support regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and scalable growth. Integrative frameworks emphasize that clinicians who combine domain expertise with business knowledge and technology tools are better positioned to create sustainable ventures while reducing burnout. Together, these sources provide an evidence-informed foundation for teaching OTPs how to start small, leverage software and systems, and build businesses supported by mentorship and leadership development rather than trial-and-error approaches.
Reference Citations
with hierarchy level of evidence
Reference 1
Henderson, S., Barker, A., & Allen, J. (2019). Evaluation of the STAR Level I mentorship program for occupational therapists. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 7(3), Article 10.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2360&context=ojot
Level of Evidence: III — program evaluation with mixed-methods outcomes
Reference 2
Glover, W. J., Crocker, A., & Brush, C. (2024). Healthcare entrepreneurship: An integrative framework for future research. Journal of Business Venturing Insights.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2024.e00476
Level of Evidence: I–III — integrative literature synthesis and expert framework
Disclosures:
Dr. Brandy Archie is the founder of OT Connected by AskSAMIE, which develops educational content and professional resources for occupational therapy practitioners. She may participate in this activity as a presenter, moderator, or interviewer. Guest experts may also have professional, financial, or business interests related to their area of expertise; however, no purchase of any product or service, besides the purchase of this course, is required to participate in this educational activity, besides a subscription to OT Connected.
