Target Audience:
OTPs interested in starting a side hustle or a private practice
When:
Live Webinar Occurred
Tuesday, June 17th at 7 pm CST
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify three non-traditional career paths that leverage core occupational therapy skills such as activity analysis, therapeutic use of self, and client-centered communication.
- Describe two ways occupational therapists can apply their training to create value outside of clinical settings, including entrepreneurship, advocacy, or digital content creation.
- Discuss one actionable step participants can take to begin exploring or transitioning into a non-traditional OT role based on their individual interests and strengths.
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.
Mandy Chamberlain, MOTR/L
Mandy is the founder and owner of OT Flourish and OT Accelerator, which is an online platform that shares resources and support to help occupational therapy practitioners feel empowered, informed and connected by keeping the care in healthcare.
Jenny Gill, MS, OTR
Jenny is the owner of Jenny Gill Copywriting, LLC. She is a copywriter and messaging strategist who helps occupational therapy practitioners value-aligned, strategic words to fill their OT practices and sell out programs.
Claire Schueler, MSOT, OTR/L
Claire is a school-based occupational therapist with a graphic design background. She creates and sells resources for other occupational therapy practitioners and teachers through her business, Super OT.
Educational Level:
Introductory
Evidence Based Rationale
This professional development activity is grounded in evidence demonstrating that occupational therapy practitioners experience greater job satisfaction and professional engagement when working in emerging or non-traditional practice settings that allow for autonomy, influence, and innovation. García-Ruiz et al. (2023) found that occupational therapists employed in primary care, an emerging practice area, reported higher job satisfaction when they perceived greater influence on organizational goals and flexibility in their roles. These findings support the relevance of non-traditional roles that move beyond task-driven clinical productivity and instead emphasize professional judgment, systems-level contribution, and alignment with personal values, all of which are reflected in the panelists’ business models.
Further evidence highlights entrepreneurship and knowledge translation as mechanisms through which occupational therapists extend their impact while maintaining professional identity. Gündoğmuş et al. (2024) demonstrated that occupational therapists with stronger entrepreneurial orientation showed higher organizational commitment, particularly when supported by environments that encourage innovation and autonomy. This supports the session’s focus on entrepreneurship, digital products, and alternative service delivery models as legitimate and satisfying applications of occupational therapy skills. Additionally, Donnelly et al. (2016) identified writing, education, and digital dissemination as common knowledge translation activities within occupational therapy organizations, validating content creation and resource development as evidence-informed extensions of practice. Together, these studies provide a strong evidence base for exploring non-traditional career pathways that leverage core occupational therapy competencies while promoting sustainability, professional satisfaction, and workforce retention.
Reference Citations
with hierarchy level of evidence
García-Ruiz, R., Álvarez-García, J., & Del Pozo-Cruz, J. (2023).
Job satisfaction among occupational therapists employed in primary care services.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20
(6), 5062.
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/5062
Gündoğmuş, E., et al. (2024).
The relationship between occupational therapists’ entrepreneurial orientation, organizational commitment, and perceived organizational support. BMC Health Services Research, 24, Article 378.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12033477/
Donnelly, C. A., et al. (2016).
Knowledge translation activities in occupational therapy organizations: An environmental scan. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 4(2).
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1189&context=ojot
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.
