Students in the entry-level doctor of occupational therapy program completed the Systems and Advocacy summer course in preparation for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Hill Day on Friday, September 20.
The Systems and Advocacy course evaluates the socioeconomic, political, geographic, and demographic factors on the delivery of occupational therapy services while Hill Day allows students and practitioners to lobby elected officials in Congress on policy issues that impact occupational therapy (OT) practice, and people and communities, across the continuum of care.
Jillian Meissner, who urged Representative Andy Harris (MD-01) to vote yes on the Occupational Therapy Mental Health Parity Act, explained, “This bill will help to start healing individuals’ mind, body, soul and spirit. This bill will provide– not only cardiac patients like my mother, but other individuals with mental health disorders– the knowledge, access and right to be supported through challenging times. Therefore, empowering individuals to participate in the things that they love and value.”
Watch Jillian Meissner’s Hill Day speech on Instagram.
