ADVOCACY
Advocacy is a process where a person or group of persons attempts to raise awareness, influence thinking and decision-making related to a specific cause in a planned and deliberate effort.
The primary purpose of MSOT’s advocacy efforts is to promote the perspectives and positions of the occupational therapy profession in Manitoba.
The following resources and information provide updates on some of the advocacy efforts the Manitoba Society of Occupational Therapists is engaging in to support YOU and continue to advance and advocate for Occupational Therapy.
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Advocacy Resources & Letters
Provincial Election 2023 (MHPAC Advocacy)
In May 2023, many members of the Manitoba Health Professional Associations Coalition (MHPAC) collectively wrote a letter to leaders of each major political party in Manitoba with a request for each party’s responses to five specific healthcare-focused questions as a starting point to inform the members of each of our professional associations. Below you will find links to the original letter, and responses from each provincial political party. You are invited to use these as a launching point to discuss with your candidates, and you may wish to use the information to guide your decision on election day in October 2023.
Responses below (listed in alphabetical order):
Enhancing Cultural Humility & Cultural Safety
In 2021, one of the actions the Manitoba Society of Occupational Therapists has taken in response to the Calls to Action from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission involved being a community partner with student Occupational Therapists in their final year of the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Manitoba to create a resource to support Occupational Therapists on their journey of reconciliation.
YOU can take action towards reconciliation: Explore this incredibly comprehensive document that includes self-reflection, information about Indigenous Peoples in Manitoba, concepts & recommendations to support culturally safer practices and resources to explore.
Please explore, use and share the “Enhancing Cultural Humility & Culturally Safer Practices for Indigenous Clients in Occupational Therapy“.
MSOT members can also access the newest resources to support OT’s in ensuring safe(r) practices. Both resources include a reflexive workbook, resources, and video sharing the development of the resource as a community partner of occupational therapy students in their final year.
In addition, MSOT members can access ALL past speaker series on the professional development member page. Check out the incredible resources MSOT has to support YOU in your professional development today and into the future!
Support for the University of Manitoba Faculty Association
On November 2 2021, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) commenced a strike. Here you will find the letter of support for UMFA that MSOT has sent to the Premier of Manitoba, Minister of Advanced Education and University of Manitoba Administrators. High quality and responsive health-care that will flourish requires retaining exceptional faculty to teach and support the training of exceptional healthcare professionals.
Advocating for Extended Health Benefits
As occupational therapy becomes better known and valued by health care consumers, many Manitobans are disappointed to find that that their extended health insurance plans provide limited coverage for occupational therapy services.
YOU can take action to encourage coverage for OT services: Write to your insurance company, your employer, your HR department or your union (i.e. work who are in charge of arranging and/or negotiating the extended health benefit packages) to ask them to include access to occupational therapists as part of their benefit plan and/or flex plan offerings.
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) developed four letters which are intended as templates and may be changed to for your specific needs and requirements. Use this link to access the letter templates for your use.
MSOT would like to hear about your efforts and successes regarding coverage for occupational therapy services through private health insurance. Please contact us at msot@msot.mb.ca to let us know.
MSOT Advocacy Toolkit
The Advocacy Toolkit was developed to assist you to build relationships and connect with important audiences that can be influential in decision-making about our issues. This toolkit was intended to make the call, letter or visit to your Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) an easy step to take. The contents of the toolkit will be useful to facilitate connecting with any influential decision-maker, such as hospital administrators, program directors, local health advocacy organizations, or your City Councillors, etc. The toolkit is available in the Member Portal for MSOT members (just login for access).
Occupational Therapists in Schools
MSOT submitted a formal brief as part of the Education Review in 2019 which can be found HERE, and presented along with the Manitoba Network of School Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists to the Education Commission in June 2019.
In 2021, in response to the proposed changes to education in Manitoba (Bill 64), MSOT has submitted THIS LETTER to the Education Transformation team as well as all political parties with an invitation for our involvement in consultation.
The Winnipeg School Division threatened to cut Occupational Therapy services in 2019 and in 2021. Below you will find MSOT’s advocacy letters highlighting the value and importance of Occupational Therapy for school-age children.
MSOT Advocacy – Union Bargaining
For many advocacy resources related to union bargaining (including a comprehensive report submitted in 2020 with MSOT member priorities such as wages gained from a survey to OTs around the province with nearly 200 responses!), please click here. If you have additional questions or comments please reach out the the MSOT Office any time.
MSOT Advocacy – 2018 Presentation in support of Bill 213
MSOT was invited to share a presentation to members of provincial parliament, and respond to questions regarding Bill 213, The Allied Healthcare Professionals Recognition Week Act. The MSOT presentation was well received, and was one of the presentations that moved forward this Act.
In 2018, the Bill was proclaimed, and now the week of May 14 each year is Allied Healthcare Professionals Recognition Week.
MSOT Advocacy – 2017 Meeting with Health Minister
MSOT was able to secure a meeting with the provincial Health Minister at the time with a letter highlighting research article indicates that Occupational Therapy (OT) was the only category where additional spending at a statistically significant association with lower 30 day readmissionrates (Rogers, Bai, Lavin & Anderson (2016). Medical Care Research & Review, 1-19). You will find the letter and visual representation of the research right HERE.
MSOT Advocacy – 2017 WRHA Health Cuts to Outpatient OT Services
In the summer of 2017, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) announced a number of cuts to both outpatient Occupational Therapy services, and cutting the regional Occupational Therapy director position. MSOT responded quickly with letters to government, WRHA, and media outlets.
Bus Bench Campaign
To celebrate OT month in October 2017 and 2018, MSOT had promotional advertisements on bus benches throughout the city of Winnipeg to promote Occupational Therapy throughout Manitoba’s largest city!
MSOT representatives actively support a wide variety of advocacy efforts with connections to occupational therapy.
Organizations MSOT may connect and/or collaborate with:
- Manitoba Health Professional Associations Coalition (MHPAC)
- Alliance of Canadian Occupational Therapy Professional Associations (ACOTPA)
- College of Occupational Therapist of Manitoba (COTM)
- Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation (COTF)
- Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)
- University of Manitoba (College of Rehabilitation Sciences – Occupational Therapy Department)
- Barrier-Free Manitoba
- Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba (LDAM)
- Alliance for the Prevention of Chronic Disease
- Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba
- PaRx: A Prescription for Nature
- Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance (MANTRA)
- Heart and Stroke Foundation (there are various research funding opportunities currently available from the Heart and Stroke Foundation)
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (OT Leadership Group)
If you have ideas for advocacy that MSOT could be involved with please contact us at msot@msot.mb.ca