ILOTA Live Virtual Event: "OT Voices: Rethinking and Rewiring our Thoughts About Injustice"

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The Zoom recording of this program is now available here.

Access Passcode: vN^^7c#5 

In 2020, ILOTA added a Strategic Plan Focus Area on Inclusion and Diversity. Since then, the ILOTA Multicultural Liaison position transitioned into the Diversity Equity Inclusion Special Interest Section (SIS), which was then renamed the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) SIS. In order to continue efforts toward strategic plan objectives and the mission and vision of the JEDI SIS, this panel presentation is designed to inspire attendees to begin or continue addressing issues of systemic racism, occupational injustice, and social injustice within the occupational therapy profession. The panel will consist of OT practitioners, educators, and students from various backgrounds, prepared to identify and discuss strategies to promote occupational justice, cultural humility, and acceptance.

Objectives:
1) To be able to recognize and widen the understanding of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI).
2) To explore ways to develop strategies and effectively implement JEDI principles within the OT profession and communities we serve.
3) To be encouraged to become catalysts for future actions and initiatives to support the JEDI principles and occupational justice.

Aviana Valdez, MOT, OTR/L

 Registration Fees: Members $25 - Non-members $50

Zoom meeting link will be emailed to all registrants prior to the meeting.

(This course has been approved for 2.0 contact hours of CE credit if you attend the live session and completed the CE assessment survey.)

Bio's of the Panelists:

Jacquelyn L. Allen, MOTR/L, CPAM, CPG: Jacquelyn LaVette Allen is an Occupational Therapist of 15+ years with specialization in Geriatrics. Additional fields of professionalism include community based therapy and academia work. Completion of a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Governors State University in Illinois has allowed many open doors toward achieving clinical accomplishments within the field of Occupational Therapy and background research. Current works are being a part of the field team in Advocate Aurora Health, and online student assist and teaching. 

Ricardo C. Carrásco, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA: Dr. Carrásco has made substantial contributions to the occupational therapy profession. His scholarly activities include several peer-reviewed publications, books, and invited presentations. Dr. Carrásco has served for numerous local, state, national, and international organizations. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has recognized Dr. Carrásco’s leadership and contributions with prestigious awards, including an invitation to join the Roster of Fellows and the Award of Merit. Throughout his eventful career, Dr. Carrásco he Infuses his many passions including the art of ikebana, the latest recognition being his work and autoethnograpic narrative featured as cover, gallery and article in the Summer Issue of Occupation and the Artist section of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy found in this link: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1918&context=ojot&fbclid=IwAR3uI99rBPNaD1Pg0j1XtDUUIPeBZfip28KNMl6mcv4LzIvglCaOW131swI  

Ariana Carrillo-Ortega, BS, OTS: Ariana is a second-year occupational therapy student at Midwestern University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ariana was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and raised in Illinois where she continues to be heavily immersed in Mexican customs and traditions. This shaped her understanding of the importance of culture and diversity and has allowed her to recognize the impact of cultural incompetence on students, practitioners, and patients’ health. Ariana identifies as first-generation college student, an immigrant, a person of color, a gay woman, and from a low-income class which has provided her a solid common ground to connect with a variety of people. Throughout her childhood, she witnessed her parents sacrifice their time away from her and her sisters to work multiple jobs in an effort to give them a better life. Her parents missed many milestones in their lives, sacrificed any chance at living their own, and it was a direct result from the discrimination and fear of deportation that still exists to this day. Growing up in this type of environment has fueled Ariana’s unwavering commitment to bridge some of the social, economic, and educational gaps that exist today.

Laura Obara Gramer, OT: Laura Gramer and her husband, Brendan, transplants from the Chicago area, reside in north Seattle. They are deaf parents to two deaf sons. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from UIC (Class of 1996.). Laura was actively engaged with ILOTA prior to moving to Seattle, WA. Laura is currently a busy stay at home mother who volunteers in various community organizations: Hearing Speech Deaf Center (board president), WA Hands & Voices (vice president), and volunteers in community based activities/events with her family. (e.g., DeafThrive, school events, education advocacy, etc.) to amplify disability and deaf/hh awareness and promote accessibility and inclusion.

Dr. Luther King, DrOT, MOT, OTR/L, CDRS: Luther King has practiced Occupational Therapist since 2008, primarily providing care in a skilled nursing facility, while also specializing in Driver Rehabilitation. Dr. King has previously served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, where his role provided the opportunity to focus on the research, development and implementation of clinical driver rehabilitation services. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Governors State University (GSU). Dr. King currently supports the development of a driver rehabilitation program at GSU and sustains research interests in the implications of autonomous vehicles for medically at risk drivers. 

Dr. Leslie Roundtree, DHS, OTR/L: Dr. Leslie Roundtree is currently the Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and Chairperson of Occupational Therapy at Chicago State University. She has over 25 years’ experience in higher education and training health professions along with 15 years of hospital administration experience. One focus of her scholarship has been development of training programs that target enhancing the educational options for underserved and underrepresented students in health care. Dr. Roundtree secured a $15.0 million 6-year national demonstration project that was extended a year (2015-2021) through the Health Professions Opportunity Grant sponsored by Administration of Children and Families for training and employing low income and TANF recipients in health careers in from certificate level to bachelor level for multiple disciplines. She has been PI on two multi-year U.S. Department of Education Combined Priority Personnel Development grants (2007-2011, 2010-2014) for training occupational therapists to work in high demand local schools. Dr. Roundtree has served as the principal investigator for HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students for over last 10 years with a 95% retention and graduation rate of participants. These initiatives along with others has assisted CSU in leading the State of Illinois in the graduation of ethnic and racial minorities and educationally disadvantaged students in the field of health information administration, nursing and occupational therapy.

Toni Solaru, MS, OTR/L, QMHP: Toni is the co-founder and Chair of Diverse-OT National. She received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is currently completing her occupational therapy doctorate at Columbia University. The focus of her doctoral work is on the lived experiences of community-dwelling adults who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Toni currently practices as a community-based OT in Chicago. Toni is passionate about delivering high quality and client-centered services, health equity and justice, and enjoys assisting clients achieve their personal goals. 

Aviana Valdez, MOT, OTR/L: Aviana Valdez, OTR/L is a 2021 Governors State University graduate from the Masters of Occupational Therapy program. Currently, Aviana is a licensed OT and shares, “I’m having the time of my life working at Power of Play (POP) pediatric therapy.”