toolkitO T W E E K 2 0 1 5

occupationaltherapy week

occupational therapy

Lif t ing the prof i le of

2 6 - 3 0 O C T 2 0 1 5

O T N Z . C O . N Z

Occupational therapy week is our annual week-long celebration of occupational therapy.

This year our purpose is clear: to lift the profile of occupational therapy in Aotearoa.

In the results of a July 2015 survey, OTNZ-WNA members felt that there needed to be a greaterunderstanding of what occupational therapy is by both those we work alongside (our colleagues) and thosewe care for (the general public).

This toolkit has been developed to equip you to reach out to both your colleagues and the general public. From creating an eye catching display to giving a memorable presentation, this toolkit has all you need tolift the profile of occupational therapy in your sphere of influence!

As you read through, you may notice that we’ve themed a number of our resources around the idea thatoccupational therapists are our local superheroes! We encourage you to participate in our social mediacampaign #MeetYourLocalSuperhero (see pg 5 for more details). With your help we can makeoccupational therapy go viral this October!

Welcome

Look insideGIVING A MEMORABLE PRESENTATION........................................................................

#YOURLOCALSUPERHERO CAMPAIGN..........................................................................

MEALTIME MEET AND GREET..........................................................................................

'VIRAL VIDS'........................................................................................................................

CREATE A PUBLIC DISPLAY.............................................................................................

WRITE AN ARTICLE...........................................................................................................

GAINING FREE PUBLICITY................................................................................................

DRESS UP FOR THE OCCASION......................................................................................

RESOURCES.......................................................................................................................

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Your mission has been set:

to lift the profile of occupational therapy!

Are you up for the challenge?

Giving a memorablepresentation

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Check out OTNZ.co.nz for helpful presentation resources:

Occupational therapy promotional poster

Occupational therapy promotional bookmarks (please order from the OTNZ-WNA office)

Two examples of a presentation outline (15 minutes and 1 hour).

TOPICS COULD INCLUDE:

The benefits of being occupied

Developmental milestones of children and how caregivers can help them reach these

Equipment available for making home-life easier

The favourite activities someone has; how they might feel if they could no longer do them, and

what help is out there

Why occupational therapy is a smart career choice

Smart GP’s use OT’s – when to refer?

Who can benefit most from occupational therapy.

This OT Week, volunteer to be a guest speaker. This could be at a school, GP clinic, or

community group such as returned services association, country woman’s institute,

Rotary, Lions, etc.

2013 OT Week presentation

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SPEAKER: Gisborne occupational therapists. Presentation initiated by Sarah Stevens

AUDIENCE: Caregiving students

TOPIC: Informal discussion

LENGTH: 1 hour

PRESENTATION INCLUDED:

Sharing of experiences and examples from both students and presenters

Pathways for future communication between occupational therapists and carers.

What is occupational therapy

CCDHB occupational therapy services available to general practice

How to find an occupational therapist in Wellington

Funding options

Case studies

How/what would you like to see OT's doing participating in your practice?

SPEAKER: Fran Smith

AUDIENCE: GP's in Wellington, New Zealand

TOPIC: "Occupational Therapy in Primary Health Care - Smart GP's use OTs"

LENGTH: 15 minutes

PRESENTATION INCLUDED:

PRESENTATION INSPIRATION

#YourLocalSuperHero

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This OT Week we are LIFTING THE PROFILE and celebrating ouroccupational therapy superheroes!

One definition describes a superpower as an ability "uncommon to theaverage human" (ComicVine.com, 2015). We know that every dayoccupational therapists are out there doing what no one else can do!

Your "superpowers" (both big and small), are what we will be celebratingand promoting. It is time to "unmask" and introduce Aotearoa to theirlocal superheroes.

PARTICIPATE IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNUse the hashtag #YourLocalSuperHero in the lead up and throughout OT Week

Profile yourself or a colleague describing what you do. If you can, include a photo e.g. "Meet myfriend Jane! She enables people to thrive in their senior years #YourLocalSuperHero #OT"Share a thought about what you love most about occupational therapy e.g."I love helping peopleto achieve their goals and live the life they want to live! I'm #YourLocalSuperHero"Share a photo of how you and/or your team are celebrating the week with #YourLocalSuperHero

SHARE OTNZ-WNA'S POSTSThroughout the week OTNZ-WNA will be profiling different members. Share our posts and increase ourvoice! Make sure you are following us on Twitter and Facebook to be the first to see our posts.

ENGAGE THE PUBLICJust like the #WhatisOT campaign in 2013, this year weencourage you to print off our #YourLocalSuperHero cards andleave them in public places all over your city (e.g on the bus, ina library, in a cafe). Stimulate the curiousity of the public sothey want to find out just who their local superhero is! Seeotnz.co.nz for the printable #YourLocalSuperHero cards.

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Suggested Facebook, Twitter or Instagram posts:

Examples from the #WhatisOT campaign, 2013

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Mealtime meet and greetInspired by takeaway tray advertising - use inpatient mealtrays to introduce the OT team to theclient and explain the work that you do. (We suggest you talk to the kitchen first, they may be ableto customise to the different wards or have other ideas to help). Customisable mealtimeplacemats are available to download from the OTNZ-WNA website.

'Viral vids'Both of the videos below were put together by occupational therapy students. The Madrid studentsapproached members of the public demonstrating what an occupational therapist does. The UnitedStates students sing about occupational therapy to the tune of Lorde's "Royals".

Create your own or share these videos with your social media networks during OT Week. Send yourvideo through to OTNZ-WNA, and we will upload it to our YouTube channel.

MADRIDhttps://youtu.be/eYxgSlQJdfs

UNITED STATEShttps://youtu.be/xgb1TVGpjg8

Create a public displayGain permission in advanceCheck details of public liability for that locationWork out your publicity strategy, an eye catching display can often provide a good photoopportunity for the local paperWear name badges so that onlookers know that you are associated with the display and willbe more likely to approach you for informationConsider visibility.

Tips to help run an information display:

How to interest people:

Actively engage passers-by, introduce yourself by name or ask questions.Offer a quick demonstration or explanation of the item attracting attentionDiscuss their particular point of interest or needAsk “What do you know about occupational therapists or occupational therapy?”. Or turn thequestion around and ask "What would you do if you couldn't do...."Use pictures with minimal wording, well-spaced.

Display locations:

The best location is the location that will get the highest visibility from your target audience. This could be your reception, hospital foyer, hallway wall or staffroom. If you are wanting totarget the general public, why not set up at the local supermarket, school or library.

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Princess Margaret Hospital, ChristchurchReception foyer public display, 2014

Kate Foot with her OT Week public display, AucklandA+ Links Home Health, 2014

Set up a display of occupational therapy tools e.g. invite passersby to play with different sensorytools that you may use with your clients, and ask them to guess why it is used.Have a big basket or box filled with ordinary, everyday items e.g. potato peeler, cork screw,computer keyboard, car keys, sock, pen, roll of toilet paper etc. Pull out items and use as aconversation starter "what would you do if you couldn’t use..."Display photographs of occupational therapists at work: profile either occupational therapists whoyou work with (your workplace superheroes), or other occupational therapists who have beenprofiled in the media. The OT Insight magazine regularly features interesting occupationaltherapists from around New Zealand.Use the #MeetYourLocalSuperhero campaign and resources to theme your display (superheroposter, bunting and bookmarks available.)

What to use:

karaspartyideas.com thethingshannahloves.blogspot.com catchmyparty.com

And remember…Stands or displays don’t need to be attended at all times, having one or two people happy tobe there for a few hours will generate more interest than people "stuck there all day".

Visit www.otnz.co.nz for a number of downloadable resources and templates

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To add interest to the display, you could:

Write an article

Topics could include:

Write an article on an aspect of occupational therapy for your local communitynewspaper or in-house magazine or other health-related publication – such as fordoctors or social workers.

Contact the editor or check out other articles from your target publication to get anidea of the style and approach preferred.

10 things you didn’t know about ‘x’Staying in your own home longer/living independently10 things all GP’s (social workers, physiotherapists, allied health practitioners) should knowabout occupational therapyMaking the most of an occupational therapist – what we do and howWhat would you do if you could no longer do your favourite activity?

See our additional resources (pg. 12) to read David Brindlesarticle on the value ofoccupational therapy.

Already this article has beenshared over 50,000 timesthrough social media!

'Punching above their weight'

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2015/jan/27/impact-of-occupational-therapists

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Gaining free publicityOne of the keys to reaching as many people as possible is to use a variety of sources. We've puttogether a number of other suggestions for getting your message out in to the public sphere. Beaware that some of these may need several week’s notice of the event.

FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERSA few weeks prior to OT Week, contact the editor of your local paper for details of what type ofstory they are prepared to promote.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORThis section is one of the best read in the paper, so is a good way of gaining exposure.Use a letter to:

Raise the awareness of occupational therapyInform readers about occupational therapyThank the public for supporting an event.

If you read a story or letter to the editor that could benefit from an occupational therapyperspective, then respond in a timely manner. Try to use the words occupational therapy oroccupational therapist in the letter. Make sure you read the newspaper’s publication rules to giveyourself the best chance of having your letter published.

TV AND RADIOLocal TV and radio run free community announcements. Every Sunday evening there is aprogramme on National Radio called One In Five, discussing the experiences and issues ofdisability in New Zealand. Talk-back radio is another option. Some radio stations also have ‘roadrunner’ teams who are usually willing to attend public events.

ARTICLES ON HEALTH AND WELLBEINGWriting a page-long (or shorter) article with the aim of educating your target audience on anaspect of what you do is a good way to advertise yourself. Leave the article in your waiting areafor people to take away, or include in your newsletter or social media site.

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Dress up for the occasion

twindragonflydesigns.com

firstpalette.com

spreadyourwingsandcraft.wordpress.com buzzfeed.com

For those occupational therapists who are feeling particularly brave this OT Week, use the#YourLocalSuperHero theme and unleash your inner superhero!

Get creative and come dressed in superhero attire when manning your display table! More costume ideascan be found on our website and at http://www.pinterest.com/OTNewZealand/.

Free resources

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OTNZ-WNA has developed a range of free OT Week resources. Visit OTNZ.co.nz to download.

RESOURCES

Occupational therapy promotional poster

Occupational therapy promotional bookmarks (please order from the OTNZ-WNA office)

Two presentation examples (15 minutes and 1 hour)

'Punching above their weight' article to share

OT Week wordfind

Occupational therapy YouTube clips to share

Occupational therapy promotional dinner mat template

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION

Facebook profile badge

'Social media #YourLocalSuperHero card

DECORATIONS

OT Week bunting template

Tissue paper pom pom template

Superhero costume ideas

Use our DIY template or purchase onlinehttps://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/96650732/superhero-tissue-paper-pompom-kit-pow

Occupational therapy promotional posters

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O T N Z . C O . N Z