Groups in Action
WAOTA is assisted in carrying out its activities by a huge number of passionate occupational therapist volunteers who make up our Groups in Action. All of these volunteers make a massive contribution to our Association, and help deliver a wide range of services to our members.
Thank you to all our Special Interest Group Convenors and Committee members from 2023. Many of you are moving on in 2024 and WAOTA would like to say that we appreciate all the work involved in co-ordinating these important groups. On behalf of all the WAOTA members and Management Committee – Thank You.
We appreciate all the hard work our volunteers do for WAOTA and if you would like to become one of them, please contact us at info@waota.com.au!
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Interest Groups
Various Interest Groups run throughout the year and throughout Western Australia.
A list of those Interest Groups who are affiliated with the WA Occupational Therapy Association with the current contact details of the convenor/s is below:
| Interest Group | Convenor |
| Hand Interest Group | Contact: Bryce Marshall and Catie Bott Email: handinterestgroup@gmail.com |
| New Grads | Contact: Serena Ton Email: newgrads@waota.com.au |
| OT Services in the Home Interest Group | Contact: Anna Mills Email: otservicesinthehome@waota.com.au Contact: Emily Bennison Email: otservicesinthehome@waota.com.au |
| DOT (WA) Inc. www.dotwa.org.au | Contact: Fiona Kemp Email: fiona.kemp.ot@gmail.com Contact: Jacqui Hunt Email: Jacqui.Hunt@health.wa.gov.au |
| Private Practice | Contact: Sandra Kevill Email: Sandra@kevill.com Contact: Vacant Email: |
| Soft Tissue Interest Group | Contact: Roisin Sullivan Email: softtissueig@gmail.com |
| Student Committee | Contact: Emily Byrne Email: students@waota.com.au |
Rural & Remote
For links to the WA Country Health Service, click here
Marketing
Volunteers within the Marketing Committee are responsible for both the promotion of the Occupational Therapy profession and the WA Occupational Therapy Association within the Western Australian Community.
This is achieved through; social events, attendance at Career Expos, networking events, OT Week Celebrations, development of promotional material and management of WA Occupational Therapy Association’s social networks.
The Marketing team has an exciting and constantly varied role within the Association. If you are interested in getting involved in any way please contact the WAOTA office Contact Us
Career Expos
OT Brochures
Volunteer to be on the Marketing Committee!
Research & Development
If you have any grant information that would be of interest to the Association and it’s members, please forward to info@waota.com.au
Private Practice
Information is shared on a largely informal basis through email and is a forum for Private Practitioners to discuss issues related to running and owning a Private Practice. Important tasks such as negotiating with Private Health Insurance funds and the Annual Indexation of OT Rates with Workcover come from this group.
WAOTA is in the process of updating its member list for the OT Private Practice Group. If there are any OT Private Practitioners who have an interest in becoming involved in the OTPPG at Committee of Management level and assisting with these tasks we would love to hear from you!
New Graduates
The WAOTA New Graduate committee is made up of new graduates from both Curtin and Edith Cowan Universities, and aims to provide networking and professional development opportunities to promote our valued profession, particularly for new graduates trying to enter the world of occupational therapy. The group provides a solid network of newer graduates, who, being the next generation of therapists, can develop their confidence and seek advice within a safe learning environment. Our members are the core of our interest group, and hence, we rely on their feedback about topics or areas they are interested in and would like to learn more about. We then use our position within the WAOTA Committee of Management to source appropriate guest speakers and tailor our interest group meetings to reflect the needs of the dynamic world of occupational therapy.
We are always looking for new and inspiring ideas for topics, so please request to join our Facebook page, to keep up to date with our upcoming events, as well as ask questions of other therapists in a variety of areas.
We hope to see you all at our upcoming events, so please stay tuned!
For further information on the WA Occupational Therapy Association’s New Graduates Interest Group please contact newgrads@waota.com.au
Student Committee
The WA Occupational Therapy Association’s Student Committee consists of a group of Occupational Therapy students from Curtin University of Technology and Edith Cowan University, ranging from 1st to 4th year. There are two representatives from each year, in addition to President and Treasurer roles (fulfilled by fourth year students) and Vice-president and Secretary roles (fulfilled by third year students).
For further information on the WA Occupational Therapy Association’s Student Committee please contact students@waota.com.au
Newsletter Committee
The bi-monthly WAOTA Newsletter is a highly valued membership benefit, which allows members to keep up to date with current OT news and events. The Newsletter allows communication between the Management Committee and members through the Chairperson’s Report, and provides an opportunity for updates of Special Interest Group activities, upcoming educational and social events. The Newsletter often features stories of OTs undertaking innovative and creative pathways in occupational Therapy and provides an insight into the workplaces and projects of various occupational therapists.
The WAOTA Newsletter Committee consists of a number of OTs who volunteer to interview OT and other health professionals, and edit the material submitted by members each month for the newsletter.
Submissions, please email info@waota.com.au
Advertising Rates: WAOTA advertising kit