Greetings OT Stakeholders and petitioner supporters: 

When this petition was launched in late 2023, the goal was not to criticize occupational therapy education or leadership—but to formally name recurring concerns being voiced by educators, students, and clinicians across the United States and to invite collaborative solutions.

Over the past three years, many of the themes outlined in this petition have only become more visible:

• Increasing disconnect between academic preparation and full-scope clinical demands
• Growing strain on fieldwork systems and fieldwork educators
• Escalating payer restrictions, documentation burden, and utilization controls
• Workforce pressures that impact clinician retention, student pipelines, and access to care

At the same time, important advocacy work has occurred across the profession. Efforts by ACOTE, AOTA, NBCOT, and state associations continue to support occupational therapy in meaningful ways. This update is shared in the spirit of alignment, transparency, and collective problem-solving, not opposition.

This petition remains open and active as a mechanism to support future review and revision of ACOTE Standards, including the anticipated 2027 standards cycle. Advocacy efforts will continue to focus on promoting educational standards that prepare graduates for the full scope of occupational therapy practice through rigorous, integrated, and clinically grounded training. The intent remains collaborative and forward-looking, with the shared goal of strengthening the profession’s educational foundation and long-term sustainability.

Why This Update Matters Now

What has changed since this petition began is not just policy—but infrastructure.

Many clinicians have expressed that while concerns are frequently shared on social media or in isolated conversations, there has been no consistent, profession-wide mechanism to:

• Aggregate clinician experiences across states and settings
• Identify patterns rather than isolated anecdotes
• Translate frontline realities into organized feedback for state associations and national leadership

A New Opportunity for Collective Clinician Voice

To help address this gap, a clinician-centered coalition has begun forming to unify occupational therapy voices across the United States and create a structured channel for shared concerns, highlights, and emerging trends (United States Occupational Therapy Clinician Coalition).

This coalition is not a replacement for existing organizations. Instead, it is designed to function as a listening, organizing, and reporting body—supporting advocacy efforts by providing clearer visibility into real-world practice conditions.

📅 First Inaugural Meeting:
January 11, 2026 | 8:15 PM EST

The initial focus is simple:

• Explain what the coalition is, and how it can foster supportive communication within OT systems
• Identifying common themes across practice settings
• Establishing transparent pathways for communication with state associations and national partners

Ongoing Advocacy & Policy Awareness

In parallel, clinicians are navigating significant shifts in:

• Medicare and Medicare Advantage reimbursement structures
• Telehealth permanence versus payer restrictions
• Efficiency adjustments and utilization pressures
• Student loan policy changes affecting future workforce pipelines

These realities reinforce why full-scope education, fieldwork quality, and clinician advocacy—as outlined in this petition—remain urgent and interconnected issues.

How You Can Be Involved

If you signed this petition—or if these concerns resonate with you—you are invited to participate in ways that fit your capacity:

• Share feedback or concerns through established advocacy channels
• Attend the inaugural meeting to listen, observe, or contribute
• Engage with your state association using clearer, aggregated themes rather than isolated voices
• Advocacy resources and feedback pathways are available here:
  👉 https://www.usotcc.org/ot-advocacy

This petition was never meant to be static. It was meant to be a starting point.

As occupational therapy continues to evolve across healthcare, education, and community systems, the profession’s strength will depend on our ability to:

• Speak clearly about our full scope
• Prepare graduates for real-world demands
• Support clinicians, educators, and students simultaneously

Thank you for lending your voice—past, present, and future—to building a profession that remains relevant, respected, and responsive to the people it serves.

Have a wonderful year! 

Michelle Eliason, MS, OTR/L