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On October 28, 2017 the Maine Occupational Therapy Association (MeOTA) welcomed Senator Angus King to jump start a day of advocacy education for occupational therapy practitioners in the state of Maine. ɫ����ƵAlumna Jessica Bolduc Dr.O.T., M.S.O.T. ’05, took the helm as the incoming president of MeOTA. 

The conference also included a presentation by a faculty-student team including Regi Robnett, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, and M.S.O.T. 2018 students Lauren Bartholomew, Paxton Arsenault, and Morgan Mitchell. The team is associated with the SAMHSA Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Grant. The group presented a well-attended 90 minute workshop titled, “Substance Abuse Screening Tools and Techniques for Practitioners who work with Adolescents and Adults.”

In addition, Leanne Quackenbush (M.S.O.T. 2018), the ɫ����Ƶ OT student representative to MeOTA, attended the event and networked effectively with the leaders and speakers on advocacy as she also represented the newly formed Ability Advocacy Committee of the ɫ����Ƶ Student OT Association (ɫ����ƵSOTA).

Finally, Norah Brennan, M.S.O.T. ’15, and Cassandra Lyons who both completed the Leadership Education for people with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program in 2017, presented their LEND experience in a presentation titled, “Occupational Therapy ‘LENDs’ a hand to Maine Families.” The pair presented their experiences and projects which reflected the core concepts of LEND including family-centered practice, inclusive community participation and interprofessional teamwork. Kathryn Loukas, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L, FAOTA, was a supporting presenter as the LEND Training Director. 

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