We have implemented a new membership management database. Please note that your login has changed. Look for an email in your inbox or spam folder form for your new login credentials. If you experience any issues, please let us know at . We will respond Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE ENHANCE OUR USERS EXPERIENCE.
Be A Member! Join Today!
Renew Your Membership Today
Calendar of Events
View the latest events
Committee Chair
Carlin Daley Reaume, OTD, OTR/L, MAEd, PMH-C
Welcome to the OTAC Advocacy Center!
The OTAC Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee is dedicated to
ensuring a proactive and timely response to legislative or regulatory
activity which may impact the practice of occupational therapy. Read more about the Committee's purpose and functions.
OTAC Pelvic Health Position Statement – March 2024 ♦♦♦
OTAC is pleased to announce that the association has officially adopted a position statement on the area of pelvic health. This document outlines the many ways in which pelvic health falls firmly within occupational therapy's scope of practice. OTAC is excited to be one of the first professional associations in the country to put out a position statement on this important area of practice. Celebrate this exciting achievement with us by sharing this statement within your personal and professional networks. Let's work together to enhance awareness about our role in this area of practice.
OTAC Advocacy Day
Every year, OTAC sponsors Advocacy Day in recognition of OT Month to support occupational therapy professionals and students in advocating for the profession and ensuring access to services for OT clients. Advocacy Day is a unique opportunity to meet and open a dialogue with our legislators about the distinct value of occupational therapy to their constituents. This is an important opportunity to demonstrate the collective power of our OT voice!
Many professionals and students are nervous about meeting their representatives and advocating for the value of occupational therapy. But remember, in this setting, you are the OT expert. They are interested in hearing from you and learning more about occupational therapy and its value to California citizens.
And, Advocacy Day is easy. We do all of the preparation work (identify the legislative bills and issues to talk about, develop fact sheets and talking points, develop information materials about OT as ‘leave behinds’ for the legislative offices, set up appointments with legislators and their offices, provide you with virtual training, and attend the virtual appointments with you). You provide a critical component -- attend the virtual legislative meetings (whichever ones fit your schedule) and share your professional OT stories .. what is OT’s distinct value in your workplace setting.
Join us as we speak up for the value of occupational therapy and client access to OT services. Sign up today so that we can schedule you for our virtual training and strategizing with our advocacy experts on educating the California legislator about OT. Let’s show the California legislator the collective power of the OT voice!
DATE, TIME, LOCATION
The Advocacy Day date is announced in early fall for the following April.
COST
Complimentary
OTAC 2024 LEGISLATIVE BILL TRACKING
Learn about the legislative bills that OTAC is tracking. Learn More - Click Here.
For the 2024 legislative season, our lobbyists culled through more than 1,500 introduced legislative bills to identify those that would be the most impactful for or against occupational therapy. Those identified bills were then reviewed by the OTAC Board of Directors and Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee to identify OTAC’s position on the bills, such as support, oppose, watch, etc. Annually, OTAC actively advocates for or monitors up to 30 legislative bills. Questions about the bills may be directed to the Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee at .
OTAC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
OTAC-PAC - make an online donation today, or download the donation form. Political contributions help ensure OTAC's access to political decision so that we can advocate on important issues for occupational therapy practitioners. Learn more about the PAC.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU BE A STRONGER ADVOCATE FOR OT
Stay Informed
Tips for Building Effective Relations with Elected Officials | download ♦♦♦
Be a GO-TO-OT! | Fact Sheet
GO-TO-OT Training 8/9/2018 | Single Slides -- Multiple Slides
Be a Virtual Advocate
- Internet. You can support advocacy by listening to hearings, floor sessions and press conferences over the Internet. Check it out.
- Locate and Track. Do you want to find legislative bill information on your own? Track bills of interest to you? Bookmark your favorite bills? Go to this link. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/
- Find Your Legislator. Find your legislator by zip code and links to legislators' websites. Check it out at www.legislature.ca.gov/your_legislator.html.
- Listen to CBOT Board Meetings. CBOT Board meetings are webcast through the Dept. of Consumer Affairs. Check here for Board meeting schedule. Click here to listen in.
Other Resources
- California Office of the Governor - www.gov.ca.gov.
- California Board of Occupational Therapy (CBOT) - attend their Board meetings, dates and location are posted under Board. Locate information about licensing and proposed and new regulations. www.bot.ca.gov.
CBOT Committees - You are invited to participate.- Division of Workers Compensation - http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/dwc_home_page.htm.
- AOTA Federal Affairs information - www.aota.org. Click on Advocacy & Policy
Meet the OTAC Lobbyists
Jennifer Snyder, MPA, is a partner in Capitol Advocacy, LLC, one of Sacramento's premier lobbying firms. She has 20 years of legislative and advocacy experience with an emphasis on health and human services issues in California. She has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in health administration. Ms. Snyder's legislative career was spent in the California State Senate for five years as a legislative consultant specializing in health and education issues. She then served as the legislative director for the California Association of Health Facilities and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services. In 2000, she was hired by the California Hospital Association to spearhead their psychiatric hospital advocacy program. Ms. Snyder joined Capitol Advocacy in 2003, and became a partner in 2006. She has since worked with a broad range of clients on a wide array of issues in the legislative, administrative, and regulatory settings.
Lindsay Gullahorn, BA, brings over a decade of political, legislative, and policy experience to the firm as a lobbyist at Capitol Advocacy. Her expertise in a variety of policy issues, and her keen understanding of political fundraising and campaign finance, provides clients with a breadth of knowledge and the ability to respond quickly to client needs. Beginning her career at Capitol Advocacy over a decade ago, Gullahorn’s longevity has proven invaluable for each client. She brings a deep understanding and historical background of policy issues pertinent to them. Her knowledge and experience provide clients with ongoing updates and analysis on their key issues and the politics that impact them. She has successfully advocated for clients on complex issues such as privacy, financial services, professional licensing, pharmacy, and other healthcare related matters. She also has a breadth of regulatory experience, which has given her the skills to navigate California’s labyrinthine of administrative boards, bureaus and agencies, and achieve favorable outcomes on behalf of the firm’s clients. In addition to her advocacy work, Gullahorn pays close attention to all proposed legislation for the firm’s clients. She also crafts position letters, analyzes budget proposals, participates in oversight and informational hearings, follows all regulatory matters of interest, and provides an in-depth review to clients after each legislative deadline. Along with her extensive policy work, she is pivotal in developing individualized political contribution plans for each of the firm’s clients. Her understanding of California’s complex political environment, and knowledge of the ever-changing leadership dynamics offers clients an unmatched insider perspective. She regularly provides clients with political updates, which have been published by global organizations and state associations. Gullahorn completed her Bachelor of Arts in government at California State University, Sacramento in 2005.