Occupational Therapy examination and practice preparation (OTepp) project
1400 Main Street West L8S 1C7 Hamilton, ON, Canada

OTepp has been recognized as an innovative practice the Health Council of Canada. Visit the Health Innovation Portal (HIP) (http://innovation.healthcouncilcanada.ca/) to view OTepp’s profile (http://innovation.healthcouncilcanada.ca/printpdf//get/1323) and other programs that are having a positive impact on health care across Canada.

OTepp is pleased to announce that it will be offering the OTepp Certificate Program in 2014! Registration is open until January 31, 2014. Academic classes will run from March 10, 2014 to June 26, 2014, with the supervised practicum taking place during the months of September and October. Please visit www.otepp.ca for details regarding tuition and admittance criteria.

The Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists (OSOT) is holding its 2014 conference Advancing Occupation - OTs at the Forefront of Health System Change in Richmond Hill, Ontario, September 19 and 20. Visit www.osot.on.ca to view program and register online.

OTepp has been recognized as an innovative practice the Health Council of Canada. Visit the Health Innovation Portal (HIP) (http://innovation.healthcouncilcanada.ca/) to view OTepp’s profile (http://innovation.healthcouncilcanada.ca/printpdf//get/1323) and other programs that are having a positive impact on health care across Canada.

OTepp is pleased to announce that it will be offering the OTepp Certificate Program in 2014! Registration is open until January 31, 2014. Academic classes will run from March 10, 2014 to June 26, 2014, with the supervised practicum taking place during the months of September and October. Please visit www.otepp.ca for details regarding tuition and admittance criteria.

CAOT is inviting members who are internationally educated occupational therapists and previously attended OTepp to write a brief profile of themselves for the feature Everyday Stories in OT Now. If you are interested, please contact Janna MacLachlan at [email protected].

Eligible participants in the OTepp Certificate Program will begin their practicum experiences near the end of May. Would you like the opportunity to precept an IEOT? There are mutual benefits: you will see OT through another lens and culture, assist a colleague, and possibly recruit potential employees! Please contact our practicum lead Colleen McGrath at [email protected] if you are interested in this great opportunity.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is presently taking applications for the May 2013 intake of the Professional Communication For Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHP) course. You must be living in British Columbia to enroll in this course. Interested individuals can email [email protected] for an application package. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2013. See http://www.kwantlen.ca/aca/els/IEHP.html for more details.

OTepp classes are held face to face at McMaster University in the IAHS building. Past or present participants are welcome to drop in and visit!

Registration for Course 4, Clinical Reasoning and Critical Thinking in a Practice Process, is open until March 1, 2013. After Course 4, our full certficate program students will enjoy a four week break before proceeding to practicum!

Course 1 has wrapped up and we are now ready to welcome students to Course 2 - Communication, Collaboration and Practice Knowledge. Remember that because of the Family Day holiday in Ontario on February 18, class has been moved to February 19.

OTepp is proud to announce that CAOT will now be offering the Occupational Therapy Exam Module (OTEM) and MOMENTUM, a mentorship module. These modules were developed by the OTepp team and will be delivered by CAOT to ensure their long term sustainability. Please refer to www.caot.ca/education to register. For more information, email CAOT at [email protected].

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) has put out a call for abstracts for the 16th International Congress taking place June 18 to 21, 2014 in Yokohama, Japan. The theme of the Congress is Sharing Traditions, Creating Futures. Please see http://www.wfot.org/wfot2014/eng/contents/abs.html for details.

We are already into Week 3 of Course 1! Last week students enjoyed meeting a panel comprised of local occupational therapists. For insight into the types of clinical settings available to occupational therapists in Canada, watch these videos at http://www.caot.ca/default.asp?pageid=4083.

Orientation to Ontario project Orientation to Ontario is holding its last three workshops of 2012 this week: ... Kitchener Dec. 17, 18, 19 London Dec. 18-19 (in French) Markham Dec. 20-21 Visit http://my.orientationontario.ca/ to sign up or find Workshops in January. Workbooks Available: If you can’t attend a Workshop and want a copy of the Orientation to Ontario binder/workbook, you can come by George Brown College, 200 King St., E., Room 264D thisweek, Monday-Friday, from 10am-5pm, and pick one up. Workbooks are FREE and yours to keep. As part of a pilot project, you must consent to participate and provide your name/email/phone for a survey that will be available January 9th. Orientation to Ontario advises that anyone who fills out a sruvey will be entered in a draw for $100!

We are very pleased to announce that the OTepp Certificate Program, previously known as the Core Curriculum, is being offered in 2013! Classes start January 7, 2013 and will run through to the end of July. The cost of the complete program is $1,000. Individual courses can be accessed at a cost of $300 per course. Deadline for registration is November 30, 2012. Please visit our website, www.otepp.ca, for eligibility criteria and to register. The OTepp team remains enthusiastic in its support of internationally educated occupational therapists. We are looking forward to working with the 2013 cohort!

OTepp will be presenting at the Health Force Ontario Orientation to Licensing for Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists along with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario on October 22, 2012. Visit http://www.otepp.ca//hfo_-_ieots_-_monday_october_22_2012. for more information or to register. Spaces are limited, so register soon!

Health Force Ontario offers a free course entitled "Understanding the Canadian Health Care System". Visit http://www.healthforceontario.ca//Acces/courses/uchcs.aspx for dates and eligibility requirements. Space is limited, so visit now!

Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia offers a free course entitled "Professional Communcation for IEHPs". The next course begins September 2012. Visit http://www.kwantlen.ca/aca/els/IEHP.html for eligibility requirements and to download the brochure.

Exam Prep module being offered without charge for the last time The next Exam Prep module will begin September 19, 2012. This is the last opportunity to access the module without charge. Registration deadline is August 31. Contact us now to register! Visit: http://otepp.ca/modules/registration.aspx

ACCC recently announced the release of their Innovations Guide: Health Canada sponsored the study Sustaining the Allied Health Professions to develop a pan-Canadian approach to ensuring a sustainable supply of these health professionals. This comprehensive study outlines policy recommendations for the sector, coupled with an Innovation Guide, highlighting leading practices in allied health recruitment, retention and success. For the full story see http://www.accc.ca//en/c...omm/news-releases/496-nr-may22-2012 OTepp is one of six programs featured in ACCC’s Innovation Guide. You can read about OTepp’s innovation at http://www.accc.ca//138-allied-health-education-innovation-

June 27 is Multiculturalism Day in Canada. Has multiculturalism had an impact on your OT practice?

OTepp had a number of presentations and posters at the 2012 CAOT conference in Quebec City. Read about it at http://www.otepp.ca//otepp-attended-the-2012-caot-conferen