Occupational Therapy
For Native Americans
Occupational therapy is a rehabilitation profession that focuses on helping people develop, restore, or maintain
INDEPENDENCE and FUNCTION.
OT practitioners work with all ages - birth through the end of life - to help people do the things (occupations) they want to do by using activities, tools and strategies.
The Mission and Purpose of Occupational Therapy for Native Americans (OTNA) is to advocate for Native Americans with disabilities, so that they can attain the highest quality of life possible through gaining their physical, psychological and spiritual independence.
As advocates, we develop and share resources for OT practitioners currently working with, or interested in working with, Native Americans. OTNA promotes the recruitment and retention of Indigenous students into the field of occupational therapy and the development of materials to educate the profession about Native issues.
HEALTH
SOVEREIGNTY
COMMUNITY
OTNA is a part of the Multicultural, Diversity & Inclusion (MDI) Network, which includes multiple independent advocacy groups each supporting a specific cultural community (hyperlinks below):
* Asian/Pacific Heritage OT Association
* Network of OT Practitioners with Disabilities and their Supporters
* The Network for LGBTQIA+ Concerns in Occupational Therapy
* Occupational Therapy for Native Americans
We have been involved in advocacy in the OT profession for 25 years! Through grassroots collective action, the MDI Network has been successful in influencing AOTA to add "inclusive" as a pillar for Vision 2025, improving accessibility at conferences & events, establishing standing diversity sessions at conference and acted as the impetus for AOTA's recently announced diversity & inclusion task force. Please let us know how we can best serve you and our community!
Meet The OTNA Leadership Team
LaVonne Fox
PhD, MSOT, OTR/L
Founder & Consultant
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
Maggie Deforge
OTD, OTR/L
Chair
Kanienʼkehá꞉ka
Bianca Vicente
MOT, OTR/L
Mentorship Coordinator
Haliwa-Saponi
Tommy LaClair
MOT, OTR/L
Educational Liaison
Chaya Alvarado
OTD student
Communications Chair
Jicarilla Apache Nation