Resources

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Welcome to the Resources Page for Occupational Therapy (OT) Day at the Capitol! This page provides essential information to help you understand the role of OT in mental health care and prepare for advocacy efforts.

OT Day at the Capitol 2025: inclusion of OT in Minnesota mental health legislation

MOTA and MOTA's Government Affairs Committee will introduce a bill to include occupational therapy in a variety of Minnesota mental health legislation. The purpose of this bill is to increase access to occupational therapy services across the state's mental healthcare continuum.

Why including OT in Minnesota mental health legislation is important:

Expands access to holistic care for individuals with mental health conditions.
Addresses gaps in current mental health services by offering interventions tailored to everyday functioning.
Integrates OT into mental health teams to provide more comprehensive support.

Key Talking Points for Advocacy:

Impact: Highlight how OT improves mental health outcomes and quality of life.
Workforce Needs: Emphasize the importance of recruiting and training more OTs to meet growing demand.
Equity: Advocate for ensuring rural and underserved communities have access to OT services.

Resources for Advocacy Preparation

Fact Sheets: Download quick-reference guides on OT's role in mental health care.
Legislative Priorities: Review the main points we’re advocating for during OT Day at the Capitol.
Training Sessions: The OT Day at the Capitol Planning Committee will host 2 educational training sessions for advocacy preparation. Date and times of these sessions will be posted soon.

Other Resources

Inclusion of OT in MN mental health legislation informational handout

OT in Mental Health (2).pdf

Example Script + Answers to Legislator Questions

Example Script for OT Day at the Capitol

Video describing proposed policy for including OT in Minnesota mental health legislation:

Proposed Inclusion of OT in MH statutes 2025 session.mp4

In the video above, Kallie Moy, Claire Mireau, and Abby Anderson discuss the proposed bill and where occupational therapy will be added into various mental health statutes.

Meeting with you Senator: Example

video1335838409.mp4

Kallie Moy, Government Affairs Committee Chair, met with Senator Carla Nelson regarding the OT Licensure Compact. Senator Nelson gave permission to record and share the conversation for educational purposes.

Not able to join us at OT Day at the Capitol?

Consider advocating for Occupational Therapy's role across the MN mental health care continuum by sending a letter to your legislator. Template provided below.

Letter to Legislator Template

What is Occupational Therapy?

AOTA handout