Andrea Cordis, MS, OTA: OT in Provider Training & Education
In this post, we will learn from Andrea Cordis, MS, OTA (she/her/hers). Andrea has been a COTA since 2004. She has practiced in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, home health, inpatient psych, community-based mental health, and inpatient rehab. Andrea also worked as a lab instructor and fieldwork assistant in a Master’s of OT program. In addition to her OT education, Andrea also holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and an Master’s in Science in Higher Education Administration. She recently made the move to Massachusetts Councils on Aging as the training and education manager, using her OT skills in an uncommon way! Andrea is also a trauma-informed yoga instructor. When she is not working at MCOA, teaching yoga or working per diem in inpatient rehab, you can find her baking, hiking, or traveling!
Q & A with Andrea:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
I have been an OTA for 20 years! I have worked in almost every setting (no peds). Favorite occupations include baking (cupcakes, cakes, muffins, breads), hiking, yoga (I am also a yoga instructor), reading non-fiction, traveling, creating...I could go on!
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
I love sharing stories! I think they can be so powerful. Additionally, while I do still love traditional OT, I love to show that OT skills can be utilized in such a wide range!
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve and the needs that you address.
I currently work at Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA), a membership-driven, non-profit that supports all 350 councils on aging (senior centers) in Massachusetts. We offer education, empowerment, and advocacy for those who staff the centers that work with older adults. Part of what led me to this role was that those three words are in the mission statement and how OT are all three of those words? My personal role is as training and education manager. I have started my role by completing a needs assessment, seeking information from our membership on their educational needs.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
I have worked indirectly with senior centers throughout my OTA career, presenting on topics such as wellness, fall prevention, home modifications, driver safety, intergenerational programming, and advocacy. When I found this job posting (or really, when it found me), I was working at a university and had "maxed out" what I could really do for the program. On top of my OTA degree, I also hold a masters in higher education. This combination was really perfect for the role!
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
When I originally set out to be an OTA, I had been working in human services and in a school as a paraprofessional. I honestly thought I would get my associates and go right back to the schools. Turns out peds wasn't my passion at all. I ended up loving mental health OT (which is great because it's literally everywhere) and I also really enjoyed working with older adults. I started off as an OTA in a CCRC, then home care, SNF, some inpatient psych, community-based mental health, and inpatient rehab (still do that on occasion as a per diem). After working as a rehab director in a SNF, I found myself needing a little more time to be with my children so I took a part time position in the fieldwork department for an MOT program. This role eventually became full time and I was able to further my education and increase my responsibilities. Ultimately, I ended up continuing in the FW office for part of my role, and as a lab instructor as another part. Again, this is where I felt I had "maxed out" being that I am an OTA, I could never move any further since it was an MOT program. However, during my 11 years at the university, I was able to explore speaking opportunities, one of which was through AARP. Through this, I was invited to speak (more than once) for MCOA at their annual conference. This lead me to get on their email list, which is where I saw the posting for my current role!
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
Oh gosh, no day is the same! I work with an amazing team of ten women - we each have different roles, but my own role crosses over to everyone else's. I start my day with some focus time to organize the tasks. I work from home so this might include email review, calendar review, setting up trainings via online platforms. Since I work from home, I conduct a lot of Zoom meetings, but I do also get to go out to senior centers on occasion to meet with directors and staff. There is no college course or degree that really teaches one how to be a senior center director so many folks who join the profession are often coming from a social work background or a human services background. I get to use my holistic-thinking OT brain all the time to tie things together for folks. I often help some colleagues talk through tasks as well using my OT brain! So I am certainly using my compassion, creative problem solving, therapeutic use of self, communication skills, organizational skills, and flexibility!
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
My biggest high is that I just sent out my needs assessment survey and have already received 150 responses in the first 24 hours! I would say my biggest challenge is that I have not worked directly as a COA director before so some of the language and acronyms have been a big learning curve!
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I have been taking every opportunity I can to learn from my amazing colleagues and from the fantastic COA directors (some of whom are OT/PT practitioners). I will also continue to take more traditional CEUs regarding wellness, older adults, dementia, topics that pertain to my role here.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
I actually took a pay increase with this role. We are a non-profit, but we receive funding through EOEA.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
Don't be afraid to apply for something that does not say OT in the job description! We have sooooooo many skills that are translatable. Find what you are passionate about and work your way into that field!
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
Hmmm, I don't know that there are any!
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you and promote your unique work?
Here is a link to Conversations with an OT podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3QtawOTioXdwC0Ofk1OyS0?si=83444bdca79148f7
MCOA Website - Massachusetts Council on Aging
NCOA Website - National Councils on Aging
I am also on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-cordis-7391b528a/
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
THANK YOU for LISTENING, FOLLOWING, DOWNLOADING, RATING, REVIEWING & SHARING “The Uncommon OT Series” Podcast with all your OTP friends and colleagues!
Full Episodes and Q & A only available at:
https://www.wholistic-transitions.com/the-uncommon-ot-series
Sign Up NOW for the Transitions OT Email List to Receive the FREE List of Uncommon OT Practice Settings
https://www.wholistic-transitions.com/transitionsot
For Non-Traditional OT Practice Mentorship w/ Patricia:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeC3vI5OnK3mLrCXACEex-5ReO8uUVPo1EUXIi8FKO-FCfoEg/viewform
BIG THANKS to our sponsors Picmonic & Truelearn. Follow the link below and USE DISCOUNT CODE “TransitionsOT” to Score 20% OFF Your PICMONIC Membership today! https://www.picmonic.com/viphookup/TRANSITIONSOTLBL23
Happy Listening Friends!
Big OT Love!
All views are mine and guests’ own.
Be a Patron to support The Uncommon OT Series Podcast project via Patreon.
