Alison Bode, MS, OTR/L & Madelyn Yoo, MS, OTR/L: OT for Environmental Action
In this post, we will learn from Alison Bode, MS, OTR/L & Madelyn Yoo, MS, OTR/L, founding members of Occupational Therapists for Environmental Action (OTEA). OTEA is composed of a group of occupational therapy practitioners and students (OTPS) from across the US who are committed to raising awareness about the impact of climate change on human health, wellness, and participation in meaningful occupations. OTEA endeavors to collaborate with like-minded professionals to address the ways in which, human occupation can either contribute to or mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. Special Mention to other members of the OTEA leadership team, Carol Myers, Kelly Carlson, Jill Clancy-Secreto, and Elizabeth Richardson.
Q & A with Alison & Madelyn:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
MY: I am a recent graduate from the master’s program at Washington University in St. Louis and freshly NBCOT certified! I completed my fieldwork rotations in outpatient pediatrics and older adults in the Chicagoland area, and for fun I enjoy reading The Atlantic, crocheting, and learning Korean.
AB: I grew up in California and lived there until I was 30. I went back to get my masters degree later, after working as a massage therapist in private practice. I graduated with my master’s in OT from University of Illinois at Chicago. I now live in the Denver area. I started my career in acute care, then transitioned to inpatient rehab before recently moving to home health. I supplement my full time work OT clinical work with my work with OTEA. A few of my favorite free time occupations include dancing salsa, hiking, and participating in circus arts.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
MY: As a new grad, I was nervous at first but thought it would be a great opportunity to share about this great group of passionate, devoted global citizens who are also OT practitioners. And I hope that we are able to reach and connect with more interested OTs and healthcare professionals concerned about climate change.
AB: I’ve listened to and enjoyed a lot of past episodes of this podcast. I love hearing what interesting things people are doing with OT. I’d love to share more about the developing connection between the OT world and the climate action world.
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.
MY: Since I don’t work yet, I’ll draw from my level II fieldwork experience in outpatient pediatrics, where the impact of climate change was much more acute than one might expect. It was the summer and my CI held therapy sessions outside at the local public park, but several sessions were canceled or relocated due to the poor air quality related to the Canadian wildfires. One child appeared to persevere on details of the fires and resulting air quality while another child identified severe weather as a source of her fearful thoughts.
AB: In my full-time work, I work in a traditional home health, where I largely serve adults over 65 with chronic conditions. In my work with OTEA, I work with a group of like-minded OT practitioners to run a networking community for OT practitioners and other healthcare providers who are passionate about addressing climate change and social justice.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
MY: I was interested in environmentalism from a young age but didn’t see how it could fit with a healthcare profession like OT. There were times I questioned if I should have gone down a more defined environmental career path, but luckily I stumbled upon the WFOT Sustainability Matters report from 2018. It was the summer before OT applications were due and I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted from an OT career, but that report really helped give shape to my intersecting passions in a way that empowered me to venture into this emerging area.
AB: I didn’t start my masters program until I was 30. Right around the time I started, I was also getting much more concerned about the climate crisis. I had a short period of time where I wondered if I should have devoted my career to environmental causes instead of occupational therapy. When I learned that there were other OTs with the same concerns, working to address environmental issues within their OT practice, it was an obvious fit and a relief that I could still use my OT skills to address environmental concerns.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
MY: After reading through the WFOT report, I looked into the authors, one of whom is Ben Whittaker, a mental health OT that’s part of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare in the UK. I decided to email him to learn more about his work and if he knew of any similar OT groups in the US. I was beyond excited when he responded and shared that he was willing to meet. We met over video chat and he connected me with a small bunch of US OTs that he’d worked with on climate concerns. We started a group and met regularly until we realized that another crew of OTs existed and the rest is history!
AB: I was looking at the AOTA message board, CommunOT, one day and David Thomforde had made a post about carbon pricing. I reached out to him and he connected with a group of us who had responded to him. We continued to meet as a small group and begin developing a structure. At the same time, unbeknownst to us, Madelyn was creating a similar group. Bill Wong realized both groups existed and connected us into OTEA.
Please describe a typical day or OT session at your uncommon setting? What OT skills do you utilize?
Our work varies considerably depending on the day. In an average month we are working to address organizational needs through lots of email communication, networking with potential speakers, lobbying OT and governmental organizations for climate action, developing or refining organizational policies and procedures, meeting over zoom as leadership team, or collaborating with partners (i.e. COTAD). We also spend a good amount of time researching, writing, designing and implementing our current projects, such creating educational PowerPoints, implementing a student needs assessment, or writing website educational materials.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
MY: One of the greatest successes has been watching the organization grow and seeing individuals connect with each other to engage in projects, presentations, and advocacy efforts. We have even partnered with other organizations including R2DE which is a group of climate-concerned French OTs as well as COTAD. A challenge can be juggling the demands of grassroots organizing in addition to other responsibilities (school, jobs, fieldwork).
AB: For wins, I consider the growth and heart behind OTEA to be a huge success. Moving from an idea to a group of engaged OT practitioners addressing climate on various levels has been so rewarding. It's great to see so many OT practitioners engaging in this work and bringing their unique talents to the organization. I am very proud of the organization that OTEA has become. One of the biggest challenges is balancing the vision we have for OTEA with the practical constraints of the time we have to devote to the organization with all our other responsibilities.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
MY: OTEA community is a great network of resource sharing, members are always reaching out with articles or updates on educational opportunities, which is great. I also learn a good deal through email newsletters, such as those from the Planetary Health Alliance monthly newsletters and the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
AB: Listening to other members is always a great source of information. Additionally, staying up to date with the world news as it relates to climate and health care is always relevant to the work we do. Engaging with the larger OT community through social media, newsletters and other therapists is also a helpful way to stay on top of important advocacy opportunities like elections and revisions of key documents.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
MY: In our grassroots organizing, there isn’t any monetary salary or compensation. We began collecting dues, and 100% of those are used to maintain our website and newsletter. I do feel a great deal of social connection and solace in my concern for the state of climate chaos though. I see Alison and other members of OTEA more than some of my friends.
AB: I agree with everything Madelyn said. As we continue to grow, we hope to continue adding financial resources to eventually bring in a part time paid position.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
MY: The OT world is small and those of us interested in climate are even smaller, so OTEA is a great opportunity to learn from and connect with each other. It’s a great starting point for anyone interested no matter how much background knowledge they have coming in!
AB: Start coming to meetings and networking with other folks in this organization. There are so many people on the forefront of the climate and OT movement that are a part of OTEA. All you have to do is take the first step and show up.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
MY: That you have to be an environmental/climate change advocacy expert to take action - none of us are experts but we share a common civic concern as citizens of the US and of earth.
AB: That just because something doesn’t yet exist within the OT world means there isn’t work being done in that area or interest. If you step out and take the first steps, you may be surprised by how any people are interested in joining the cause.
How do we find you , follow you, be in touch with you, and promote your unique work?
OTEA website: https://www.otenvironmentalaction.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081841489525
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otenvironmentalaction/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/occupational-therapists-for-environmental-action/?viewAsMember=true
Please list any resources you would like me to include with your Show Notes (courses, articles, assessments, tools, etc.)
We have a blog post with some information and links to key OT and sustainability documents. It’s a great place to start. The post can be found at:
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
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