The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) recently announced that its specialty conference, “Advanced Practice in Traumatic Injuries & PTSD: Lessons for Military, VA, & Civilian Practitioners,” is slated for September 7 to September 8, in San Antonio, Texas. Occupational therapy clinicians, educators, researchers, and students will have the opportunity to attend the event to share and learn more about the ways that occupational therapy can be applied to the facets of both active duty and veteran life.

Frank Gainer, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, AOTA’s director of conferences, and a 24-year US Army veteran notes that occupational therapy can serve as a key player in helping returning military personnel with multiple injuries return to their communities to lead active and independent lives.

An AOTA news release reports that Col Paul F. Pasquina, MD, chief of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md, and consultant to the Office of the Surgeon General for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, will present the event’s keynote address September 7. The 2-day conference sessions will cover a variety of topics including traumatic brain injury (TBI), assistive technology, spinal cord injuries (SCIs), upper extremity orthopedic injuries, and driving and community mobility.

According to Sudip Bose, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, emergency physician, Iraq War veteran, and founder of www.TheBattleContinues.org, “Occupational therapy practitioners use a holistic approach to treat physical injuries, but they are also paramount in helping veterans adjust when they return home from the military battlefield to face future battles, including the recovery, a new deployment, or returning to civilian life.”

For more information, visit http://aota.org

Source: AOTA