Annual Conference: Registration is NOW OPEN. CLICK HERE to register! We look forward to seeing you November. You can view the conference program by clicking HERE.
Call for Papers: Now CLOSED. Thank you to those who submitted proposals this year! If you submitted a proposal, you will be notified of your acceptance and deference by mid-August.
Exhibitor/Vendor/Sponsorship/Advertising now open. Register Here
MOTA 2024 Conference – In Person
Save the date! MOTA is returning to an in person format for 2024! Conference will be November 2, 2024 at Towson University.
MOTA is looking for volunteers to assist with committees and conference planning. We have needs for the following conference committees. Please email conference.mota@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more or are willing to serve. Committees that need volunteers:
1. Local conference committee
2. Vendor committee
3. Keynote speaker finder
4. Marketing/registration
5.Proposal reviews
6. Volunteers
MOTA Conference 2024 Keynote Speaker
Dr. Dorothea Copeland, OTD, OT/L
BIO
Dorothea Copeland, OTD, OT/L is employed by Prince George’s County Public Schools as the Instructional Supervisor for Support Programs and Related Services. She is responsible for the delivery and supervision of adapted instructional programs and related services that promote access to instruction for students with disabilities. She is fortunate to work in a supervisory capacity with a team of committed professionals, led by their discipline-specific Instructional Specialists: Adapted Physical Education teachers, Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Orientation and Mobility teachers, Audiologists, Teachers of the Deaf and Hearing Impairment, Assistive Technology Resource Teachers, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists and Educators and Speech Language Pathologists on the Bilingual Assessment Team. She has worked in acute and rehabilitation hospital settings, in addition to the past 28 years in school -ased practice.
Dr. Copeland is a proud graduate of Towson University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 1984, while also majoring in Psychology. She earned her Occupational Therapy Clinical Doctorate Degree in 2008 from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She holds professional certifications in Administration and Supervision (John Hopkins University) and a certificate in Mental Health in Infancy and Early Childhood (University of Maryland, Baltimore).
Synopsis:
When you awaken to begin your work day, do you envision yourself being a change agent? By sharing stories and insights collected during her 40 year professional journey as an occupational therapy practitioner, Dr. Dorothea Copeland will describe how creatively adapting core principles of humanistic psychology can guide professional agency. Barriers are minimized and opportunities are maximized as we take action to reflect, recharge and reimagine our true identity as occupational therapy practitioners.
Outline:
I. Personal reflections ignite potential and possibilities
A. Childhood experience results in adulthood fears
B. Fears confronted
C. Fears abated
II. Free will to choose leads to the paths we take or create.
A. Top reasons for choosing Occupational Therapy
B. Data on Maryland OT practitioners
C. Expected trends for OT
III. Humanistic psychology’s focus on agency and self-actualization is a bedrock for professional growth and transformational practice
A. Define key terms
B. Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need
C. Apply to Hierarchy of Professional Need
IV. Action Steps to Inspire
A. Reflect- consider your current professional status. What are the factors that limit your perceived impact. Consider: limited awareness of key stakeholders, organizational caps for advancement, conflict of expectations
B. Recharge- Step back and do a deeper dive on the “why” behind the barriers- is this rooted in federal, state or county legistlation; understand the context of your work environment
C. Reimagine- what steps will you take to either change your circumstance or change your perception of your circumstance; write down in one sentence what your unique expertise is; find a mentor to guide your growth
Thank you to our 2024 Contributors and Supporters!
