Wellness Management for OT Practitioners
Upon registration you will receive the Zoom link and a calendar invite. Registration is limited and this session will be recorded. CE credits are not offered for this series.
Wellness management for OT practitioners: Applying core self-management principles through an OT lens
Occupational therapy practitioners must sustain their own wellbeing to effectively support others. This session presents a practical, OT-informed approach to wellness management, aligned with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4). Participants will explore key principles, reflect on personal patterns of wellness, stress and strain, and develop individualized strategies to support daily routines, manage role demands, and promote sustainable practice. This event is free for AOTA members.
Speaker: David M. Merlo, MS, COTA/L, CPRP, ROH
Managing practitioner wellness in complex practice environments
Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to support the health and well-being of others—but sustaining this work requires intentional attention to our own wellness. Increasing demands, role complexity, and exposure to stress can impact practitioner well-being, performance, and long-term professional sustainability.
This session introduces a practical, occupational therapy–informed approach to wellness management for practitioners. Participants will explore common characteristics of self-management approaches and examine how these align with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4), including concepts related to occupations, performance patterns, client factors, and contexts.
Intentional wellness for today’s OT practitioners
Session Speaker
David Merlo has dedicated more than 40 years to advancing occupational therapy through practice, education, leadership, and international service. He began his career in community mental health, where he discovered the transformative power of meaningful activity, authentic collaborative relationships, and recovery-oriented care.
David has served nationally on the AOTA Board of Directors and as the OTA Representative to the AOTA Representative Assembly, championing the essential contributions of OTAs and ensuring their voices in governance and practice. A past program director and educator, he has also held leadership roles with the New York State Occupational Therapy Association, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, and Consortium of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Educators.
Internationally, David serves on the board of Caravan of Life, advising The Recovery House in Karachi, Pakistan, to integrate OT into psychiatric rehabilitation services. As Vice-President of the Haiti Rehabilitation Foundation, he supports the country’s first OT academic program, promoting sustainable, Haitian-led rehabilitation education.
BOLD Conversations
This event is the third of a three-part series on clinician well-being and is part of the new Belonging, Opportunities, Leadership Development (BOLD) initiative—AOTA’s integrated framework designed to expand and sustain equitable access, inclusive leadership, and professional visibility within occupational therapy. CE credits are not offered for this series.