The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
E LC L GE LI - ··• ~•- ~:·. -.....- - -. .........- --·- - ---- - ·•··· "" __.._ .., _. .. . ··--•-·· ,.,_. ·-··. This leaflet is addressed to young women of high schooJ .and college age. Its purpose is to furnish iob information on the important field of occupational therapy-to give an idea of what such work entails, of the training required, of the opportunities for advancement-and of the present and future demand for qualified persons. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Martin P. Durkin , Secretary WOMEN'S BUREAU Frieda S. Miller, Director Washington : 1953 Leaflet 16 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Basic Facts About OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Occupational therapy is the use of creative, industrial, and recreational activities to help sick, injured, and disabled .individuals recover and become as useful as possible. This treatment is used for many types of patients-injured and handicapped persons, mental patients, crippled children, and old people. A wide variety of occupations can be used for effective therapy . In fact, variety and adaptation to individual situations are of the greatest importance. Among the activities which are frequently used are: Weaving .__Woodwork Metalwork Leatherwork Gardening Ceramics Plastics Printing Photography While physical or mental recovery of the patient is its primary aim, occupational therapy never loses sight of an important s~condary goal-the acquisition of a job skill. Many former patients are today earning their living by using the activity learned through occupational therapy. Why It Is a Promising Field There are more job opportunities than there are trained workers to fill them; therefore, girls who are interested in this type of career can expect to find employment readily. The growing recognition of the usefulness of occupational therapy, and the needs of the Armed Forces, insure job opportunities in this field for a long time to come. At present 98 percent of all workers in this occupation are women. 2 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Pottery work may be used to improve finger dexterity. Duties of the Occupational Therapist Part nurse, social worker, and teacher, the occupational therapist must use initiative and resourcefulness, as well as her technical training, to arouse and maintain the patient's interest in the treatment which will hasten his recovery. The physician diagnoses the ailment and explains what the treatment should do for the patient; the occupational therapist selects and carries out the specific treatment. Depending upon her place of employment, she may perform one or more of the fol lowing duties: Teach a young amputee leatherwork, jewelry repair, or some other work suitable to his physical limitations. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 3 Select and supervise treatment which will help an injured serviceman regain finger dexterity-metal work, for instance. Help tubercular and heart patients , as their condition permits, to become skilled in textile crafts, reed and cane work , or bookbinding . Provide activity which will strengthen injured hands or arms-pottery work or weaving. Supervise work and recreational therapy for mental patients-gardening, art classes , games. Select activities which will hold the interest of, and at the same time meet physical needs of, handicapped children-riding a tricycle, o r pulling colored pe9s from a pegboard , or some other game that will exercise legs or arms. W he re Opportunities Will Exist In the future, as today, the greatest number of jobs for young entrants to this profession will be in the hospital field inHospitals and clinics of the Veterans ' Administration , of the Armed Forces, and of other Federal and State agencies. Other hospitals, both public and private, especially mental hospita ls and children's hospitals. Cardiac and tuberculosis sanatoria . There also will be opportunities, though fewer in number, in: Homes for the aged , the deaf , and the blind. Schools and institutions for crippled children. Centers operated by insurance companies and other businesses , churches, and various organizations . Teaching , tesearch , and writing. Some young women also may desire careers in the Armed Forces and, if accepted, qualify for commissions in the service of their choice. Other newcomers may choose to work in specialized undertakings such as the curative workshop or the home visitation program, 4 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis either in the city or in rural areas. The therapist who participates in the latter, like the country doctor of old, will visit many villages and farms, serving those who are bedridden or unable to leave their homes. Earnings In general, the salaries of occupational therapists compare favorably with those of nurses and of other medical technicians. However, as is the case with all workers, earnings are influenced by the locality and size of the institution, the size of the therapy department and the therapist 's experience, degree of specialization, and extent of responsibility. Recent salaries reported for beginners in State institutions and in private hospitals ranged from $2,700 to $2,800 a year, with maintenance provided in many instances. In Federal civil service jobs, for beginners with a year of graduate work, the pay . was $3,410 a year. Therapists in the military forces, as commissioned officers, received slightly higher remuneration . Opportunities for Advancement Some of the more responsible, better-paying jobs are: Chief of an occupational therapy department Administrative position in the Federal Government in occupational therapy Director of a curative workshop Directors or instructors in training schools Clinical specialists-in work with cardiacs, paraplegics, the blind, and the aged Higher commissions in the Armed Forces . Because of the shortage of occupational therapists and a high turnover due to marriage, opportunities for advancement to these positions are relatively good. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 5 Education and Training High School Preparation-Such courses as chemistry and biology, psychology, sociology, and the arts and crafts. College (Academic) and Hospital Practice-The usual training period for qualified occupational therapists is 4, and sometimes 5, years beyond high school in schools acceptable to the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association. This training, of which a minimum of 9 months hospital practice is a part, leads to the Bachelor of Science degree and certification in occupational therapy. Other acceptable training: The college graduate with a bachelor's degree other than occupational therapy can usually obtain the required professional training in 18 months. The student with one or more years of college education or equivalent professional experience in related fields (art, nursing, or personnel) may be able to complete the required training in a 3-year diploma course. After one or two years of study in a junior college which gives preoccupational-therapy courses, a student may transfer to a diploma course in an accredited school. Certification-To qualify as a registered occupational therapist (OTR) the graduate must pass the national registration examination given by the American Occupational Therapy Association, as have more than three-fourths of the persons currently working in this field. 6 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Accredited Schools of Occupational Therapy * (as of April 1952) Boston School of Occupational Ther- Richmond Professional Institute, College of William and Mary apy , affiliated with Tufts College Richmond, Va. Boston , Mass. Brooke Army Medical Center Fort Sam Houston , Tex. San Jose State College San Jose, Calif. College of Puget Sound Tacoma, Wash. State University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa College of St. Catherine St. Paul , Minn. Texas State College for Women Denton, Tex. Colorado A & M College Fort Collins, Colo. University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, Ill. Columbia University New York, N. Y. University of Kansas Lawrence, Kans. Kalamazoo School of Occupational Therapy, Western Michigan Col- University of Minnesota lege of Education Minneapolis, Minn. Kalamazoo , Mich. University of New Hampshire Michigan State Normal College Durham, N. H. Ypsilanti , Mich. University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pa. Mills Colle~e Oakland, Calif. University of Southern California Milwaukee-Downer College Los Angeles, Calif. Milwaukee, Wis. University of Wisconsin Mount Mary College Madison, Wis. Milwaukee, Wis. Washington University New York University St. Louis, Mo. New York, N. Y. Wayne University Ohio State University Detroit, Mich. Columbus, Ohio *Accredited by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association, 535 North Dearborn Street, Chicago 10, Ill. (List subject to change.) https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 7 For More Information on Occupational Therapy Consult The Outlook lor Women as Occupational Therapists, Women's Bureau Bulletin No. 203-2, Revised. Copies are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price 20 cents. Other Sources of Information American Occupational Therapy Association 33 West 42d Street, New York 36, N. Y. Department of Defense, Washington 25, D. C. (on opportunities in the Armed Services) Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Washington 25, D. C. Photo by courtesy of U. S. Department of the Army, Surgeon General's Office U. S. GOVERNMENT PR I NTING OFFICE : 1953 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C.-Price 5 cents. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
