Overview: The Development of Project PrOTect [Preparedness, Response, Recovery Occupational Therapists in Emergency Contexts Training]

Learner Outcomes

1. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to contribute to public health and safety through engagement in disaster preparedness education and training.
2. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to identify steps that they can take for preparedness at home, work, and in their community.
3. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to provide reflective feedback regarding their own emergency preparedness/ readiness as well as identify how well-suited Occupational Therapy practitioners can become to provide the proposed training at the community level.

Abstract
The session will provide an overview of the development of Project PROTECT. It is essential that OTPs and students are ambassadors for community safety and preparedness warranting review of disasters common to their region, the Emergency Management Cycle, and the roles OTPs and students are called to assume in their family, workplace, and community. This overview will describe the proposed training of OTPs/students who will then be called to action equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to facilitate community members’ personalized emergency/disaster preparedness and management. The Project PROTECT program is envisioned to follow a structured approach where OTPs undergo a comprehensive training module and interactive lab before applying their knowledge in community events as qualified technicians utilizing OT/OTA student volunteers like the CarFIt program community training. Reflective feedback from attendees will be solicited to improve the project development prior to its implementation. As Bazyk et al (2015) stated, "Successful KT [Knowledge Translation] actively engages practitioners in the learning process by strategically encouraging practice reflection—thinking about the relevance andapplication of new knowledge to practice."

Biography
Mary is not only one of the founding members of the AOTA CommunOT Community of Practice for Emergency and Disaster Management, but she also is a member of her local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) as well as the Mohave County Medical Reserve Corps.

References to support evidence-based practice

1. Bazyk, S., Demirjian, L., LaGuardia, T., Thompson-Repas, K., Conway, C., & Michaud, P. (2015). Building capacity of occupational therapy practitioners to address the mental health needs of children and youth: A mixedmethods study of knowledge translation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6906180060. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/
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2. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (2023). National preparedness report. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_2023-npr.pdf
3. Balog, E., Rogers, S., Skees Hermes, S., & D'Amico, M. (2023, November). Disaster preparedness for people with developmental disabilities: Occupational therapy provides a path to readiness. AOTA Developmental Disabilities SIS Quarterly. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/publications/sisquarterly/ developmental-disabilities-sis/ddsis-11-23.