OT Potential Podcast | Occupational Therapy CEUs

Mental health is one of occupational therapy’s smallest practice areas.
Because relatively few OTs work in traditional mental health settings, it can feel like an enigma:
What does mental health OT actually look like day to day?
Where do we fit on interdisciplinary teams?
And how does occupation truly show up in mental health care?
At the same time, there may be no better home for occupational therapy’s core values than mental health practice.
In this course, Intro to Mental Health OT, we zoom out to ground you in the big picture—while also getting practical about what mental health OT looks like in real clinical contexts.
We’ll be joined by a practicing occupational therapist and champion of the profession, Michelle Burlyga, OTR/L.
Together, we’ll walk through:
Common assessments used in mental health OT
Core treatment approaches and intervention strategies
Key considerations for mental health practice that differ from other OT settings
Why mental health competencies are increasingly essential—no matter where you practice
You’ll leave with a clearer mental model of mental health occupational therapy—and a stronger sense of how OT’s distinct focus on occupation can play a powerful role in supporting mental health and recovery.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/intro-to-mental-health-ot
See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

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Try 2 free OT Potential courses here:
https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus
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Through OT Potential, we’ve released more than 124 podcast episodes exploring the research, ideas, and conversations shaping occupational therapy. Each year, we pause to step back and ask a foundational question:
What is occupational therapy—and how is it evolving?
In this special episode to kick off 2026, we expand the conversation beyond research alone to include advocacy, technology, and the forces shaping OT practice and public perception.
Joining us for this milestone conversation are two of the profession’s most influential leaders:
Katie Jordan, CEO of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
Angela Macauley, PMP, CEO of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
Together, we explore:
How occupational therapy practitioners can collaborate on advocacy efforts, particularly around reimbursement and sustainability of practice
How the profession can more effectively communicate and market the value of OT to the public, referral partners, and policymakers
How emerging technologies—especially AI—are impacting the profession. 
This episode is an invitation to zoom out, reconnect with OT’s core identity, and consider how we collectively shape the future of the profession.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/what-is-ot-in-2026
See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:
https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridge
Try 2 free OT Potential courses here:
https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus
Support the show

Research suggests that anywhere from 46% to 84% of autistic children experience selective eating. 
And the downstream risks are substantial: selective eating is linked with nutritional deficiencies, psychosocial impairment, and increased risk of developmental and psychiatric comorbidities, with severity tied to how persistent and restrictive the eating patterns become.
In this OT Potential course, Britt St. John, PhD, MPH, OTR/L, joins us to break down what occupational therapy professionals need to understand—and do—when supporting autistic children with selective eating. We’ll begin with Britt’s story and key terminology (picky eating vs. selective eating vs. feeding disorders), then move into practical, evidence-based guidance for clinicians.
Together, we’ll focus on three core areas:
Assessment: How to identify the nature and severity of selective eating, including available OT assessments and red flags that should guide clinical decision making.
Caregiver collaboration: How to partner with families in ways that reduce stress, build shared understanding, and promote sustainable change at home.
Evidence-backed treatment options: What the research supports, how OT interventions fit within interprofessional care, and when to refer on.
This course is designed for OTs and OTAs looking for clarity in a complex practice area—and for practical tools you can use immediately to support families navigating selective eating.
See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/selective-eating-and-autism 
See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:
https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridge
Try 2 free OT Potential courses here:
https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus
Support the show

AI is going to reshape OT education—rapidly and profoundly. The real question is: How do we harness its strengths for good? How do we protect the parts of learning that are best done without it, while also leveraging AI in areas where our profession has historically struggled?
One promising area is scenario-based learning, where AI can create realistic, dynamic situations that help learners practice clinical reasoning in a safe, supportive environment.
In today’s one-hour webinar, we’re hosting a round-table conversation featuring:
David Foster, PhD – learning theorist and AI learning-module creator
Sarah Lyon, OTR/L – OT educator and continuing-education provider
Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, OTR/L – OT program director
Together, we’ll explore what’s possible in this new frontier, examine the concerns we must guard against, and—most importantly—answer your live questions about the future of AI in OT education.
See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ai-in-education
See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Learn more about Scalable Learning:
https://www.scalablelearning.net/

Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:
https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridge
Try 2 free OT Potential courses here:
https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus
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For many of us, payer negotiations feel distant—something handled “somewhere up the chain,” far removed from the day-to-day work of helping patients. But here’s the truth: nothing shapes our practice more than the reimbursement rates and contracts negotiated on our behalf.
Reimbursement determines who we can serve, how much time we can spend with them, what services we can sustainably provide, and ultimately whether our practice can survive/thrive. And while therapists may assume this is a job for billing or leadership, every OT and PT needs a foundational understanding of how payer negotiations work.
In this one-hour webinar, we’re joined by two leaders with deep, real-world expertise:
John Hutchinson, MBA — Co-founder of CARE Counseling (with his wife, Dr. Andrea Hutchinson), a practice acquired by UnitedHealth in 2024. John brings firsthand experience navigating growth, payer relationships, and the business realities that shape modern care.

Chad Herzog — VP of Operations at Aroris, an organization whose mission is simple and powerful: help healthcare providers get paid what they’re worth so they can focus on what matters most—helping people and improving patients’ lives.
Together, they’ll break down what every clinician should know about payer negotiations, how reimbursement impacts clinical practice, and what therapists can do to advocate for sustainable care models.
See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/negotiating-with-payers
See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses
Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:
https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridge
Learn about Aroris and payer contract negotiation:
https://www.arorishealth.com/contract-negotiation/

Try 2 free OT Potential courses here:
https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus
Support the show