2011 Meeting Minutes

Here's a video of our group at AOTA conference! OK, so if you were there you know this was not our group, but it WAS taken at conference! Hey, maybe next year...

That being said here are the minutes from our business meeting:

Network for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in OT

Meeting Notes

4/15/11

20 individuals present for meeting

Completed introductions

Kay gave report on updates with Network

• No longer doing written newsletter; decided to do electronic only and no longer collecting dues

• Need to keep website updated because it has not been updated in a few years

• We have OT Connections site
  

• Wanda reported that people have joined the group but no other activity on site

• Multicultural Diversity and Inclusion (MDI) group is looking to become a more active group rather than a meeting of leaders of different diversity groups; will be developing mission and action plan

• We may need to review mission of our organization and explore mentoring students, new therapists, etc.

Frank gave update on Scholarship Fund

• Need to get to $25,000 in order to have it be endowed

• Worked with AOTF to clarify criteria so that it would be available to any student member of Network (rather than open to all)

• Currently have $6000; all money raised this year will be matched

• Discussed fundraising potential and how to keep track of membership since we no longer collect dues

• Wanda will put information about matching funds and donating money to scholarship on OT Connections and send invitations to those whose email addresses we have

Discussed visibility of group

• Discussed Facebook group
• Discussed how having boas at meeting helped draw people in during past meetings

Karen and Shep gave additional information on MDI meeting

•  Trying to collect multicultural information on AOTA member application in future so that can get contact information for people
•  Developing website for MDI to disseminate information and link to specific groups

Discussed the beginnings of the LGBT Network group and how issues have changed over time

• Kay reported that she has the original records of the Network
• Discussed having AOTF house this; Peggy reported that University of Minnesota had LGBT Library and houses many documents such as these

Kay reported that she has had 5 people contact her in the last year to ask about transgender issues. Discussed mission of organization and how focus of issues have changed

•  Transgender issues
•  Being “out” at work seems to be much less of an issue except potentially with clients
•  Discussed student perspective

Elections

•            Peggy Martin and Pat Cheney as co-chairs
•            Wanda Mahoney as secretary
•            Micheal Nardone will remain as treasurer
•            Kay Blose is willing to remain as MDI liaison

Submitted by Wanda Mahoney