Be Heard-We're Listening: Emerging Issues and Potential Solutions From the Voices of BIPOC Occupational Therapy Students, Practitioners, and Educators.

Abstract

A confluence of factors during 2020 placed needed attention on the social and structural determinants of health, systemic racism, and social injustice. Institutions across the country are taking a hard look at themselves to evaluate how they are complicit in perpetuating these problems and what role they have in dismantling them. In this article, we discuss the influence of systemic racism on the profession of occupational therapy, noting that the profession lacks a clear plan, informed by stakeholders, on how to address it. The American Occupational Therapy Association hosted a series of listening sessions titled "Be Heard-We're Listening" in June and July 2020 to learn about the experiences of occupational therapy students, practitioners, and educators who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The listening session participants provided ideas for change and recommendations that establish a call to action for persons, groups, and populations.