Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 Personal Leadership Development Plan Vision Statement I envision myself working in a neurorehabilitation center

with a diverse population of clients. I will strive to be a competent leader, and remain culturally relevant as I interact with my clients and their families. I will accomplish this by listening carefully to their goals and beliefs, and being sensitive to their feelings. Rehabilitation from an illness or injury can be a long process. I will ensure my clients feel they have a voice throughout this process by allowing them to be an integral part of the treatment planning process. This will aid in developing and implementing a better treatment plan, as well as helping them to achieve a successful recovery outcome. In addition, I will continue to advocate for the field of occupational therapy, and stand up for what I feel should be done to improve the healthcare system as we move forward. Strengths I am strategic, an achiever, empathic, responsible, compassionate, honest and trustworthy. I do tend to look at a situation, see the big picture, and determine the best way to deal with an issue. Additionally, I strive for success and set high standards for myself which allows for continued growth and learning opportunities. In most situations I try to put myself in the others person shoes and can sense what they are feeling, I feel this strength aids me when trying to relate to my clients during therapy sessions, as well as people I may be managing in the future. In addition, I view everyone as an individual and appreciate the unique qualities that each person can bring to the table. I feel I have developed effective communication strategies to deal with situations of conflict, as well as fine-tuned my actively listening skills, which will aid me in any leadership role I may acquire. Lastly, I take responsibility for my actions and want to follow through until a task is completed. This shows my trustworthiness and loyalty to my team

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 members, and the value I place on producing quality work. All of these strengths will enable me to become an effective leader as I progress through my career. Growth Needs An area of growth for me is learning how to delegate tasks to other team members. I have a tendency to take on more than I should, so I need to learn how to say No or delegate relevant duties to other individuals. In addition, I can also grow in the areas of public speaking and time management. As an occupational therapist, I realize I may be asked to speak at public or private events to advocate for the profession or a specific cause. Due to this, I need to become more confident and comfortable speaking to the public. Over the last two years, I have improved my presentation skills; however I still have a tendency to become nervous. I would like to be more comfortable presenting in front of others, and exude a higher level of confidence. In regards to time management, I feel I can continue to grow and become more proficient at completing documentation skills. I always finish my work on time, however I tend to procrastinate from time-to-time, the stress motivates me and enables me to stay focused. I would like to work on this issue; it will only benefit me to decrease the stress I place on myself as I move forward with my career. Leadership Style The leadership style I feel most comfortable with is transformational leadership. A transformational leader is defined as one that can inspire positive changes in the individuals they are leading. In general, this type of leader is passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic. Additionally, they are focused on allowing every team member to succeed, as well as being actively involved in the whole process (Cherry, 2014). Based on this description I believe this is the type of leadership style I utilize when working with a team of individuals, or one-on-one with a peer. I

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 tend to be a very positive and energetic person. I try to exude these qualities when leading others, so they too will be positive, energetic and enthusiastic about the goal and vision we are striving to reach. I find joy in motivating others, and allowing them to see their potential. I also believe by having everyone Im leading actively involved in the process allows for better communication among staff members, and problem solving when trying to execute a plan that pertains to the goal were are working towards. As I move forward with my career, I will continue to evolve my leadership style. I will make sure to interweave my strengths in with my leadership style, thus allowing me to be a better leader and grow as a person. Goals One Year My one year goal is to supervise a Level I occupational therapy fieldwork student. I am really excited for the opportunity to aid in the process of educating a fieldwork student, as well as being an additional resource for them as they complete their occupational therapy education. One year after successfully completing the national board certification occupational therapy exam (NBCOT) I will have the ability start taking Level I students. I will evaluate my readiness for this role by taking the Self-Assessment Tool for Fieldwork Educator Competency (SAFECOM). The SAFECOM allows a fieldwork educator to determine if they are component in their skills, and are ready to take on the role of supervising a student. This assessment tool is normally utilized for practitioners that are supervising Level II students, however it can also be utilized for practitioners supervising Level I students as well. I feel after one year of working I will be ready to take on this leadership role. Based on my results, I will discuss my desire to supervise a Level

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 I student with my facility or contact occupational therapy schools in my area, to inquire about starting this process. After being assigned to a student, I will ensure open communication by allowing him or her to ask questions regarding what they observed after each treatment session, and additional at the end of the day. This will allow me to better educate my student, and hopefully provide a comfortable learning environment for them, so dont feel too overwhelmed while observing. I will also inquire about their learning style, to provide them with the optimal learning environment to achieve the just right challenge while observing with me. At the end of my fieldwork students experience, I will complete a Level I fieldwork evaluation form and review it with the student. This will allow me to discuss strengths and areas of growth with the student, as well as receive feedback from the student about how I performed as an educator. I would like to take my first Level I fieldwork student by August 2015. Another one year goal I have is to attend Capitol Hill Day, which is sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). I feel very strongly about certain changes that should and should not be made in regards to healthcare reform. I would like to attend this event to advocate for my profession, and have my voice heard. I will utilize AOTAs legislative page, the news, and fellow colleagues as my resources to achieve this goal. An outcome measure for achieving this goal will be successfully talking face-to-face with my state representative while I am at the Capitol, and voicing my concerns about changes being made for healthcare reform. I will discuss the pros and cons of laws they are in the process of passing, discuss different strategies for how to achieve the same goal that will be more beneficial for our clients, and provide them with the resources they need to make a more informed decision. I would like to reach this goal by September 2015.

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 The final one year goal I have for myself is to join my state association. At this point I believe that will be Washington Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA) in Washington State. By joining my state association, I will be able to advocate for my clients and changes that should be implemented. It will provide me with the opportunity to suggest changes that would benefit the clients I am in direct contact with. Also, it will allow me to stay more informed about issues happening on the national level and how they are affecting my state. I will use WOTAs website, and other state associate members as resources. Additionally, I believe this will allow me to grow as a leader, and prepare me for having my voice heard when I attend the Capital Hill Day event. I would like to accomplish this goal by March 2015. Three Year My three year goal is to supervise a Level II occupational therapy fieldwork student. At this point in my career I believe I will feel ready to supervise a level II student, preferably interested in neurorehabilitation. After entering my third year of being employed as an occupational therapist in a neurorehabilitation clinic, I will have had the opportunity to enhance my knowledge in this specialty field. This will allow me to be a better leader for my student, and provide more guidance. To ensure my preparedness I will take the SAFECOM assessment again, assuming the results state that I am competent I will contact occupational therapy schools in the area and inquire about taking a Level II student. After being assigned a Level II student, I will ensure they are properly oriented to the facility and discuss my expectations of him or her. I will inquire about their preferred learning style, and I will promote open communication to ensure they feel comfortable in this new experience. During the midterm visit, I will complete the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) and if necessary I will also complete the Fieldwork Education

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 Assessment Tool (FEAT). The FWPE will also be completed during the final visit. I will view these assessment measures as my outcome measures. If the student receives a passing score and successfully completes their Level II experience, I will feel that I achieved my goal of being a competent fieldwork educator. I hope to take my first Level II student by August 2017. Another three year goal I would like to meet is publishing an article in OT Practice. I would ultimately like to do a write-up in regards to community-based models and neurorehabilitation. I will use knowledge from my work experience, and relevant research as resources to guide me while completing the article. This will ensure its relevance to the field of occupational therapy, as well as staying up-to-date with the ever changing healthcare system. Additionally, I will utilize my colleagues as a resource. Their feedback in regards to the information provided in my article, my writing style, and the relevance to the field of occupational therapy will be a valuable asset. Achieving my goal of getting published will serve as my outcome measure. I would like to accomplish this goal by July 2017. Five Year My five year goal is to lecture at a continuing education workshop for healthcare practitioners with a focus on stroke and/or traumatic brain injury rehabilitation techniques in a community-based setting. I feel five years is a reasonable timeframe to achieve this goal. By five years I believe I will feel established within the neurorehabilitation field of occupational therapy, and will feel competent to lecture other healthcare professionals about neurorehabilitation techniques specific for a community-based setting. I will use current research, feedback from colleagues and my experience from working in the field as resources to prepare me for the course. The workshop will include a lecture, demonstration of different activities and interventions that are appropriate for this population, as well as suggestions for simulated

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 environments if community resources are not available. I also feel within five years my public speaking and presenting skills will be sharper, and I will be more effective at teaching the audience. I will conduct a pre- and post-test questionnaire during the workshop. I will use the results as my outcome measure. Positive results and an increase in knowledge on the post-test will serve as a positive outcome of the workshop. I would like to accomplish this goal by June 2019. Ten Year My ten year goal is to open a community-based practice for individuals suffering from a brain injury. The practice will incorporate other disciplines such a naturopathic doctor, physiatrist, rehabilitation counselor, physical therapist, speech language pathologist, pilates/ yoga instructor, and any additional discipline that my team and I deem relevant to an individuals recovery. I know owning my own practice will be an undertaking; however I feel within ten years I will be ready and equipped for this challenge. At this point I will be well established in my career and will have a better idea of how to provide optimal services to my clients. I believe there is a need for more community-based programs, and would like to step up as a leader, and be the change my clients need. I will most likely collaborate with my friend, who is a naturopathic doctor when opening this practice. Opening a community practice/ wellness center is something the two of us have discussed for the last few years. Within ten years, both of us will have a better understanding of what we want for our practice, and we will have gained the knowledge and leadership skills needed manage a practice. In order for the practice to be successful, I will utilize resources from the OCCT 652 management class, and reviewing the management book. First, conducting a needs assessment, develop a business plan, and obtain funding. For the type of community-based program we desire to open, I assume the

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 monetary funds will be supplied through a grant. In addition, to utilizing information gained from OCCT 652 course and the needs assessment we conduct, we will also do our own research into effective business models, and ask advice from our colleagues in the medical, and research field. In addition, I believe that within ten years I will feel more comfortable with my leadership style and we understand how to use my skills and strengths to my advantage. I will have a better understanding of how to foster growth and communication among my business partners, and staff members. Even though I feel I have these qualities now, within ten years, I believe it will feel more natural because I will have had the opportunity to manage and supervise other individuals throughout my career. I will also have a solid foundation of the type of facility that will be best suited for individuals suffering from a brain injury. This knowledge will allow me to pick a location that will enable my clients to grow; ensuring there are plenty of community resources nearby, access to public transportation, and that the facility itself is equipped with the tools and resources needed to promote a positive rehabilitation experience for them as they go through the recovery process. I would like to accomplish this goal by April 2024.

Michelle Ashley OCCT 650 References Cherry, K. (2014). What is transformation leadership? How transformational leadership inspire. [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm.