While most careers are suffering significantly at the hands of the economy, at least two professions are actually thriving. The demand for occupational therapists and school psychologists — two career options that may sometimes be overlooked — are rapidly increasing. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), by 2016, the projected number of occupational therapists is expected to rise by 23 percent. For school psychologists, that number is expected to rise by 16 percent. Tufts is ahead of the curve, offering strong programs in what Professor of Occupational Therapy (OT) Sharan Schwartzberg calls "recession-proof" professions.
According to the BLS, occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. While working with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally or emotionally disabling condition, occupational therapists use treatments to develop, recover or maintain their patients' daily living and professional skills. Therapists help clients improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities and compensate for permanent loss of function, with the goal of helping clients have independent, productive and satisfying lives.
Schwartzberg attributes the rise of OT to the impact of a biological revolution. With constant increases in advanced technology, medical intervention is becoming easier and more common. And unlike other fields of work, health-related careers are always relevant and in high demand.
"Regardless of the economy, health is a primary concern and [is] highly valued by individuals and society," said Professor Linda Tickle-Degnen, Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy. "Without health, individuals cannot actively engage in the roles that will help the economy rebound."
Tickle-Degnen outlined a number of reasons why health professions like OT are especially important right now. "Now there are many returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious physical disabilities and posttraumatic stress disorder. Occupational therapists are trained to help individuals resume their meaningful societal roles and activities by addressing physical, cognitive and psychosocial rehabilitation needs," Degnen said.
The aging population also uses OT to adapt to the new demographics of the changing world. "As the U.S. and the globe ages, people need more help in adapting their abilities … of independent living, and their environments need modifications for reduced vision, hearing or mobility," Tickle-Degnen said.
Modern ideologies regarding equality also contribute to OT's success. National and global health systems have become increasingly concerned not only with saving lives, but also with increasing the quality of life for all individuals. In recent years, societal values have changed to be inclusive of all individuals, regardless of disability.
"Compared to the past, more individuals are surviving with more variation and differences in their physical, cognitive and psychosocial attributes," Tickle-Degnen said. "This greater variation challenges society to change its traditional environments and institutions to accommodate various attributes."
Tickle-Degnen added that the maintenance of active and healthy lifestyles is crucial for disease prevention and wellness, and with so many different types of people in need, the field is expected to continue its rapid growth. While most OTs work in hospitals, many are employed by health practitioners, public and private educational services and nursing care facilities.
Jane Crimmins, an OT graduate student at Tufts, explained that OT's status as a relatively new field results in many diverse groups to work with, such as the blind and those on the autism spectrum. OT's constantly evolving nature makes working in the field that much more exciting, according to Crimmins.
"The interesting thing about [occupational therapy] is that its philosophy and skill set make it a flexible field that responds to changing health and wellness needs of the population," Tickle-Degnen said. "Individual therapists who focus on one particular specialization area may find that area to wax and wane in terms of job opportunities or [benefits], but the profession as a whole is fairly resilient to changing job opportunities."
In addition to its flexibile approach, OT also has a revolutionary quality. Schwartzberg explained that unlike most aspects of medicine that look at what's wrong with the patient, OTs look at patients on a continuum of ability, not disability. They pay attention to their values and interests and then evaluate how to maximize their ability to function within that desired environment.
"[Occupational therapists] want to help individuals … achieve healthy and happy daily lives," Tickle-Degnen said. "Nothing is menial or mundane in occupational therapy. The stuff of daily living is what inspires occupational therapists."
Because of the fusion of creative and scientific ideas, occupational therapy brings students from all walks of academic life, from child development to biology, psychology, sociology and many others.
"Because daily living involves an integration of the physical with the cognitive with the psychosocial, the work of occupational therapists is integrative and holistic in its perspective," Tickle-Degnen said. "[It asks], ‘How do you take the typical objects, environments and activities of daily living and work those into the medium that promotes health and development?'"
School psychologists are also thriving in the midst of financial hardship. According to the BLS, the number of school psychologists in demand will grow 16 percent by 2016, which is attributed to an increasing awareness of how students' mental health and behavioral problems affect learning.
The philosophy of Tufts' School Psychology Program goes hand in hand with this increasing awareness. According to its Web site, the program's mission is "to prepare effective, culturally competent problem solvers ready to serve all children in general public education and children with disabilities."
The undeniable increase in demand for those specializing in occupational therapy and school psychology affords these professionals an advantageous position compared to other job-seekers in the coming months.
