​Creating Systemic Change in the Occupational Therapy Profession (Episode 110)

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and a leader in the occupational therapy profession. An alumna of the University of Southern California (USC), Dr. Anvarizadeh earned her BS, MA, and Doctorate in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Neuroscience and an emphasis in Ambulatory Healthcare. In her role as the Director of Admissions and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, she is responsible for ensuring the success of the admissions process by creating and maintaining effective admission strategies and procedures. She also oversees each academic program and makes certain the division is filled with high caliber diverse students.Dr. Anvarizadeh also serves as the Chair and is a founding member of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), a non-profit organization striving to meet society’s occupational needs by developing local and national initiatives and aligning with key stakeholders to create a socioculturally diverse workforce that is able to provide culturally effective and client-centered services to occupational therapy consumers. An advocate and an ignitor of change in the field of OT as well as for social justice and human rights, Dr. Anvarizadeh is currently running for Vice President of the Executive Board of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She has extensive leadership experience including through AOTA and the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC). Within AOTA, she is currently a Representative Assembly Leadership Committee (RALC) member and the Credential Review and Accountability Committee (CRAC) Chair.She is listed on the AOTA Roster of Fellows and is a recipient of OTAC’s Janice Matsutsuyu Outstanding Service Award and Vision Award and an accomplished speaker who has served as the keynote speaker and presented on a variety of topics at both state and national conferences as well as lecturing internationally at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists’ (WFOT) congress. Dr. Anvarizadeh also serves on the Boards of Inclusion Clubhouse and Black Women for Wellness. She is passionate about building healthy, diverse communities through inclusion, health education, empowerment, and advocacy. She envisions creating sustainable communities through social entrepreneurship and policy using an occupational therapy perspective.On this episode, she shares about her path into the OT profession, her mantras and leadership philosophy, and her vision and plans for persevering and igniting change as she continues to create systemic change in the OT profession through action-oriented leadership. 

Connect with Dr. Anvarizadeh on Instagram @drarameh.

Episode 110