In the United States, approximately 49,000 people die by suicide each year. And, unfortunately, the rate of suicide has increased substantially since 2000, up about 30%. 

Suicide remains among the 10 leading causes of death among persons aged 10-64 years and is the second leading cause of death among those aged 10-14 and 25-34.

While these trends are multifactorial, they are particularly distressing because evidence-based approaches to screening and intervention are better established than ever. 

Yet confidence and training in these approaches remain too low — even among behavioral health workers. OTs, PTs, and SLPs are uniquely positioned to recognize warning signs through repeated, relationship-based care, but most receive little formal training in suicide prevention.

This course seeks to address that gap. We'll cover the basics of: 

• What to watch for
• Evidence based Screening
• Evidence based intervention 
• And, the role of the team. 

We'll anchor our discussion in one of the most comprehensive evidence-based frameworks available: the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide (2024). And we'll be joined by Christine Weible-Cruz, LCSW, to get practical on what these guidelines look like in frontline care.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/suicide-prevention-for-ot-pt-and-slp 

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Fixing healthcare is simple: More people need preventative, conservative care earlier.

But getting to this fix is a massively complex web of structural policy choices. The reality is that our modern healthcare system often misaligns incentives, rewarding the management of chronic sickness over the investment in wellness. We've seen a shift toward market consolidation, where vertically integrated monopolies-both in insurance and hospital systems-drive up prices while limiting choice.

It's this playbook-which includes a lack of site-neutrality, high specialist payments, and insufficient transparency-that has allowed consolidated systems to post record revenues, even as:

• Medicaid is cut
• Insurance premiums are up
• Rural hospitals close
• Frontline workers experience burnout and higher suicide rates.
• The US pays the most in the world for healthcare, without the leading outcomes to show for it.

As therapy providers, we have watched as our common-sense bills collect dust. Our care is denied, our expenses are skyrocketing, and our reimbursement is stagnant because Medicare budgets are squeezed and commercial rates are failing to close the gap. We're fighting red tape to provide simple telehealth, while "AI Therapist" expands with a fraction of our professional oversight.

That's why I wanted to have U.S. Senate Candidate Dan Osborn on the podcast. I wanted to talk about therapy in the Senate. Why aren't we making true progress? How do we move our bills forward? And what does it take to tackle these structural failures 

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/healthcare-therapy-and-the-senate 

See our blog post "SEO for Therapists" here:
https://otpotential.com/blog/seo-for-therapists-guide

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https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

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SEO has long been the absolute best way to maintain a consistent therapy client caseload for outpatient therapists. But, for therapists in all settings really, understanding and optimizing your digital real estate is often a secret sauce for career growth.

In today's course, we want to help you:

• Recognize how important your digital real estate is to your practice.
• Optimize your presence with the right keywords.
• Understand the technical details needed for effective local SEO.
• Get the leads or contacts you actually want!

This task has gone from important to urgent with the onslaught of vertical integration happening in therapy in 2026. Platforms like GrowTherapy, Amazon, Headway, and Talkspace want to own your digital real estate and make you reliant on them. We want to teach you how to own your own professional identity-and give yourself professional flexibility whether you temporarily use a service like this or not.

Joining us is Saroosh Kahn, CTO of Allia. I met Saroosh over a shared sense of helping keep therapists independent, and I can't wait for him to help us navigate this.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/seo-for-therapists

See our blog post "SEO for Therapists" here:
https://otpotential.com/blog/seo-for-therapists-guide

See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Check our our live webinar schedule here:
https://otpotential.com/live-ot-ceu-webinars

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For years, "Occupational Therapy in Primary Care" has felt like a professional aspiration-a "gold standard" we discussed in classrooms but rarely saw in job postings. Today, that reality is shifting. Following the 2020 statutory mandates in Norway and Sweden that solidified OT as a required primary care service, the global tide is turning.

In the United States, we are moving past the era of mere "co-location" toward true interprofessional integration. Driven by the rise of Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and the 2026 Medicare updates to Advanced Primary Care Management, the door is finally opening for OTs to lead in chronic disease management, mental health, and aging-in-place.

On today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Ashley Halle, a leading voice in this movement and co-author of the foundational AJOT research on the topic, to discuss how clinicians can finally step out of the "hypothetical" and onto the primary care team.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-in-primary-care

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https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

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Thumb osteoarthritis is a common condition in older adults. By age 50, the prevalence is about 8% in men and 25% in women-and it increases with age, with meta-analysis data suggesting that by age 80, approximately 39% of women have radiographic signs of thumb base OA.

Conservative treatment is widely acknowledged as first-line care for thumb CMC OA, including occupational and physical therapy, particularly to help initiate splinting and exercise programs.

With conservative treatment roughly 4 out of 5 cases can be managed successfully without surgery.

Given the relatively high prevalence and importance of conservative intervention, it is critical that even generalist OTs be aware of its presentation and the basics of assessment and treatment.

This course intends to do just that: equip the generalist therapist to watch for, assess, and treat thumb OA-and perhaps most importantly, know when to refer on. We'll be joined by hand therapist Preston Lockwood.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/osteoarthritis-of-the-thumb

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The landscape of healthcare has been changed forever with the introduction of AI.

Already, 1 in 3 adults are turning to chatbots to ask health related questions. For younger adults under age 30, the shift is even faster-nearly 30% now use AI specifically for mental health and emotional support.

Amid these broad changes is a specific question for us as therapists: 

What happens when the chatbot starts to play the role of therapist?

This service is already being offered by tools - like Abby - "Your AI Therapist."

This raises so many questions for us-and at the heart of the questions is a moral and ethical one of turning our trust from individual humans to LLMs. Today, we'll walk through the broad ethical considerations with Megan Cornish is a licensed clinical social worker turned strategist who builds and scales ethical mental health brands.

We'll discuss the ethics of this shift-and what our ethical duty is to respond, particularly in our day to day sessions with clients, who are likely beginning to use AI.

Not to be dramatic: but this is the conversation of our generation. 

This course was designed to help you meet your ethics requirements for your CE.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/the-ethics-of-ai-as-therapists

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The landscape of private practice changed forever this year. With Amazon officially adding physical therapy to its marketplace, accessing rehabilitation services is now as easy as ordering a pair of shoes. This shift signifies a massive rise in public awareness of therapy services-but it also brings a new set of challenges for the independent practitioner.

How do you compete with a global giant? How do you meet the "one-click" expectations of modern clients?

In our 2026 "Starting an OT Practice" course, we dive into the complexities of launching and sustaining a practice in this high-tech, high-convenience era. We'll discuss why easy onboarding is no longer optional, how to leverage the latest AI tools to provide world-class care while run a lean and professional business, and how to position your clinical expertise as a high-value alternative to corporate healthcare.

We are joined by Christopher Gaskins PhD, OTR/L, CSRS, who recently made the leap from "side-hustle" to full-time practice owner. Chris shares his raw, first-hand experience of navigating the ups and downs of launching in this current market, offering a roadmap for OTs who are ready to bet on themselves.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/starting-an-ot-practice-in-2026

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Travel therapy offers some of the highest compensation in rehab, yet it remains one of the most logistically challenging practice areas. Succeeding on the road requires a distinct mindset shift, balancing clinical flexibility with savvy career management.

Whether you are eyeing your first contract or looking to refine your travel strategy, this course walks you through the essential day-to-day considerations of a nomadic career. We will dive into three overarching questions:

• Logistics: How do you strategically decide where to go next?
• Clinical Readiness: How do you prepare for the “sink or swim” demands of hopping between facilities?
• Empowerment: How do you ensure you are being paid fairly in a competitive industry?

You’ll leave this session more confident in navigating the travel market and delivering high-quality care in any setting. Joining us is Laura Latimer, OTR/L, founder of Nomadicare. After discovering a massive pay gap in her own contracts, Laura transitioned from traveler to industry advocate. She is a gifted mentor, and her hard-earned knowledge will leave you feeling empowered to take charge of your career.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/intro-to-travel-therapy

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Most parents start their OT journey with a frantic Google search: “Does my child need OT?” Unfortunately, the answers they find are often buried in vague recommendations about “missing milestones.”

In this one-hour course, former AOTA President and pediatric practice owner Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP explores how we can move beyond ambiguity. We’ll dive into actionable strategies for improving clarity and access, ensuring that therapists can empower parents and providers to connect children with the right services at the most critical times.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/deciding-if-a-child-needs-ot

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) remains the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in adults aged 18–65. Because of its prevalence and the vital role of therapy in management, it is a clinical area we return to often at OT Potential.

We previously explored this topic through the inspiring lens of Dr. Sarah Adam, OTD, OTR/L—a professor and Paralympic medalist living with MS. In this upcoming one-hour course, we continue the conversation by diving into the latest evidence-based research through the lens of an outpatient neurological specialist.

Joining us is Makeda N. Jackson, OTD, OTR/L, MSCS, a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. Dr. Jackson will share her expert perspective on the clinical logistics of MS care, focusing on:

• Evidence-Based Assessment
• Targeted Intervention
• Patient Education/ Coaching

You will walk away with practical, actionable knowledge. Plus, we are assembling a treatment guide for you to reference—synthesizing insights from this and our past conversations on MS—to help you provide the highest level of care.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-multiple-sclerosis-treatment

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