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The Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado supports the practice of occupational therapy in Colorado through advocacy, education, professional development, collaboration and representation.


Upcoming events

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OTAC Annual Conference 2026

Date: September 24th (evening) -27th (morning).
Location: Sun Outdoors, Granby Colorado
Theme: Summit to Success: Reaching New Heights in OT 

The 2026 OTAC Conference will build on the success of our 2024 and 2025 conferences, featuring interactive, activity-based sessions that take full advantage of our unique outdoor setting, along with engaging indoor learning experiences.

This year, OTAC is intentionally expanding offerings that emphasize advanced and high-level continuing education designed for experienced practitioners.

We accept proposals from all disciplines. Occupational therapy is strengthened through multidisciplinary collaboration. We are seeking presenters who bring diverse professional perspectives and demonstrate how multidisciplinary collaboration as well as shared frameworks lead to meaningful outcomes across disciplines.

Conference Pages


NOTICE: OTAC Membership Dues To Increase March 1st, 2026
For more than a decade, OTAC has maintained the same membership dues, reflecting our commitment to keeping membership accessible and affordable for all Colorado occupational therapy practitioners. Beginning March 1st, dues will increase to ensure we can continue to effectively support and advocate for our profession.

Our advocacy efforts expanded significantly during the 2025 legislative season and we expect this level of engagement to continue. In addition, our lobbyists, who have been instrumental to our legislative successes year after year, have not increased our contract fees in many years in order to support our profession. They have requested an adjustment from $20,000 to $30,000. Our lobbyists deep understanding of both occupational therapy and our organization makes them an essential investment in the future of occupational therapy in Colorado.

As a result of these growing advocacy needs and associated costs, increasing membership revenue is necessary to sustain as well as strengthen OTAC’s work on behalf of our members.

Members who wish to renew at the current rate may do so before March 1st by logging into their OTAC account, selecting View Profile and scrolling down to click renew. Please note that members with auto-renew enabled will need to temporarily turn off auto-renew in order to renew early. If you need assistance - don't hesitate to reach out to info@otacco.org for support!

Your membership dues are our biggest income as a non-profit and we truly appreciate your ongoing support of OTAC!

You can find the new rates here.



New Member Benefit: Free Webinar Series

We are so excited to announce a partnership with Aspire OT! We've been long term partners, but we're taking our relationship to the next level by offering a series of monthly webinars FREE for OTAC members! That's right, we're talking free contact hours in exchange for your continued support of the OT profession here in Colorado and beyond. We are just so thrilled and we can't wait to see you there!

Mark Your Calendars!

  • February 17th: Occupational Therapy & Self-management: Understanding OT's Role in Treating Chronic Conditions - click here to learn more!
  • March 19th: Demystifying Dementia for the OT Practitioner - click here to learn more!

The Aspire OT Elevate Webinar Series will be listed in our event calendar with instructions on how to register! 


OTAC Advocacy Updates

OTAC will keep you updated as we learn new information from AOTA and local legislation. Immediate action items will be posted on our front page & sent via email. OTAC is dedicating more time and resources than ever to protecting our profession. Your support as a member is critical. Membership dues directly fund our lobbyists and state-level advocacy efforts. If you’re able to join a committee or volunteer in any capacity, we would truly appreciate your involvement. We need all hands on deck to defend our practice here in Colorado.

Have an advocacy request? Click here to make a request. 

How can you help?

  • OTAC is dedicating more time and resources than ever to protecting our profession! Your support as a member is critical. Your membership dues are one of our largest money makers as a non-profit. Membership dues directly fund our lobbyists and state-level advocacy efforts. Our amazing lobbyists cost $30,000 annually - they are worth every penny but we need your support to continue to fund their services! Another reason we need your membership, is when we bring issues to the House and Senate, OTAC needs to be able to demonstrate that these issues are important to our membership. If we don't have OTAC members that work in these settings or are impacted by these issues, we cannot bring them forward! 
  • Join a committee or task group! Our OTAC board and committees are run by volunteers - we can always use more passionate people to volunteer their time! Email info@otacco.org to get started!
  • Donate

2026 Advocacy Updates

Click here to read all 2026 advocacy efforts!

OTAC Legislative Tracker:

  • HB26-1018 Long-term Care Services for Nursing Home Residents
  • HB26-1042 Dry Needling by Occupational Therapists


Current Action Requested: HB26-1042 (OT Dry Needling) 

The OTAC bill for this year, HB26-1042: Dry Needling for Occupational Therapists, passed in the House Health and Human Services Committee with a 12-0 vote! This outcome reflects strong, coordinated grassroots advocacy from OTAC members and supporters across Colorado.

Next, it will go to the House Floor for a vote, and we need you to reach out to your House of Representative member to share how this bill affects you, your colleagues, and your clients—and why they should vote yes. By making our voices heard, we increase the chances our bill will pass and highlight the importance of dry needling to our profession in Colorado.

Action Steps

  • Review the fact sheet here to learn more.Identify and contact your House of Representative member by end of day Monday at the latest.
  • Share with supporters: Clients, colleagues and other healthcare professionals can also reach out.
  • Important: Dry needling is currently not legal for OTs in Colorado. Do not reference performing it in this state. Also do not mention delegating this to physical therapists as it must be part of the PT plan of care and requires signed informed consent by PT. 
  • Thank you for helping strengthen the occupational therapy profession and support the people we serve!

    Email Template
    Below is a draft email template you can use to contact your House Representative member—personalized messages are much more effective than a generic template. Questions? Email     info@otacco.org.

    If the bill is successful in the House, we’ll send that update with another ask to email your Senator. Every message counts—keep encouraging colleagues and supporters to take action as we rally over the coming months!

    Draft Email Template
    Re: Please Vote YES on HB26-1042 Dry Needling by Occupational Therapists

    Dear Representative [Last Name],

    As a [INSERT Profession / or Recipient of Dry Needling], I urge you to support HB26-1042 Dry Needling by Occupational Therapists, which authorizes occupational therapists to perform dry needling under clear training and consumer protection standards. This bill will improve patient access, ensure continuity of care, and align Colorado with other states that already allow occupational therapists to perform dry needling.

    [Optional—for occupational therapists certified or interested in becoming certified in dry needling:] As an occupational therapist, passage of this bill would directly benefit my clients by [INSERT HOW—e.g., reducing wait times, improving outcomes, minimizing referrals, increasing access in rural areas].

    Dry needling is a safe, evidence-based technique used to reduce muscle pain and stiffness. Physical therapists in Colorado have been authorized to perform dry needling since 2013. HB26-1042 creates parity by allowing occupational therapists—who receive extensive training in anatomy and neurophysiology through accredited master’s and doctoral programs overseen by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)—to use this intervention when clinically appropriate.

    Occupational therapists help patients regain the ability to perform daily activities such as dressing, working, and caring for their families. When pain limits function, dry needling can be a critical component of treatment. Currently, patients must be referred to another provider for this service, leading to unnecessary delays and disruptions in care. This bill keeps treatment efficient and client-centered.

    HB26-1042 prioritizes patient safety by requiring post-professional training in dry needling, demonstrated competency, and written informed consent. Occupational therapists complete the same post-secondary dry needling education as physical therapists and other healthcare professionals who perform dry needling. Dry needling is distinct from acupuncture, and this bill does not alter the regulation or scope of acupuncture.

    Sponsored by Representatives Feret and Senator Ball, HB26-1042 is supported by the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado (OTAC). A YES vote means improved access to care, better continuity for patients, and strong safety oversight.

    Please vote YES on HB26-1042.

    Support OT Advocacy

    • Join/Renew -  If you are not currently an OTAC member, please join or renew!
    • Donate - make a donation directly to support our legislative efforts!
    • Subscribe to emails to receive legislative action items & weekly information from OTAC!
    • If you are interested in testifying in the future on this topic  - please fill out this google form!



    2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

    The 2025 Legislative Session was a year of exciting firsts for OTAC! We’d like to extend a huge thank-you to our dedicated lobbyists, Steve and Tim, for guiding us through a successful and dynamic session. We’re already looking forward to the work ahead in 2026!

    Legislative Wins 2025 Session
    Read more of our advocacy efforts here!

    • HB25-1016 Passes!
      OTAC successfully ran and passed HB25-1016, which allows occupational therapists to prescribe durable medical equipment (DME) without requiring a physician’s signature. This is a major step forward in increasing autonomy and efficiency for OT/OTRs in Colorado. Learn more here!

    • MPPR Proposal Defeated
      The Joint Budget Committee proposed implementing a Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction (MPPR) to reduce Medicare spending. OTAC, in partnership with the state SLP and PT associations, mobilized quickly and effectively. Thanks to the overwhelming response from our members—who emailed and contacted their legislators—the amendment to remove the MPPR passed without issue. This is a powerful example of advocacy in action!

    • Medicaid Provider Rate Update
      We were initially able to secure a 1.6% provider rate increase for Medicaid. However, the passage of the federal bill H.R. 1 – “A Big Beautiful Bill” significantly cut federal Medicaid funding. As a result, state legislators had to make difficult budget decisions, and the provider rate increase will end October 1st. Expect rates to return to what they were before the rate was increased. We will continue to monitor this issue.





    WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!

    Join or renew your membership in OTAC and AOTA to support your associations in their efforts to advocate for the OT profession both locally and nationally!

    Want to see policy changes? Need help advocating with insurers and stakeholders? Need informational resources for education or to advocate for your practice? Have a practice issue question?

    OTAC and AOTA are your associations here to help! Your small investment makes a HUGE difference in our ability to continue to advocate for you and affect policy changes that will benefit your practice and the clients you serve.

    AOTA Annual Conference 



    OTP DIRECTORY! Have you ever wished there was an easy way to connect and network with fellow Colorado OTAC member OT/OTA practitioners and students? We have!

    Announcing the OTAC Colorado OT/OTA Directory created in partnership with OT Potential! FREE listing for OTAC members!

    Join or renew your OTAC membership here! 

    Join or renew your AOTA membership here!



    GET INVOLVED 

    Apply for a board position, volunteer for a committee, attend an event, start a district or special interest group, share your ideas!

    RESOURCES

    Frequently Asked Questions,  Members Only Resources, Resume and Interview Tips, and more!

    MEET OTAC BOARD MEMBERS

    OTAC Board members are volunteers dedicated to the support and advancement of occupational therapy practice in Colorado!

    Upcoming Events












    Learn more and sign-up today!

    Get Your OT Gear at the OTAC STORE! 


    Download Wild Apricot Member App


    Legislative Committee

    The 2026 legislative session will be starting up soon!

    If you are interested in joining the Legislative Committee (must be an OTAC member) write to
    info@otacco.org



    OTAC: Advocating for OT practice in Colorado

    for over 30+ Years


    Colorado State Bills OTAC Monitored in 2024


    Have a practice issue or question? Contact OTAC










    OTAC Job Board

    Post a job or look for a job here!


    Reach the right candidates, faster. Advertising on the Occupational Therapy Association Job Board puts your roles in front of a highly targeted audience of OT professionals - plus featured promotion in our weekly email reaching 2,000+ engaged subscribers. Hire smarter with visibility where it matters most.



    Stay informed

    Subscribe to the otac email list to stay informed about OTAC news, events, Advocacy efforts, and important information You need to know about OT pRactice in Colorado!

    (OTAC will never share your email with others)

    Subscribe


    Meet our Corporate Members

    Learn more here!

    ABOUT OTAC

    OTAC is the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado. It is a non-profit organization that strives to increase the quality of care and level of professionalism to the practice of OT in Colorado.

    The Occupational Therapy Association is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users. We are actively working to improve the user experience and comply with accessibility standards. If you encounter any issues or need assistance, please email us. We strive to address all concerns promptly.

    Have a feedback or need more help?                                    Email info@otacco.org

    CONTACT

    Email: info@otacco.org


    40 W. Littleton Blvd

    Ste 210-214

    Littleton, CO 80120



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