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Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award of Excellence for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

This award was established in 2023 to honor Dr. Lela A. Llorens, an occupational therapy pioneer known throughout the profession. The purpose is to honor a member of AOTA who has utilized Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIJAB) principles to address the needs of marginalized, under-resourced, and/or underrepresented persons, groups, and populations.

Nominations Window: Thursday, November 16, 2023—December 14, 2023 at 11:59 AM ET (just before noon)

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Description and purpose

To honor a member of the Association who has led a professional activity that addresses health disparities, health equity, social determinants of health, and/or institutional, structural, or systemic racism in healthcare, education, community practice, or clinical practice.
To enable members to benefit from new knowledge, innovative perspectives, and significant developments in the profession related to initiatives, programs, or strategies that provide systemic change and/or advance DEIJAB principles in scholarship, leadership and/or advocacy, program or policy development, education, community practice, or clinical practice in occupational therapy.

Award Criteria

Overall Criteria: Nomination submissions must address the following.

Highlight how the nominee has utilized Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIJAB) principles to address the needs of marginalized, under resourced, and/or underrepresented persons, groups, and populations.
Demonstrate how professional activity addresses health disparities, health equity, the social determinants of health, and/or institutional, structural, or systemic racism in healthcare, education, community practice, or clinical practice in occupational therapy.
Relate to the providing systemic change and/or advancement of DEIJAB principles in scholarship, leadership and/or advocacy, program or policy development, education, community practice, or clinical practice in occupational therapy.

Instructions to Nominator

Please submit a narrative that describes both the breadth and depth of significant contributions made by the nominee which justifies receipt of this award. Please refer to the description, purpose, and award criteria and provide direct, specific evidence of such in the narrative.

The narrative should include evidence gathered from various sources and/or stakeholders familiar with the nominee. The narrative is a weighted portion of the scoring process. Self-nominations are not accepted.

(NOTE: Word limit = 3500)

Note that the CV is uploaded for reference only.

Nomination submissions must address at least one of the following categories:

Scholarship: Evidence of scholarly activities (i.e., discovery, integration, teaching and learning, application) that clearly identify the advancement of DEIJAB principles in the occupational therapy profession and has had a lasting impact through dissemination into clinical practice, curriculum development or enhancement, education, and professional development.

Highest score: Evidence includes, but is not limited to, publications, presentations, conference proceedings, books, papers, education/professional development programming that highlight outcomes documenting evidence for this criterion. Scholarship initiatives should significantly promote and highlight DEIJAB initiatives that have shown positive impacts in underrepresented or under-resourced populations over a sustained period.
Leadership, Advocacy & Policy: Evidence of leadership, advocacy, and policy initiatives or interventions that significantly promote and/or advance DEIJAB initiatives, and highlight and/or improve health, well-being, and a sense of belonging.

Highest score: Evidence of leadership, advocacy, and policy activities that raise awareness of how the occupational therapy profession have made an impact for this criterion. This includes but is not limited to elected or appointed volunteer service, advocacy and policy efforts, public service, and/or strategic partnerships that address the needs of marginalized, underrepresented, and/or under-resourced persons, groups, and populations. Leadership/advocacy initiatives should significantly promote and highlight DEIJAB initiatives that have shown positive impacts in marginalized, underrepresented, and/or under-resourced persons, groups, or populations over a sustained period.
Occupational Therapy Practice: Evidence of lasting impact on the practice and delivery of occupational therapy services to marginalized, underrepresented and/or under-resourced persons, groups or populations as evidenced by the dissemination of DEIJAB principles in culturally responsive occupational therapy clinical or community practice.

Highest score: Evidence of occupational therapy services that utilize an occupational and/or social justice lens to address the unique needs of marginalized, underrepresented and/or under-resourced populations. This includes but is not limited to occupational therapy services that address DEIJAB barriers to occupational justice.
Program Development and Capacity Building: Evidence of a program(s) that address the needs of marginalized, underrepresented and/or under-resourced populations utilizing DEIJAB principles. The program must show how it has used the social determinants of health to positively impact and/or improve the health and wellbeing of persons, groups, and populations.

Highest score: Evidence of sustained engagement in a program(s) that highlight a recognizable impact within and/or adjacent to the occupational therapy profession such as health/human service agencies, local coalitions/initiatives, national/state/local branches – advocacy communities or organizations focused on social justice or social determinants of health.

Specific information regarding award

One award may be given per year.
The inaugural award recipient will be recognized at the Awards & Recognitions Ceremony on Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.
Recipient of this award will design and deliver a presentation or demonstration of their creative choosing in honor of the Dr. Lela A. Llorens Award of Excellence for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion during the AOTA Annual Conference & Expo in the following year. The presentation delivery method is determined by the creativity of each award recipient, and may include for example, digital media, visual or performing arts, lecture, poetry, etc.
A monetary gift shall be provided following delivery of the presentation or demonstration.