Country members/Norway/Newsletter
News from Norway March 2007
The Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists (NETF) had a total of 3065 members at the beginning of the year 2007. 2359 of these members were in active work, 499 were students, and 29 were pensioners.
Changes in the board
There was a change in the board of the NETF last autumn. Karin M. Liabø left the board after 13 years as President, and Karin Olsen Vikse is acting President until next election. The National Assembly will be in November 2007. The assembly will elect a new board for the following three years. Policy program and budgets are other important issues.
National Congress
The 4th Norwegian Occupational Therapy Congress will be arranged in Bergen autumn 2009. The subject is “Evidence Based Practice in Occupational Therapy”.
OT Specialist
In 1998 the Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists (NETF) National Assembly passed a resolution to establish a certification process for achieving the title "Occupational Therapy Specialist". OTs may be certified in the following seven speciality fields: physical health, mental health, children’s health, elders’ health, general health, vocational health and public health. The first Occupational Therapists achieved the title in 2000. The number of OT Specialists was 99 at the beginning of the year 2007. The first OT Specialists were re-certificated in 2006.
Increasing need of Occupational Therapy
Norway faces considerable challenges in:
§ Reducing the increasing numbers of persons in the Norwegian work force who receives different kinds of benefits.
§ Meeting the challenges regarding the increasing numbers of senior citizens.
§ Enabling people with disabilities to exercise their rights and fulfill their duties as citizens based on the principles of social equality and universal design.
This must mean an increasing need of Occupational Therapy in the years ahead