Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; Minority Recruitment and Retention
Q: What motivated you to choose a career in occupational therapy?
A: I was drawn to a career in occupational therapy because of the profession’s focus on increasing peoples’ participation in meaningful daily activities. As a person who enjoys a diverse variety of occupations, I connected with the notion of people being “occupational beings” and how engagement in work is a mechanism of health. I was and continue to be excited about the career options within the profession, particularly in nontraditional spaces. My career choices have consistently focused on entrepreneurial endeavors that integrate occupational therapy into systems for underserved populations. For example, I gained specialty knowledge in vision rehab upon learning how occupational therapy practitioners can help people with vision impairments increase participation in their daily activities and age in place. I added these services to an in-home OT practice.
Q: As we navigate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) - from your perspective, what would you want your colleagues to know?
A: I want my ortho colleagues to know that equity, diversity, and inclusion are everyone’s work, whether they have a formal title or not. The result is ongoing, and application should be integrated into our curricula and dynamic environments (physical, social, cultural, etc.). There is no specific arrival as we are “becoming” a more inclusive community, which should include progress noted by measurable quantitative and qualitative outcomes. Additionally, the stories and experiences of us who identify as part of underrepresented and historically excluded groups are essential and should be heard and considered when evaluating effective change.
Q: Are you involved in any community programs, projects, or groups you would like to feature?
A: I lead the Duke OTD Mentorship Program. Currently, 32 out of the 44 admitted students are matched with mentors who share similar ‘life experiences’ that meet each month.
I share the COTAD faculty liaison position with Dr. Cambey Mikush. COTAD is a student-led group currently led by Judean Griffith, OTS, and Jisun Kim, OTS, with a mission “to empower occupational therapy leaders to engage in practices that increase justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI); anti-racism and anti-oppression for a transformative occupational therapy profession.”
In 2022, I co-founded the NC Black OT Collective and co-chaired it with an OT student. The NCBOTC’s mission is twofold: offer a consistent support network for Black OTs in NC and assist in the recruitment and retention of Black OT students, practitioners, scholars, leaders, and educators in NC.
The vision for the NC Black OT Collective: Ensure that all NC Black OT community members receive the resources and support needed to reach optimal success in the profession.
I collaborate with Dr. Tiffany Adams in the ImpACT program, a pipeline program developed for local high school students. We also collaborate on a Financial Leadership seminar series that we are revamping based on student feedback.
Also, I host a monthly podcast, Therapy Entrepreneurs and Leaders of Color, to showcase the stories of everyday leaders of color in our profession to inspire others and support them in their roles.