2023 CMHL Occupational Therapy Education Day

CMHL hosted the second Victorian Public Mental Health Occupational Therapy Education Day online on Tuesday 21st November 2023. The topic was “Evolving OT Mental Health Practice - Understanding Contributions of the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP)”.  330 Occupational Therapists registered (of a total of 545 employed in Victorian Public Mental Health Services) abd 250 Occupational Therapists attended.

The 2023 Occupational Therapy Education Day provided a valuable opportunity for OTs working in Public Mental Health in Victoria to join together and gain inspiration and future direction for our relationship-focused and occupational-based practice. We considered the evolution of OT mental health practice including what we can learn from the new Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP). We were delighted to have dynamic keynote speakers with contributions from academic, research, lived experience, and cultural perspectives. 

Learning objectives for the day were met (average rating 4.36 Stars) 

The inspiring line up brought together dynamic and inspiring keynote speakers from lived experience, cultural, academic, and clinical perspectives, including:  

• Prof Mary Egan, co-editor of the CanMOP and text: Collaborative relationship focused occupational therapy, presented on The Canadian Model of Occupational Participation: Another tool for embracing and communicating our expertise.  
• Dave Barclay & Eila Lyon provided an inspiring Lived Experience presentation "OTs & Allyship: Activating your inner activist"  
• Dr Chontel Gibson called us to action with a deadly presentation "Decolonising occupational therapy through a strength-based approach in mental Health" 
• Jacqui Hill & Kellie Reid Provided a delicious and motivating Family Carer Presentation "The Eton Mess of Working Together in Relational Recovery" 
• Prof Ellie Fossey shared a thought-provoking synthesis for Victorian Mental Health OTs "It’s time! Connecting our practices with a vision of meaningful engagement and partnerships for recovery and well-being" 
• Phoebe Williamson hosted a Panel discussion "How are we listening?" and together we collaboratively reflected on the learnings from the CanMOP day, considered implementation, and discussed the future direction and actionable next steps for our collaborative relation-focused occupational-based practice. The incredible panel included Eila Lyon, Cate Bourke, Dr Chontel Gibson, Prof Ellie Fossey, Lorrae Mynard & Alison Delphin.  
• Lara Nikitin opened the inspiring 2023 CMHL Occupational Therapy Education Day.  

The word cloud shared is from the closing session, contributed to by all participating mental health OTs about the key impactful takeaway from the OT Education Day: 

Feedback quotes from OTs participating when asked "What they liked most about the 2023 OT Education Day?"

• “Today has challenged and inspired me. I have felt overburdened lately and the information shared and explored today has reinvigorated my love for this profession and made me reflect where I want to be better and do better.”

• "It is so incredible that an event of this quality is now available to OTs across the state. The Zoom platform makes the day accessible for so many who couldn't otherwise travel."

• "The speakers that provided evidence-based, thought-provoking conversations”

• “Was great to update knowledge around theoretical frameworks/professional models. Great to have Mary Egan present. Was good to have consumer and carer reflections on the CanMOP. Ellie Fossey's reflections were great.”

• “The focus on lived experience - of diversity, indigenous knowing and being, of mental health and caring. the focus on rights and practical steps to change.”

• “The rich sharing and trust as well as the encouragement to embrace the mess and practice constructive positive disruption. I particularly valued the unapologetically rich truth-telling Indigenous presentation.”

• "The varying panelists was absolutely fabulous, each had such a unique perspective and contribution, but all had similar underlying/core themes and messages"

• "The panel discussions made it real and added another layer of reflections"

• “Grow and strengthen lived experience collaborations.”

Next steps 

Evaluation has been completed (ONE PAGER HERE). This will inform the implementation of training into practice and respond to the growing workforce needs looking towards the future

The CAOT webinar series is a valuable resource to introduce the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP), the approach of collaborative relationship occupational therapy, the COTIPP Framework, and integration.  

A shared drive of resources has been shared with participants, including a handout of the CanMOP, presenter slides, articles, and links to valuable resources provided by presenters. To receive access please contact the CMHL Statewide Mental Health Occupational Therapy Educators.  

CMHL would like to thank everyone who attended, members OT Education Day Working Group, those who presented, and everyone who collaborated and contributed to a very successful event. 

This was the second CMHL OT education day, a bi-annual event, CMHL brings discipline-specific forums or online conferences biannually. 

Please see the downloadable Snapshot of the 2023 CMHL OT Education Day- CanMOP, and 2021 CMHL OT Education Day- Sensory Modulation Forum. 

The OTA Mental Health Forum is a national event occurring biannually in the alternate years, next occuring 28-29 November 2024.