This page provides a snapshot of all of the latest plans for CMHL Mental Health Occupational Therapy Workforce Development activity in 2024. Bookmark this page to keep up to date throughout the year!
The Statewide Mental Health Occupational Therapy role is currently job-shared between Phoebe Williamson and Lara Nikitin. In 2024, the role of the Occupational Therapy Educator will be to continue to build upon the priority areas identified in the OT Workforce scoping report by offering discipline-specific training and workforce development activity based on both gaps previously identified as well as new needs. This scoping informs the Strategic Plan for the Public Victorian Occupational Therapy Leadership Network which also informs our work directions- “together we go further”.
Priority 1: Sensory Modulation
Connect and Reflect sessions continue to be offered in 2024 as a popular space for occupational therapists to advance their use of collaborative sensory modulation assessment and intervention across Victorian public mental health services. Developed in response to the 2021 OT Statewide Education Day, this co-produced reflective session has been conducted 5 times with over 200 attendees. Contact us if you would like to join the OT Basecamp resource-sharing group.
There will be multiple sessions scheduled for 2024. Click here to register for the first sensory reports Connect & Reflect session
Sensory Modulation Training sessions will be offered by CMHL and announced later in 2024.
OTA has announced Tina Champagnes' 2024 Australia Tour. A masterclass will be held in Melbourne on Tuesday 11th June 2024, presenting an incredible opportunity for occupational therapists' leadership role in the use of sensory modulation towards the elimination of seclusion and restraint. Click here to find out more about this exciting OTA event.
Priority 2: OT Supervision
CMHL Supervision Training: A 2-day Introduction to Clinical Supervision training package will be rolled out to the workforce in 2024. Current training dates are available here. The Statewide OT Educators are in the process of becoming facilitators of this package with the intention of delivering specifically to occupational therapists in the second half of 2024. We invite discipline-specific feedback from occupational therapists. See more information on our supervision webpage https://cmhl.org.au/supervision
Supervision Database: Occupational therapists can connect with professional supervisors using the Mental Health Allied Health Clinical Supervisor Database. The database will provide increased opportunities for discipline-specific supervision for all allied health professionals working in public area mental services. Clinical supervisors listed in the database have asserted that they meet the minimum criteria for inclusion in the database.
Other e-learning and training and resources for OTs
-CMHL Supervision e-learning: This 2-hour four-module e-learning course introduces clinical supervision for mental health clinicians and is designed for supervision.
-Victorian Allied Health Clinical Supervision Framework e-learning Modules: This 2-hour five module e-learning course suitable for allied health supervisees and clinical supervisors
-OTA Professional Supervision Course: This 12-week interactive e-learning program provides 24 hours of occupational therapy professional supervision training and reflection to “set you up to confidently undertake best practice supervision”
-MHPOD Learning Portal Supervision Training and Group Supervision Training This 1-hour self-directed online training topic outlines the importance of supervision and self-care to optimize the well-being and professional practice of mental health clinicians in their first two years of clinical practice.
Key Supervision Frameworks and Professional Resources
-Victorian Allied Health Clinical Supervision Framework (2019)
-OTA Professional Supervision Framework (2019)
-Australian Occupational Therapy Professional Code of Conduct (2020)
-Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (2018)
-National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2017)
Priority 3: OT Models and Assessments
The Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP) was the focus of the 2023 CMHL Occupational Therapy Education Day in November 2023.
The first Connect & Reflect session in 2024 focuses on translating theory into meaningful practice: Exploring the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation. Click here to register today. Subsequent CanMOP Connect and Reflect sessions will focus on
b) The Approach: Collaborative relationship-focused Occupational therapy – How we approach service provision,
c) The Framework: COTTIP – Foundational processes and actions for promoting Occupational Participation, and
d) Integrating the Model, Approach, and Framework in mental health practice.
Text Book Egan, G., & Restall, G. (2022). Promoting Occupational Participation: Collaborative Relationship-Focused Occupational Therapy. CAOT/ACE.
The following learning and development opportunities also align and support themes arising from the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation and the 2023 OT Education Day:
-How to be an Ally to Consumer Workers May 2024
-Understanding Family/Carer Perspectives, Experiences, and Needs Training March 2024
-Understanding & Supporting Lived & Living Experience Workforces May 2024
-Empowerment through community-led responses to racism
-Conversations about community engagement in mental health podcast series
Further resources and support are being developed to support OT models and assessments.
Priority 4: OT Leadership
Statewide Occupational Therapy Workforce Scoping: The Occupational Therapy Educator role has led workforce scoping. Find out about the OT workforce profile, discipline specific activity, needs and workforce development priorities. Check out the Report and Infographic here: https://cmhl.org.au/work/discipline-specific-workforce-scoping-projects
Strategic Planning: In 2024, CMHL have supported and participated in the review of the Strategic Plan for the Public Victorian Occupational Therapy Leadership Network 2024-2027. In 2021, following the appointment of the first OT Educator, CMHL auspiced the development of the first Strategic Plan 2021- 2023. Each of the 23 Victorian Area Mental Health Services contributed to this strategic planning process which included x2 half-day workshops led by Foresight Lane following Statewide Occupational Therapy Workforce Scoping.
The Victorian Public Mental Health Occupational Therapy Leadership Network (OTLN): The OTLN meets bi-monthly to advance the interests of the Occupational Therapy profession working in Victorian Public Mental Health (VPMH). The OTLN seeks to influence the VPMH sector so that the occupational needs and recovery aspirations of people and families, carers and supporters connected with VPMH services are met. Please contact Phoebe.Williamson@cmhl.org.au if you would like to connect with the OTLN.
- Leadership Training: CMHL training calendar provides opportunities for Leadership Training and development. Click here to see current opportunities in our Learning Hub. OTA provides the Leadership Program for Occupational Therapists.
Priority 5: Occupational Formulation & Goal Setting
Based on the Model of Occupational Formulation (MOHO), an occupational formulation involves collaboratively synthesizing occupational therapy assessment information to present the person's occupational identity, occupational competence, occupational goals, and plans. A community of practice has been established to ensure that the learnings from training are translated into real practice change.
Training: In 2024 CMHL and Forensicare will continue to collaborate to again provide the occupational formulation and goal-setting training for the workforce in 2024. Since 2022, three virtual statewide training days have been attended by 350 of our approx. 550 occupational therapists (September 2022, February 2023, and August 2023).
The 1 day Virtual Training Session will be held on August 29th, 2024. Click here to register today: https://events.humanitix.com/occupational-formulation-and-goal-setting-workshop
- Implementation support for the Victorian Public Mental Health OT workforce will continue with the Community of Practice (CoP) for Occupational Formulations Implementation Leads. Contact Lara.Nikitin@cmhl.org.au if you would like to become an Implementation Lead or participate in this CoP.
Text Book Parkinson, S., & Brooks, R. (2021). A guide to the formulation of plans and goals in occupational therapy. Routledge.
Priority 6: OT Groups
The Occupational Therapy Workforce has highlighted the need for targeted group work training for OTs. We are planning this in partnership with the Lived Experience workforce and multidisciplinary workforce.
CMHL has co-designed a ‘Facilitating Groups’ training that is co-facilitated and will be offered on the CMHL Training Calendar in 2024. Click here to register for to attend a multidisciplinary training session, or you can contact us to arrange for this training to be provided at your service. OT Educators will be providing this training, and exploring providing OT-specific group work training and resources.
Opportunities for further training and resource sharing for in relation to group development and facilitation are currently being explored. Please contact Phoebe.Williamson@cmhl.org.au if you would like to get involved.
Other important CMHL Training opportunities for OTs
In addition to the OT workforce development priority area training, Occupational therapists will be interested in the following webinars:
An Overview of the Guidelines for Public Mental Health Clinicians to Assist Consumers with Safe Driving 2nd May 2024 with OT Carolyn Dunn.
Research and Evidence-Based Practice Series lunchtime webinars:
Session 1: Introduction to the Statewide Mental Health Library held on 5th April 2024, will soon be available on CMHL website recorded sessions.
Also see CMHL Newsletter on Victorian Mental Health Library.
Session 2: Searching the Literature 27th June 2024.
Session 3: Reference management 1st August 2024.
Employment webinar and workshops to be facilitated by WISE Occupational Therapists Shannon Lang and Anne Miles later in 2024.
Occupational Therapy Academic Network for CMHL Victoria
We are excited to convene CMHL's Victorian Occupational Therapy Academic Network. Expressions of interest from passionate and dedicated Occupational Therapy Academics and Researchers from Victorian universities closed 5th April.
As part of Centre for Mental Health Learning’s (CMHL) ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration and research capacity within the mental health community, the primary aim of the Occupational Therapy Academics Network for CMHL Victoria is to provide a platform to foster timely, accessible, and relevant communication channels between mental health occupational therapy academics and CMHL Victoria, to support collaborative statewide planning, promote innovation and knowledge sharing, capacity building for research and evidence based practice, and advance the occupational therapy profession within the Victorian public mental health sector.
Communities of Practice
We are supporting the establishment of sustainable communities of practice (CoP) to connect and support OTs working in similar practice settings. A review of current CoPs is informing the development of “Guidelines for Establishing Sustainable Occupational Therapy Communities of Practice”. A working party leading this important piece of work, and inviting occupational therapists to complete this survey to gain a better understanding of the features that make OT CoPs meaningful, effective and sustainable.
Current communities of practice include meeting regularly and may have a ‘basecamp’ platform for online resource sharing and discussion:
OTs working in OTs working in Prevention and Recovery Centres,
OTs working in Inpatient Settings,
OTs working with Older Adults,
OTs working in Community Care Units,
Implementation Leads for Occupational Formulations.
Please contact Phoebe.Williamson@cmhl.org.au if you are interested in joining a community of practice, or establishing a new community of practice.
Online Conferences
CMHL offers discipline-specific online conferences biannually.
The Occupational Therapy Education Day was held in November 2023, please see the Evaluation and snapshots of the 2023 CMHL OT Education Day- CanMOP
Snapshot of the 2021 CMHL OT Education Day- Sensory Modulation Forum
The OTA Mental Health Forum is a national event occurring biannually in the alternate years, next occurring 28-29 November 2024.
Call for abstracts is now open for the Occupational Therapy Mental Health Forum 2024 to be held from 28-29 November 2024 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne. The program committee welcomes submissions from Occupational Therapists involved across the breadth of mental health practice and research including but not limited to:
• Research findings or literature reviews
• Practical applications of evidence-based practice
• Practice notes and case studies of new innovations
Presentation Types Available:
• Oral
• ePoster
• Occupation Station
• *NEW for 2024* Workshop
Abstract mentoring is available for first time and inexperienced presenters until 14 May 2024.
Call for abstracts close on 14 May 2024 and for full details please visit the website otausevents.com.au/mentalhealthforum2024/call-for-abstractWe look forward to seeing Victorian Mental Health Occupational Therapists there!
Enquiries
Statewide Mental Health Occupational Therapy Educator
