Enabling occupational therapy students to create the career they want is one of the aimsat Griffith University as it prepares to launch its new undergraduate program in 2014.
Occupational Therapy is an essential health service dedicated to enabling people to livemeaningful lives and participate in society.
Occupational Therapy Week 2013 20-26 October
With Occupational Therapy Week 2013 coming up 20-26 October as a nationalinitiative that seeks to promote the important role of occupational therapy in thecommunity, the profession has been identified as an area of national skills shortage, withdemand for skilled practitioners tipped to rise from 2016.
The Gold Coast meanwhile, is the second most rapidly growing area in Queensland, witha steadily ageing population with an associated disability and illness factor.“Traditionally occupational therapists have worked in hospital and educational settingswith all ages of people who face challenges due to physical or mental health issues,”says Bachelor of Occupational Therapy program convenor Professor MatthewMolineux from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences.
“These opportunities still exist, but we are seeing a shift in the profession and there arenow emerging areas for OTs to work in such as with people who are refugees, people
who are homeless and within prisons. The settings can be very diverse and it is thisdiversity that will provide OT students with the chance to create the career they want.”
A role-emerging placement
In line with contemporary thinking in the profession, the Griffith Bachelor of OccupationalTherapy will include a ‘role emerging placement’ during the third year of the program.
This will see students attend a setting where no OT is in practice and require them to askthemselves what they can contribute from a professional perspective.
“For example, successful placements we have seen in the past in UK universities haveincluded students attending a refugee organisation where women from diversemulticultural backgrounds have entered the country without any background knowledgeon the local food and what may be culturally appropriate. The occupational therapystudents supported a group of women to source, make and share food in a supportiveenvironment. This developed their skills but also supported them during a time of
challenging transition.
“Students who complete role emerging placements become more confident and skilledproblem solvers. They are also able to transfer these skills into improved professional
strategies within the more traditional OT settings,” says Professor Molineux.
Griffith’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy is set to be offered to around 40 studentsfrom February 2014. For more information, visit
http://www.griffith.edu.au/health/occupational-therapy
Please note: Professor Matthew Molineux will be speaking about ‘Occupation basedpractice’ at the upcoming Mental Health and Paediatrics Symposium at Sea World Resort
and WaterPark, Gold Coast on October 24-26. The event is hosted by OccupationalTherapy Australia Queensland. For more information
http://www.otaus.com.au/conferenceinfo/2013-qld-mental-health-and-paediatric-symposia