Mental health OTs have high-level knowledge in mental health disabilities/diagnoses, the symptoms and functional impact. They have typically worked in a variety of mental health settings – such as acute inpatient units, case management, mental health rehabilitation settings, forensic mental health wards and older persons mental health settings.

Mental health OTs have trained in assessments and therapeutic techniques specific to mental health populations and have a high level of knowledge around the Mental Health Act 2016, medications commonly used (and their side effects), Mental Health Court processes, and other important contextual factors that can impact a participant’s life.

However, splints, powered wheelchairs or home mods? Forget it, generalists to the rescue!

Occupational therapy assessment is designed to understand and evaluate a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks, in order to identify their functional limitations and strengths, in the context of a disability/health condition or injury. The outcome of assessment is recommendations for specific interventions and therapy techniques that will be most beneficial for the participant, in order to support their goals.

Helpful, right?

No, at this stage. We only support adults (18-65yrs) or persons who are 17 years old and are transitioning to adult services.

Sorry!

Occupational Therapists must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree which now includes Honors (in Australia). The degree includes several clinical placements. Occupational Therapists must be registered with AHPRA, which is the board responsible for regulating Australia’s health practitioners.

You can check if any of your practitioners are AHPRA registered at any time!

If you find your mental health condition or psychosocial disability (or the symptoms) is impacting your daily life and you are having trouble with any of the issues listed below then yes, a mental health occupational therapist could be a great support option for you!

• You are having difficulty with daily activities like cooking, cleaning, or shopping

• You are having trouble concentrating, focusing, or are forgetful

• You are having difficulty regulating your emotions

• You are having difficulty managing your anxiety

• You are having difficulty developing motivation

• You are having difficulty re-engaging in hobbies or important roles

• You are having difficulty maintaining daily hygiene habits

• You are having disordered thinking or altered perceptions of reality

Yes! Great question! We also work with neurodevelopmental disabilities which are conditions that affect the brain and nervous system, usually during a person’s early development. We often find lots of “crossover” between neurodevelopmental disabilities and mental health disabilities so we complete adequate training to make sure we can support both! Neurodevelopmental conditions include:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD),

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and

• Intellectual disabilities.  

It’s important to note that for some neurodevelopmental conditions, such as cerebral palsy, a participant’s goals may be related to supporting their physical needs via equipment or home mods. In such cases, we refer on to our fabulous generalist colleagues.

Absolutely! We are a registered provider and therefore support any adult participants who are an appropriate match for our service (i.e. mental health or psychosocial participants).

No problem! We also support clients via the Better Access to Mental Health (BAMH) Medicare scheme and we can also support those who have a Chronic Disease Medicare Plan (provided your goals are related to mental health).

We also support private clients and those paying via Health Insurance.

Great question! and there's a few options here!

1. If you have a physical diagnosis that is already well-supported or not your concern/goal priority, then we can support you from a mental health/psychosocial perspective. If your physical disability unexpectedly needs attention (hey, it happens!), then we will coordinate with you or your SC to have a generalist OT looped in and make sure we all work as a team.

2. If your physical diagnosis is your main concern and priority, then we recommend you engage a generalist OT. We can also be referred to for some short-term support if you need extra input for your mental health disability, that may be beyond a generalist OT.