Occupational Therapy

Clinical service overview

We care for:

• Inpatients at all three hospital sites
• Outpatients who have been referred from a clinical service within Alfred Health
• People in the community whilst under specialised programs (such as HARP and psychiatry)
• People in the community who are referred to the Caulfield Community Health Service or the Community Rehabilitation Program.

Occupational therapists assess:

• People's physical, cognitive and psychosocial capacities, skills and difficulties in performing their chosen occupations
• The environments in which people perform their occupations e.g. home assessments
• The unique ways in which individuals participate in their occupations

Occupational therapy interventions are designed to:

• Enable people to participate in their chosen occupations by building people's skills and capacity, providing education and equipment and modifying environments
• Promote health and well-being through encouraging people to engage in occupations that enhance health.

Some of these interventions will be held with individual clients and others will be provided within a group setting.

We believe that it is important to understand how patients carry out their daily activities within 'real life' settings where possible. Therefore, as part of the therapy process clients will often participate in sessions carried out within their home, community and work environments.

They may also participate in sessions within the hospital or Occupational Therapy Department which aim to simulate the home environment as closely as possible.

Occupational therapists have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the areas of medical specialties, neuro-musculoskeletal, aged care and mental health.

Specialist occupational therapy services include:

• Burns/scar management
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Heart and lung transplants
• HIV and infectious diseases
• Neurosciences
• Splinting and upper limb injury management
• Trauma
• Aged care
• Musculoskeletal, neurological and spinal rehabilitation.

We also offer occupational therapy services in the areas of child and adolescent (infancy - 18 years) and adult psychiatry (16 - 65 years). Occupational therapists in this area are concerned with understanding and addressing:

• The occupational performance needs and issues of people who are at risk of mental illness, or experiencing mental health problems
• The ways in which people's environments support and restrict their occupational performance, development and recovery

Occupational therapists in Alfred Psychiatry have both discipline specific and generic roles, such as case management.

Occupational therapists are employed in the:

• Homeless Outreach Persons Service (HOPS)
• Continuing Care Teams (Junction & Waiora)
• Mobile Support and Treatment Service (MSTS)
• Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMHS)
• Community Care Units (CCU)
• Acute inpatient program

Driving assessment and rehabilitation program

Occupational therapy at Caulfield Hospital also offers a specialised occupational therapy driving assessment and rehabilitation service.

Clinical support and professional development

The Alfred Health occupational therapy service provides a supportive work environment and has a well-developed supervision structure. Professional development opportunities are encouraged and supported through:

• Regular in-services
• Internal courses such as computer, presentation and leadership workshops
• External courses relevant to your practice areas
• Post graduate learning is also encouraged to enhance career development
• Monthly grade 1 in-services
• Monthly case study presentations.

Research and Evidence Based Practice

The Department is committed to engaging in Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and Quality Improvement projects in order to provide best quality care to our clients.

Clinically based research is supported through collaboration with the Professor of Occupational Therapy, a joint appointment with Monash University and Alfred Health. The role has been invaluable in supporting clinician's involvement in clinical research as well as developing stronger links between postgraduate and honours students and the clinicians.