What does an Occupational Therapist know about mental health?

Today I had an interesting conversation with a GP that started a bit like, “but what would an Occupational Therapist be able to do for a mental health issue?”

After a moment of feeling floored and frustrated that 18 years since I graduated we are still battling the community not understanding what we do, I embraced the opportunity to have the attention of a GP. I wish I could quote exactly what I said but I was talking fast, aware of the GPs time, it went something like this…

Occupational Therapists are trained in undergraduate courses to work with people with mental health challenges. If Occupational Therapists go on to gain employed experience and have additional training in mental health, they can apply to be endorsed to provide focused psychological therapies under The Better Access to Mental Health Scheme (BAMHS). This is a process of endorsement and approval through our professional body and Medicare and assists people in accessing rebates for privately paid therapy services.

The BAMHS endorsement supports the use of a range of therapeutic tools including psychoeducation, Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBT), relaxation strategies, skills training, problem solving, anger management, social skills training, communication training, stress management and parent management training. I am also trained and have extensive experience in working with young people who have Anorexia Nervosa.  BAMHS also supports Occupational Therapists to work in this area to provide evidence-based practice.

Occupational Therapists support people to learn tools using focused psychological therapies to assist change in everyday routines in self-care, productivity and leisure pursuits. OTs help people to evaluate their roles, consider time use patterns, modify environments and tap into their strengths to participate in and/restart their everyday occupations that matter most to them and support positive mental health.

So in talking to the GP – it probably (definitely) didn’t cover all that detail in that order, but when I put the phone down I was puffed and energised and proud to spread the word one step further about how Occupational Therapy can help people struggling with ill mental health. At the end of the phone call the GP said; “Right, so what do you need from me to make this happen?” A good result!