Quarterly update – Member news

What we’ve been doing for members

Over the past three months, OTA has been representing occupational therapists across many areas in state and federal government. OTA has achieved several wins in disability, aged care, mental health and workforce areas.

Aged Care

AN-ACC survey results and meeting with Minister for Aged Care

The new Commonwealth aged care funding scheme, AN-ACC, came into effect on 1 October 2022. OTA and other groups have long been lobbying for targeted allied health funding in the new system, and we have been anticipating with concern the impact of the new system.

Our fears were realised when we received the results of a survey of residential aged care allied health workers, which OTA developed with Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA). The survey showed that two in every five allied health professionals working in residential aged care say their job has been affected since the introduction of funding reforms. More than one in eight have lost employment, with another 30% expecting to leave the sector due to reduced hours and other significant changes to their working conditions.

However, as a result of the concerning data gathered through this survey, OTA, along with APHA and other allied health representatives, has been invited by the Minister for Aged Care, the Hon. Anika Wells MP, to meet with representatives from the Department of Health and Aged Care. We will report back on the outcomes from this meeting, which we expect to take place in the first quarter of the year. AHPA also met with the Minister on 16 February to represent the interests of all its members.

NACA meeting

Alex Eather and Alissa Fotiades (OTA’s Government & Stakeholder Relations General Managers) attended the February NACA meeting in Canberra. They heard from Minister Wells on funding and workforce challenges in the aged care sector. Reform updates were provided by the Department on the early evidence of the AN-ACC implementation with good discussion on the impacts being felt across allied health. OTA is committed to representing and advocating for all OTs working across the aged care sector.

Support at Home

OTA is also part of several consultations in relation to the Support at Home program. OTA delivered a submission on the Support at Home reforms in November 2022 and sent a representative to a consultation about short-term pathways for at-home care in January.

Submissions

OTA has made a number of submissions to the Department of Health and Aged Care over the past three months, including on Revised Aged Care Quality Standards, Support at Home and the National Dementia Action Plan. These submissions are available to view on the OTA website.

Mental Health

Better Access to Mental Health

OTA’s social media activity on the reduction of the Better Access to Mental Health initiative’s funded annual treatment limit from 20 to ten visits received an enormous amount of interest. Over 1,300 video views on Instagram alone indicates the amount of interest in this issue. OTA will be focusing on strategies to help address practitioner supply, particularly on a targeted communication campaign to key referrers such as GPs, to increase understanding of the areas in mental health that OTs work, as well as how mental health OTs can best work with other professionals in treating people with complex mental health issues.

On 30 January 2023, OTA had a say on the Better Access program, when representatives attended the Mental Health Equity and Access Forum at Parliament House in Canberra. Erin Garner (General Manager, Occupational Therapy) and Michelle Oliver (Lead Mental Health Advisor) engaged with many significant mental health stakeholders at this forum.

The forum was addressed by The Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and The Hon. Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The forum was attended by health professionals across all disciplines. There was an emphasis on reaching and providing better access to mental health services for people in high-risk groups and those not living in major cities. The forum also discussed the targeting, clinical appropriateness, and efficacy of mental health services as part of a broader system of care.

Ndis

NDIS Review

OTA made a submission on 31 January to the Independent Review of the NDIS, which is expected to hand down its report in October 2023. To prepare the submission, OTA met with our expert National Reference Group and other key stakeholders. We also surveyed OTA members, receiving a phenomenal 320+ responses. Survey responses showed the passion OTs have for assisting NDIS participants, but also the frustrations and challenges many OTs face in navigating NDIA’s systems. This feedback helped us craft a detailed submission calling for changes to systems, processes and staffing at NDIA to ensure OTs can work at their full scope and reduce administrative burdens and red tape to ensure clients receive the support they need.

The Review Panel Secretariat also requested a meeting with OTA to discuss the treatment of children and

OTA advocated for improved recognition of the specific skills mental health OTs have in delivering early intervention and treatment for mental health disorders across multiple settings.

Mental Health Strategy

After the launch of OTA’s Mental Health Strategy at our Mental Health Forum in November, we are in full implementation mode. Following a rigorous tender and selection process, we have appointed Deakin

University to develop the first modules in a comprehensive suite of training developed by experts OTs. We very much look forward to sharing more information on this project as it progresses. Read more about Deakin’s work on this training so far on page 18.

National Psychosocial Support Advocacy Alliance Campaign (NaPSAAC)

OTA has recently lent its support to this campaign, which is being conducted under the auspices of Mental Illness Fellowship Australia (MIFA), to extend psychosocial supports to the 154,000 Australians who don’t currently qualify for supports under the NDIS, and to implement the recommendations of the recent Productivity Commission report into mental health. OTA will be attending regular meetings and building on existing government and stakeholder relationships through this involvement.

Other mental health forums

young people, as well as workforce, quality, pricing and interfaces with other mainstream service systems. This meeting took place on 3 February and was extremely positive. OTA outlined many of the issues we raised in our submission, including concerns with NDIS transparency and consistency of decision making. We expect to continue this engagement and see it as a great opportunity to continue to influence the Review outcomes.

Member forum with NDIA CEO

OTA is grateful to the incoming CEO of the NDIA, Rebecca Falkingham, for accepting our invitation to attend an online OTA member forum on 28 March at 1pm. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet the new CEO and ask her all those burning questions. OTA will be asking questions gathered from members in advance of the forum and there will be opportunity to ask questions during the forum.

In November, OTA attended the Queensland Mental Health Leading Reform Summit, an annual two-day forum for leaders in Queensland’s mental health, alcohol and other drugs, suicide prevention and associated human services sectors. As part of the summit, OTA delegates took part in a half-day workshop focussed on addressing critical whole-of-system workforce issues.

In December, OTA attended the first of a series of Mental Health Stakeholder Meetings lead by RANZCP (Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists) to develop relationships across health professionals working in mental health services.

In February, OTA attended the 4th National NDIS and Mental Health Conference in Sydney. Michelle Oliver hosted a booth and spoke with key stakeholders and consumers and their carers about the role of occupational therapy in mental health.