Quarterly update – Member news

Department of Veterans Affairs

OTA has been continuing to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) on the Occupational Therapy Fee Schedule Redesign Project. This work is ongoing, and we hope to have a final update soon.

Workforce

Skilled visas

The Department of Home Affairs has changed their long-term skilled visa procedures that prioritise the processing of visa applications for healthcare and teaching occupations.

Following ongoing lobbying by OTA, occupational therapists are included on this list and will be prioritised under the new arrangements. This process covers a range of skilled visas including subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme). More information is available from the Department of Home Affairs website.

Injury and Worker’s compensation schemes

Over the last several months, OTA has continued our ongoing and regular engagements with the eight state and territory worker’s compensation schemes across the country.

As a result of ongoing collaboration and conversation in South Australia, OTA and ReturnToWorkSA (RTWSA) have collaborated on the development of a new OT mental health-specific fee schedule. The new fee schedule supports recognition of and simplifies communications about the services that mental health OTs provide to return to work clients. The draft fee schedule was shared with OTA members for consultation in February as part of RTWSA’s annual fee review consultation process. We anticipate the final schedule will be released by RTWSA on 1 July 2023.

In Tasmania, OTA wrote two submissions to WorkCover Tasmania, resulting in the Board of WorkCover Tasmania deciding to recognise the mental health expertise of OTs in its provider accreditation framework.

In Queensland, OTA was involved in consultation on the Worker’s Compensation Regulatory Services’ (WCRS) final review of the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Guidelines for Insurers, which acknowledged and included feedback provided on behalf of OTA members. OTA has been collaborating with WorkCover Queensland on opportunities to increase recognition and awareness of the OT role in mental health.

OTA was also pleased to attend a stakeholder breakfast hosted by National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland to support planning for their future strategy.

In Victoria, as a result of ongoing engagement with WorkSafe Victoria, OTA was invited to consult on proposed changes to the WorkSafe Victoria fee schedule.

OTA has been liaising with the Victorian Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) to highlight concerns about unfair and inconsistent application of TAC’s Above Rate Service Agreements (ARSAs) across allied health professions. OTA has written to the CEO of TAC about our concerns about the application of TAC’s fee policies for occupational therapy providers. We will continue to advocate for fair and appropriate renumeration for occupational therapists from TAC and other agencies.

OTs in education

OTA continues to advocate nationally for the valuable role of OTs in education. We have had ongoing engagement with our membership and the Victorian Department of Education on this topic, contributing to the Department’s recent decision to employ OTs in schools as part of Student Support Services.

State elections

OTA advocated on behalf of members in the lead up to the Victorian state election in November 2022. We attended a meeting with the Shadow Minister for Health and wrote to the major parties contesting the election. Responses to OTA’s election priorities were received from the Victorian Greens and Labor Party.

OTA is taking a similar approach in the lead up to the NSW state election, which will be held on 25 March 2023.