Supporting all people to engage in activities they find meaningful
Celebration, innovation, and success.
OT Week Pull Out Poster: Celebrating 80 years of Connection
Guidelines for Public Mental Health Clinicians to Assist Consumers with Safe Driving
OT Exchange Inaugural Oration address: Your OT Road Map to Innovation Success
Occupational Therapy Australia warmly invites you to participate in the OT Mental Health Forum 2024 on Thursday 28 - Friday 29 November at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The forum will provide opportunities for occupational therapists to come together and exchange ideas, share practices and challenges, network and meet new colleagues, and learn from the exciting array of current mental health practice and research activity happening in the occupational therapy space.
Suzanne Fuzzard
Centre Manager for headspace
Murray Bridge and Victor Harbor
“I had an amazing time at the OTA Mental Health Forum. It was incredibly energising and reinvigorating to meet with other OTs working in mental health and hear about the unique shared challenges, as well as the amazing work people have been doing.” Emma Delaney, OT Royal Melbourne Hospital - North West Mental Health
BY OCTOBER 15 TO SAVE!
For all fees and inclusions, visit the Forum website or scan the QR code:
Dr Clinton Shultz Director of First Nations Strategy and Partnership at the Blackdog Institute
Carolyn Gillespie Co-Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing
ABOUT CONNECTIONS
Connections is a publication of Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA), the peak body representing occupational therapy in Australia.
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DISCLAIMER
This newsletter is published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. It contains general information only and, as such, it is recommended that detailed advice be sought before acting in any particular matter. The materials included in this newsletter by third parties are not attributable to Occupational Therapy Australia, and are not an expression of Occupational Therapy Australia’s views. Occupational Therapy Australia is not responsible for any printed expressions or views in any third parties’ inclusions. Any enquiries regarding inserts, advertisements or articles placed by these third parties should be directed to them.
Occupational Therapy Australia respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live, learn and work.
Priscilla Ennals | OTA President
elcome to the latest issue of Connections. Spring always feels energising, and it is an exciting time as we welcome two new Directors to the OTA Board. This is the first time we have recruited Independent Further Directors, and it feels like a big step forward. We have had provision under the constitution to include Directors who are not occupational therapists and not Association members, since 2016, but had not acted on this until now.
For more than five years the Board has been thinking and preparing to move ahead; debating why, who, how and when. Over the same period there has been increasing conversations nationally about the importance of authentic representation and diversity on boards and the benefits of this for enhanced decision making and best practice governance.
We are very excited to welcome Alex Splitt, a Kabi Kabi djan (man) based in Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide, Australia) and Caleb Rixon, a major stroke survivor with extensive experience in occupational therapy to the OTA Board. We welcome the different experiences and perspectives they bring and believe their contributions will enhance our capacity to deliver on our purpose and vision. The Board acknowledges that we all need to grow our capacity and skills to fully harness the contributions of Alex and Caleb. There will be a learning curve involved, and no doubt some missteps, but we are all open to rethinking our ways of working.
In June I had the chance to visit Perth for OT Exchange. This practice focused event has rapidly built momentum over its three
“I have continued to return to some of the ideas shared by OT Exchange keynote speaker Judith Hewitson… Judith went on to talk about unlearning, as a process that requires discarding ideas, and grieving their loss if needed…It gave me a new way to think about learning, unlearning, and relearning, and how fragile-strong can be our strength.”
iterations and was a vibrant gathering of more than 700 delegates. This included 262 occupational therapists and students who had travelled from all over WA. Meeting members reminds me of the diversity of the profession and the diversity of where we work and who we work with. And of how OTs love to talk – a conference centre full of OTs is a very noisy place!
I have continued to return to some of the ideas shared by Exchange keynote speaker Judith Hewitson. She introduced us to the language of ‘fragile-strong’, a capacity to live with volatility as the norm. She sees this as different to fragility (open to damage by stress), resilience (expected to bounce back and be unaffected by stress) or antifragile (benefiting from stress). Judith went on to talk about unlearning, as a process that requires discarding ideas, and grieving their
loss if needed, rather than just adding ideas on. It gave me a new way to think about learning, unlearning, and relearning, and how fragile-strong can be our strength.
While OTX did have some focus on the very real challenges facing members as they navigate changes and uncertainty with funding schemes, I was struck by the positivity, optimism, and belief in the profession. If you haven’t had the chance to experience one of OTA’s big events like the National Conference or the OT Exchange, or next month’s Mental Health Forum in Melbourne - it might be worth planning ahead and checking them out. Everyone I spoke to talked about having learned lots, and about feeling nourished, enthused, inspired, and hopeful. A reminder of all the benefits of building connections and staying connected.
Samantha Hunter | OTA CEO
Another October, another season and another reason to celebrate the profession and the association. This year for Occupational Therapy Week we are honouring the past and looking forward to a bright future.
This year marks 80 years since the first gathering of OT’s took place in Australia. The first Occupational Therapists Club formed in 1944 and later became the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists (AAOT) in 1945. A Victorian division was formed in 1947 followed by Queensland and New South Wales in 1948 and the Federal Association in 1951.
In 1953 Western Australia a separate division and in 1961, all state associations become state members of the federal body. The South Australia Division formed in 1963 followed by Tasmania in 1971, the ACT in 1979 and the Northern Territory in 1986.
In 2009, national members voted to consolidate all divisions within the AAOT to form Occupational Therapy Australia Limited. In 2010, division members voted to join Occupational Therapy Australia Limited also. So whilst OTA in its current form is relatively young, the professions history of joining together to learn, share and association has a long and proud history.
In celebration of this milestone the Governors of Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory have invited the association to join them at the respective Government Houses to recognise our contribution to the community over the past eight decades. We will also be celebrating in the Queens Hall at Victorian State Parliament. These celebrations stand as a reflection on the high esteem that occupational therapists are held by leaders across the country.
“Whilst we reflect on our rich and rewarding history, we are always future focused... this year we have launched a new bold strategy and appointed two new directors.”
Whilst we reflect on our rich and rewarding history, we are always future focused. As our President, Priscilla Ennals mentioned, this year we have launched a new bold strategy and appointed two new independent directors. We are also working on reviewing our Constitution which will ensure we have the necessary, contemporary foundational documents on which to continue to build our success. With the values of Pride, Progress, Empowerment and Connection at the heart of our strategic vision the association has, with member consultation and feedback, developed a bold new visual identity for our association, to be launched in line with our investment into a revitalised digital platform, and technology stack for our members and consumers to enjoy.
We are very excited and proud to bring this new vision for the association to life as we continue to raise awareness, empower our people and raise our voices as a unified, proud and progressive profession. Happy OT Week!
Policy, advocacy and representation: what we’ve been doing for members
Over the past three months the team has continued to advocate to further the interests of occupational therapists, with a particular focus on advancing issues that sit within our key strategic areas. The team would like to extend a grateful thanks to all the members that have supported these advocacy efforts, by sharing their experience and perspectives with us through completing surveys and providing feedback.
On 14 May the Commonwealth Government handed down the 2024-25 Federal Budget. OTA representatives attended several key stakeholder events to learn more about the Budget’s implications for the profession, including:
• A briefing hosted by the Department of Health and Aged Care that included a Q&A with Ministers Mark Butler, Anika Wells, Ged Kearney, Emma McBride and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy
• A NDIS reform community forum with Minister Bill Shorten
• The Mental Health Australia (MHA) Policy Forum, where we heard from Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride MP and Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler
• A Budget Q&A session with Amber Shuhyta, Assistant Secretary of the Allied Health and Service Integration
“OTA remains committed to advocating for this crucial issue and will continue to push for the inclusion of occupational therapy in future funding allocations and in our advocacy efforts leading up to the Federal Election.”
Branch at the Department of Health and Aged Care, an event organised by Allied Health Professions Australia.
More detail on specific portfolio funding allocations is detailed below. Members can also access OTA’s detailed commentary and analysis of what the 2024/2025 budget will mean for occupational therapy on the OTA website.
While there’s no confirmed date for the federal election at this stage, the election may be called anytime between August 2024 and May 2025, and OTA is already preparing to ensure OT issues are on the agenda. We encourage members to stay informed by following our updates on social media and through the OT Today newsletter.
The 2024-25 Federal Budget committed $468.7 million over five years to ‘get the NDIS back on track’ and roll out recommendations of the Independent NDIS Review. Given that the Government has yet to provide an official response to the review – despite the NDIS reform progressing at full steam – how these funds have been allocated provides us with an insight into what may be to come.
There was no mention in the budget of Government payment for initial assessments as had been previously suggested, so it is unclear how Government will progress on this. The budget did not reveal additional on foundational supports, beyond what was announced earlier in 2024, when Government committed $11.6 million for the Department of Social Servies to develop a Foundational Supports Strategy.
During the last quarter, we have been diligently monitoring and working to influence the implementation of the NDIS Review recommendations and the progression of the NDIS Bill to ensure that the interests of occupational therapists and their clients are effectively represented and addressed.
Below is a timeline of our recent advocacy activities, following the release of the final report of the Independent NDIS review late last year, and the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024 in March 2024.
• April 29, 2024: OTA ran a free online forum to support members in keeping up to date with the NDIS review and the Government’s response, attracting over 480 attendees. A recording of the session is available on our website. OTA also prepared an FAQ to support members to understand the outcomes of the Review and the proposed Bill
• May 7, 2024: OTA hosted a meeting of the NDIS National Reference Group to provide and update on the proposed bill and seek feedback on OTA’s submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, which was tasked with examining the NDIS Bill in detail
• May 13, 2024: OTA hosted a targeted roundtable with OTA members working in the paediatric NDIS space to work through the implications of the NDIS review recommendations and the proposed Bill on paediatric OT practice and discuss the ideal future state
• May 17, 2024: OTA provided a submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee. which reiterated the need to ensure allied health providers are central to reforms. OTA’s full submission is available the website
• May 21, 2024: OTA presented evidence to the Community Affairs Legislation Senate Committee. OTA President Priscilla Ennals and General Manager of Occupational Therapy Michelle Oliver represented OTA
at the hearing. OTA provided a statement calling for the passage of the Bill to be paused until the Government provides a response to the NDIS Review, so that participants and providers can properly understand the government’s disability reform agenda, and the impacts of these changes. Members can read the prepared statement Priscilla read to the committee on behalf of OTA, and watch OTA’s appearance at the Committee
• May 22 (onwards), 2024: OTA actively engaged with Parliamentarians to ensure they understand our concerns regarding the potential impacts of the Bill on occupational therapists, echoing the call to pause passage of the Bill until a Government response to the review has been issued. OTA engaged with the Minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten, Minister Rishworth, Shadow Minister for the NDIS Michael Sukkar, and Senators Hughes, Steele-John, Pocock, Ruston, Birmingham and Lambie
• May 24, 2024: The NDIS Worker and Provider Registration Taskforce hosted its fourth webinar style roundtable, addressing ‘What We Have Heard’ with OTA in attendance. The Taskforce has been established to provide advice on the design and implementation of the new ‘graduated risk-proportionate regulatory model’ proposed in the NDIS Review Final Report in consultation with the disability community. The final report has been delivered to Minister Shorten with more announcements expected later in the year
• May and June 2024: Throughout May and June OTA met with the NDIA to discuss children’s disability services, and their early planning for new psychosocial early intervention services. OTA also met with the NDIA’s Technical Advisory Branch to discuss ways to support OTs providing NDIS services
• June 4, 2024: OTA issued a response to news that an occupational therapist was sentenced to six years in prison for dishonestly obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars under the NDIS, according to the federal
department of social services
• June 5, 2024: An amended Bill passed the Federal Parliament’s House of Representatives. Recent amendments to the Bill include removing a transitional funding measure, limiting NDIA’s power to request information for reassessments, clarifying conditions for NDIA payments, and allowing participants to seek more funding under specific circumstances. OTA issued a response available on our website
• June 19, 2024: OTA’s CEO Sam Hunter and other OTA representatives, met with Senator Hollie Hughes to raise our concerns about the NDIS. Senator Hughes, a Liberal Senator for New South Wales and Shadow Assistant Minister for the NDIS and the Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, is also on the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee that is examining the Bill and is the Opposition’s Deputy Spokesperson on NDIS. We raised our concerns with the Senator about the NDIS and spoke about the importance of protecting and upholding the key role occupational therapists play in the disability system, particularly in early childhood/early intervention and in psychosocial disability. OTA also used the opportunity to highlight our call for paid student placements to be extended to OT students and emphasised the important role OTs can play in schools and learning environments
• June 20, 2024: The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee tabled its final report on the Bill, recommending its passage. OTA was disappointed that the Report recommended the Bill be passed but was pleased to see that the Committee referred to OTA’s concerns about the needs assessment provisions and the ability of NDIS participants to comply with requests for additional information. We were also pleased to see reference to our concerns about the lack of clarity in the Bill’s provisions surrounding what foundational supports
will look like and that many of the points raised by the NDIS Occupational Therapy Community of Practice submission were also referred to across the report
• June 24, 2024: The NDIS Bill was introduced to the Senate and subsequently debated
• June 27, 2024: Following collaboration by the Greens and Opposition, the Senate voted to refer the NDIS Bill back to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee for further review. The Senate motion included instruction to examine proposed amendments and the positions of state and territory governments. This referral paused the Bill’s passage until after the Committee report is due back the Senate on 5 August 2024
• July 12, 2024: OTA provided its second submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, reiterating our concerns about the Bill, which remain unaddressed by recent Government amendments. Read the full submission here. In addition to these activities, OTA continues to reiterate with Government the importance of ensuring that foundational supports are in place before any changes to the scheme take effect. We have also been working with our National Reference Groups to develop key foundational support advocacy to help inform the development of the Foundational Supports Strategy, the development of which is being led by the Australian Department of Social Services and is expected to be released for community consultation later in 2024.
OTA participated in the official launch of Autism CRC’s new National Practice Guideline Resources in Adelaide, an event attended by the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services,
On 28 June 2024 NDIA released its annual pricing review final report. To the disappointment of the allied health and disability service sector, the decision did not make any change to ‘Therapy Support’ fees, continuing the freeze on this item into its fifth year. The decision also reduced the NDIS short-notice cancellation policy from 7 business days to 2 business days, effective from July 1, 2024. Members can view the NDIA’s updated Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2024-25 Guide on the NDIS website.
OTA provided a submission to the Pricing Review back in March, which included a call to increase ‘Therapy Support’ pricing to reflect significant increases in inflation. Our submission argued that the way the NDIA calculates prices doesn’t accurately reflect the true cost of providing NDIS OT supports. Our full submission is available on the OTA website.
Following the pricing announcement, OTA issued a statement expressing outrage at the freeze and wrote to the CEO of the NDIA, Ms Rebecca Falkingham.
and Assistant Minister for Autism, Emily Bourke. OTA is also sitting on the Autism CRC steering group, which is instrumental in shaping the National Framework for assessing children’s functional strengths and support Needs (the Framework). This Framework is being co-produced with the community and seeks to address the current gap in understanding and lack of consensus about how best to assess, differentiate, and report children’s functional strengths and support needs.
This effort aligns closely with the findings of the NDIS review, particularly the recommendations relating to foundational supports. OTA has been engaging in further
In the Federal Budget the Government allocated $5.3 million in 2024-25 for the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority to work with the Department of Social Services and the NDIA to undertake initial work to reform NDIS pricing arrangements, including reviewing existing pricing approaches and developing a pricing data strategy. The NDIS has now also appointed an independent expert to oversee this work ahead of next year’s Annual Pricing Review.
OTA will be advocating strongly to NDIA and IHACPA for more accurate provider pricing modelling and recognition of the financial challenges faced by OTs because of the price freeze, which is seeing more providers consider exiting from NDIS service provision.
discussions with Minister Bourke’s office on foundational supports in early intervention and the expanding scope of OT in autism spectrum disorder support, with dedicated support from the Government and OTA’s collaborative partners. These initiatives connect to broader reform initiatives occurring in the NDIS and the development of the Draft National Autism Strategy. OTA made a submission to inform the draft strategy, which highlighted the key role that OTs play in supporting Autistic clients, and called for more focus on the workforce that supports Autistic people, and increased supports and services especially in the areas of safety, and key life transitions. Read the submission the OTA website.
In the face of unprecedented workforce shortages, it was disappointing to see occupational therapists and other registered allied health professionals were not included in announcements about the Commonwealth Prac Payments program, which will support students undertaking clinical placements in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. The Department of Health and Ageing has indicated that work is currently being conducted to determine how these payments will be expanded in the future. OTA has been advocating strongly at both the federal and state level for occupational therapy to be included in any expansion.
OTA’s CEO, Samantha Hunter, wrote to The Hon. Jason Clare MP (Minister for Education) and The Hon. Brendan O’Connor MP (Minister for Skills and Training) requesting that occupational therapists be included in the 2024/2025 budgetary allocation. We also met and corresponded with the office of Independent Senator David Pocock and have reached out to political parties in Tasmania and the Northern Territory ahead of their state elections to highlight the challenges faced by the allied health sector in supporting quality clinical placements, the increasing shortage of occupational therapists and the need for revised policies to address this critical issue. Additionally, OTA has made submissions to the Victorian and New South Wales Governments regarding the challenges associated with clinical placements. CEO Samantha Hunter also engaged with News Corp to discuss the exclusion of occupational therapy students from paid student placements. The resulting
News Corp story, featuring an extract from OTA’s official statement, has been published across several major outlets.
OTA remains committed to advocating for this crucial issue and will continue to push for the inclusion of occupational therapy in future funding allocations and in our advocacy efforts leading up to the Federal Election. Members can read OTA’s official statement on this issue on the OTA website.
Kruk Review
OTA welcomed the allocation of $90.0 million over three years from 2023–24 in the budget to fund the implementation of the health-related recommendations of the ‘Independent review of Australia’s regulatory settings relating to overseas health practitioners’ (the Kruk Review) to grow and support the health workforce. OTA provided a submission to this review back in 2023. The final report places emphasis on the importance of prioritising allied health providers to address workforce shortages.
Since the budgetary announcement, the Health Chief Executives Forum (HCEF) has appointed an Independent Reviewer to examine the complexity of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the AHPRA framework). Former NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner Sue Dawson has been appointed to lead the Review, which has been established in response to the Kruk Review, as well as media concerns about the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and its management of professional misconduct by health practitioners. The review aims to identify areas of unproductive and unnecessary complexity and recommend changes to improve regulatory outcomes. The review will be undertaken in stages
during 2024, with a final report expected by the end of 2024. OTA will be engaging closely with this work.
One of the recommendations that came from the Krux review was the development of a National Allied Health Workforce Strategy, which will likely dictate how Budget funding will be allocated moving forward. The Federal Government is now working to develop this strategy and OTA has contributed to an initial literature review and environment scan and provided feedback on the draft outline of the strategy, calling for adequate consideration and response to the key workforce issues affecting occupational therapists at all stages of their career. The draft strategy is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s consultation hub.
Australian
OTA provided feedback on workforce strategies and initiatives targeted at building, attracting, and retaining a health workforce in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), to support the ACT Health Directorate to understand the impacts of current strategies and initiatives, and priorities and opportunities for the future.
OTA wrote to the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Stephen Jones MP, to request an update to Schedule 1 of the Business Names Registration (Availability of Names) Determination 2015 (the Determination) to include certain occupational therapy terms for business registration purposes. Presently, Schedule 1 does not encompass terms commonly utilised by occupational therapists in business naming, resulting in issues in brand differentiation, and leading to financial and administrative issues for members.
OTA was disappointed with the federal budget’s lack of specific funding for improving allied health services in aged care, despite recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Nonetheless, we acknowledge the announcement of $2.2 billion for aged care reforms and the implementation of Royal Commission recommendations. We continue to emphasise to the Government the crucial importance of implementing the allied health recommendations made by the Royal Commission. We also noted that the Government has agreed to defer the commencement date of the new Aged Care Act to 1 July 2025.
OTA provided feedback to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on their draft guidelines for the Revised Aged Care Quality Standards. We also collaborated with the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to inform the development of the Quality Indicators for Home Care. In our submission we noted the important role these indicators play in supporting older people in maintaining their independence and quality of life and highlighted the need for these indicators to align with the Aged Care Quality Standards, to support the delivery of high-quality services and meet the needs of older people. We also recommended additional indicators to enhance care quality and outcomes. Our submission is available on our website.
OTA also communicated with the Support at Home Implementation team within the Department regarding their work on developing the assistive technology and home modifications pathway for the future Support at Home Program and reiterated our interest in supporting and shaping this initiative.
OTA also engaged with the Department to discuss the implementation of the Integrated Assessment Tool, which
began on 1 July 2024 as part of the Single Assessment System. This new tool assesses eligibility for Australian Government-subsidised aged care.
In collaboration with AHPA and other allied health peak bodies, OTA developed a submission on the Star Rating system. We expressed concerns about the current system’s lack of transparency, noting that many providers achieve three stars or more despite significant non-compliance with Quality Standards. We have called for a more transparent system to help older people and their families identify the range of services offered by aged care providers, including references to re-ablement, restorative care, and allied health services.
In late May, OTA attended the inaugural Invox National Aged Care Conference, which focused on Home Care and featured an impressive lineup of speakers addressing issues in both the home care sector and the broader aged care industry. We also participated in National Aged Care Alliance meetings, where we heard from the Council of Elders, the National Aged Care Advisory Council, and Department representatives discussing the Aged Care Act and reform updates.
While the Budget includes specific initiatives targeting primary mental health services and early intervention, OTA is of the view that there is still a need for broader mental health reform that addresses systemic issues and ensures access to comprehensive care for all individuals experiencing mental ill-health. Members can read details of the budget allocation on mental health on our website.
OTA has written to the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing advocating for the inclusion of mental health occupational therapists
on the Victorian National Redress Scheme’s list of approved counselling and psychological care providers.
Back in September 2023 OTA provided a submission to inform an inquiry occurring in New South Wales (NSW) entitled the ‘Inquiry into the equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in New South Wales’. The Parliamentary Committee tasked with this inquiry has now released its final report. The report quotes OTA’s submission five times and includes recommendations to improve community and outpatient mental health care in NSW. These include recommendations for an immediate pay increase for NSW public mental health clinicians including staff specialists, junior doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals; and increased resourcing for formal clinical supervision for all clinicians providing mental health care in NSW Health. The report and its recommendations are now with the NSW Government for consideration. The government is required to respond to the recommendations within three months. OTA will be following this issue and updating members via OT Today. Members can read the full report and recommendations.
Victoria’s mental health capability framework
In late May OTA wrote to the Victorian Department of Health requesting that the Victorian capability framework for Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing workforce, entitled “Our Workforce, Our Future 2023”, be strengthened to better reflect the role and expertise of OTs within public mental health.
OTA has responded to a survey to inform the Second Issues paper released by the Scope of Practice Review, led by Professor Mark Cormack. The Issue paper presented some key policy reform proposals including changes to the legislation and regulatory settings that govern primary healthcare to enable better interprofessional collaboration and utilisation of non-medical and allied health professions. On 13 June we also attended a workshop which focused on discussing key policy proposals arising from the review’s work to date. OTA’s efforts in this space continue to seek better recognition of the OT scope of practice, promote the use of Multidisciplinary approaches, and reduce unnecessary barriers that prevent OTs from working seamlessly in the primary health system.
The federal budget included $194.4 million over four years (and $20.6 million per year ongoing) to provide additional resourcing to meet increased service delivery pressures including claims processing and modernise the digital capability of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). OTA hopes this improves administrative challenges in dealing with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs but is disappointed that no funds have gone towards paying providers a reasonable rate. From 1 July 2024, DVA provider fees have been indexed and will increase 3.5%.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has concluded its final hearings and expects to issue its final report in September 2024. OTA is hopeful that there may be changes that better support access to mental health supports for veterans and defense personnel and will be examining the report in detail.
On 3 July 2024, the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024 was introduced
into Parliament. The bill proposes to remove complexity from the veterans compensation system by simplifying existing legislation (which currently includes 3 separate acts) into a single piece of legislation, with changes to take effect from 1 July 2026. The Bill is designed to harmonise existing legislative entitlement, and is not expected to reduce entitlements, or impact veterans access to health services.
OTA attended the DVA Health Provider Partnership Forum in late June to hear the latest from the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA).
Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission Late last year Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) completed an evaluation of the model they use to register and credential OTs under the scheme, including an evaluation of the agency’s partnership with the Statewide Equipment Program (SWEP). OTA provided a substantial submission to inform this review, which drew on feedback received from 89 OTA members. In the submission OTA advocated for a simple and fair credentialling process, increased transparency and communication, equitable access to the Above Rate Service Agreement (ARSA) and a revaluation of hourly rates to ensure OT are compensated fairly. The TAC has concluded that the model used by the TAC is no longer fit for purpose and requires change. The TAC’s contract with SWEP will expire on 30 September 2024. OTA will continue to collaborate with the TAC to inform the TAC’s future state for sourcing OT services.
New South Wales icare OTA has received several inquiries about recent guidelines developed by icare for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Assessments. Members have expressed concerns about the enforceability of these guidelines and their impact on OTs working under the NSW workers
compensation scheme. In the last quarter OTA met with icare and confirmed that:
• The guidelines have been designed to support consistent service delivery by workplace rehabilitation providers and to educate case managers on what to expect from the ADL assessment process for most injury types, however they are not enforceable
• Although a two-hour time limit for assessments is mentioned, it is not a strict requirement. For workers with serious injuries, assessments may need to be tailored to accommodate greater medical and psycho-social complexity. In these instances, OTs would be expected to discuss with the case manager, their assessment requirements in accordance with the needs of the worker, based on the professional judgment of the OT provider.
Return to Work South Australia (RTWSA) has updated their fee schedule and policy. Effective 1 July 2024 occupational therapy fees, including mental health occupational therapy, will increase by 6%.
The new fee for hourly rate services will be $217.70.O TA provided feedback to inform the consultation, calling for an increase to the amount of time providers can bill for preparing an Activities of Daily Living assessment and report to nine hours. Whilst this request was not granted, RTWSA has informed OTA that additional time can be approved by the claims manager on a case-by-case basis where exceptional circumstances arise. Members are strongly encouraged to not only bill for the time taken but also to request additional time where necessary. This will help validate whether the current fee is adequate, or otherwise, and will ensure occupational therapists are paid for their time.
References
All references for this article can be viewed online – scan the QR code:
Associate Professor Emma George
Following the WFOT Council Meeting earlier this year, a new position statement primary care was published, highlighting the important role of occupational therapy in comprehensive services that are protective, preventative, rehabilitative and palliative. In Australia, much of the literature describes this as comprehensive primary health care that is person-centred, often community based, and longitudinal or across the lifespan. This work is focused on equity, empowerment and social justice (Peart et al. 2021). A common metaphor for this work is the ‘Upstream, Midstream, Downstream Model’ (Turrell & Mathers, 2000). Upstream factors are preventative and include education, employment, secure income, and safe housing. Midstream factors focus on psychosocial processes and health behaviours and include health promotion and education activities. Downstream factors often have a more medical or rehabilitation focus to address illness or injury and are purposefully selective.
There is growing evidence based for occupational therapy and primary care. The WFOT positions statement recognises that occupational therapists are already strong advocates for at-risk populations in promoting equity and justice. However, growth of the profession in this area remains underdeveloped in many regions, particularly low and middle-income countries. The position statement calls for
pilot projects, cost-effectiveness studies, student fieldwork, and advocacy campaigns for primary care and to demonstrate the value and effectiveness of the approach.
Another new WFOT position statement on disaster management replaced three archived position statements to explain how occupational therapists contribute to prevention and mitigation activities, build preparedness, respond to disasters, and help with rehabilitation and recovery efforts. The statement promotes the right to occupation through empowerment, participation, and advocacy. Occupational therapists locally and globally can draw on this statement to support disaster response and management, and enact strategies that are rights-based, equitable, person-centred, environmentally sustainable and free from discrimination.
All the WFOT position statements are presented in multiple languages, can be accessed on the WFOT website at https://wfot.org/resources.
There are opportunities for occupational therapists to learn more about disaster response and management. The Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress is just around the corner, and we will be heading to Japan in November. There is an interesting pre-congress workshop for members wanting to explore occupational therapy in disasters. Colleagues from Japan are facilitating a workshop on
‘Rehabilitation during disasters and disaster prevention measures in Japan’.
Their abstracts states:
In recent years, large-scale disasters have occurred not only in Japan but all over the world. The importance and necessity of support activities aimed at rehabilitation, daily life support, and prevention of secondary disabilities for the elderly and disabled people who need support in the event of a disaster has come to be recognized.
In Japan, a rehabilitation-related organization launched The Japan Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team (JRAT) in 2013, and the team conducts support activities for disaster victims and areas during disasters.
This workshop will showcase the work of the Japan Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team, and the equipment (cardboard beds, portable toilets, emergency food, etc.) that has been used at evacuation centres or at home in the event of a disaster. Registration for the Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress is open.
Many OTA members would be familiar with the WFOT Bulletin. This publication has now been archived and all past issues are available on the WFOT website. Readers can access the platform, use the search function and see abstracts and publishing details of articles.
As a member of the WFOT, as an OTA Member Benefit you have full access to the functionality of the platform and can download Bulletin articles at no cost.
Scan QR code to read more
References
References for this article can be viewed online – scan the QR code:
Michelle Bihary
Australian occupational therapists, both individually and collectively, are wrestling with moral and ethical strain. This is causing significant distress, frustration, anger, grief, and moral injury.
We care deeply about our clients, their needs, and rights, and we are dedicated to using our professional expertise to enhance their wellbeing.
However, the approach and choices taken by the federal government regarding NDIS funding, and the attitude towards our profession, are challenging our fundamental morals, ethics, and values. Many of us feel we are being gaslit and scapegoated to deflect from the government’s plan to reduce NDIS expenditure.
Additionally, the severe cuts to the Victorian healthcare budget have left the public healthcare system reeling. Although details are still emerging, it appears that cutting $200M from each already underfunded healthcare service and imposing a freeze on recruitment have left our workforce in uncertainty and distress.
Moral injury refers to the profound psychological, social, and spiritual impact, distress, or wounding that can arise when one’s core ethical beliefs are compromised or violated. It is not classified as a mental health disorder but is often associated with conditions like PTSD or depression.
Dr. Jonathan Shay, a clinical psychiatrist, has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of moral injury. Initially conducting his research with war veterans, Shay coined the term to describe the
profound psychological distress that arises when one’s deeply held ethical or moral beliefs are betrayed or compromised, especially by a person in authority or by the systems that influence how we live and work.
This speaks to the heart of the matter we, as a profession, are grappling with. Understanding that those in authority, and the systems we live and work within, can betray and/ or compromise the very foundations of our work, is deeply distressing.
Just as a crack in the foundation of a building can compromise its structural integrity, moral injury can undermine the foundation of our psychological and spiritual well-being. Without timely repair and reinforcement, the crack can grow, leading to further damage and potential collapse.
Similarly, addressing moral injury is crucial to maintaining the overall health and stability of our sense of self and our ability to function effectively in our professional and personal lives.
1. Self-Action or Inaction: Doing something or failing to do something that goes against your moral code or values, such as causing harm or failing to protect someone from harm
2. Witnessing Others’ Actions or Inactions: Seeing someone do something or fail to do something that goes against your moral code or values, like witnessing cruel behaviour
3. Being Directly Affected: Being directly affected by someone else’s actions
or inactions that go against your moral code or values, such as being betrayed by someone you trusted.
In the current context, factors 2 and 3 are particularly relevant to OTs currently working within the NDIS and in Victorian public health.
Recognising moral injury can be challenging, particularly when it coexists with or is exacerbated by other forms of stress. Signs that may indicate the presence of moral injury include:
• Emotional exhaustion or numbness
• Cynicism or increased pessimism
• Sleep difficulties or recurring nightmares
• Social withdrawal
• Overwhelming feelings of guilt or shame.
Failing to address moral injury can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and compromised client care. It is essential to recognise and address moral injury to ensure the well-being of ourselves, our OT colleagues, and the clients we serve.
The influence is not just about moral injury. Many of our livelihoods are being significantly impacted and threatened. This situation is a reminder of May 2010, when all Australian mental health OTs in private practice came close to losing our practices overnight.
The 2010 federal budget decision to remove OTs and social workers from the Medicare Better Access to Mental Health Care program gave us 6 weeks’ notice that clients would no longer be able to access
our rebate-able services. We had a stay of execution for 6 months after intense lobbying and meetings with the federal government. In November, after exceptionally hard political lobbying, we were notified that the terrible decision had been overturned.
1. Acknowledge the Challenges: The conversations OTs are having on NDIS Facebook groups and through OT Australia help acknowledge the moral distress and moral injury we are feeling. It helps to wrap words around our experiences. As Dr Daniel Siegel says, “name it to tame it.” It is normal and understandable to feel distress in the current situation. Acknowledging this complexity is the first step towards addressing it.
2. Seek Support and Foster Open Dialogue: Opening the discussion also helps us know that we’re not alone in the suffering and despair. OTs have excelled at establishing lobby and action groups, providing robust support and the camaraderie needed to navigate this time. Peer support groups and professional supervision are also vital. So too is having conversations within your team, family, and close friends about the emotional and ethical challenges you’re facing.
3. Seek Professional Guidance and Support: There may be times when expert support is needed to cope with the personal cost of this situation. Access to mental health resources, psychologists, and counsellors trained in exploring moral injury can provide tailored coping strategies.
4. Advocate for Institutional Change: The advocacy groups that have been established, alongside OT Australia’s proactive approach, are pushing for appropriate funding and support for our clinical expertise.
5. Focus on What We Can Control: Situations like the current one understandably draw us into focusing on what we can’t control. We need to do this to be strategic and act, so we can influence the situation. At the risk of stating the obvious OT intervention, we also need to ensure we spend time and attention on the things we can control like enjoyable times with our family and friends and other meaningful occupations.
6. Self-care and Wellbeing: Engage in self-care activities that deeply restore emotional and psychological balance. Setting clear boundaries, self-compassion, replenishing self-care practices, and mindfulness are all helpful tools for navigating the strain.
Moral injury in our profession is a significant issue in the current NDIS situation and for Victorian public health OTs. Understanding and addressing moral injury can help us navigate the ethical complexities of our work, maintain our psychological well-being, and continue to provide high-quality care to our clients through this difficult time.
“Just as a crack in the foundation of a building can compromise its structural integrity, moral injury can undermine the foundation of our psychological and spiritual well-being.”
Moral injury is an emerging area that we are just now recognising and acknowledging. There are no easy answers, but bringing this concept and research to your attention can create a language and framework that helps make sense of your experience, as well as the challenges we are witnessing in our professional community.
Michelle Bihary is a mental health Occupational Therapist with over 35 years’ experience working, supervising and leading within public mental health and her own practice. Renowned for her supervision, leadership, psychological safety and well-being training, she draws on theoretically and research-informed principles to ensure that her training is aligned with best practice. In 2010, Michelle received the OT Australia National Award for her contribution to our profession.
As part of your member benefit, scan the QR code to enrol in Michelle’s recorded free member session.
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, WA 13-14 June 2024
Featuring: Knowledge Translation, Paediatrics, Older Persons, Disability and Emerging & Innovative Practices
- Jenny Gribbin, Driving Well Occupational Therapy, QLD
- Marie Rodatz, CliniKids, Perth
- Amy Hollins-Rudd
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- Katrina Lucas, OT Inspire Australia.
What started as the Occupational Therapists Club in 1944 later became the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists (AAOT) in 1945.
As we celebrate 80 years of meaningful connections, we invite you to pause and reflect on the rich history of our community and your personal journey as an OT in Australia.
Here are some questions to help spark your reflections:
Looking back on the connections you’ve made within the OT community, what stands out as a pivotal moment that shaped your experience?
How has being part of a connected OT network enriched your professional or personal life?
Can you share a story where a professional connection led to a transformative outcome for a client or your practice?
After seven months of planning from teams across the association, OTA’s Tina Champagne Tour 2024 is officially over, and what a success it was.
From the very first masterclass in Melbourne to the final workshop in Sydney, the successful delivery of the tour, coupled with Tina’s expertise and passion for sensory modulation, left a lasting impact on all who were in attendance.
As part of the tour, we held two masterclasses – one in Melbourne and another in Perth. These masterclasses, designed to accommodate OTs at all learning stages, featured a lecture style formal with broad applicability. The tour kicked off with the Melbourne masterclass at the Windsor Hotel. The Perth masterclass took place in the Pacific hotel ballroom offering stunning views of the Swan River. Both events concluded with a networking drinks reception, providing a wonderful opportunity for OTs to relax, connect and socialise!
A look at some of the highlights…
Reviews from attendees:
“One of the best events I have attended by far.” Dave Carroll, OT
After wrapping up the events in Perth and taking a few days to recover, the tour moved to Sydney, where two 2-day workshops were held over four days. These workshops took place at the Ovolo Woolloomooloo. The level 1 workshop introduced foundational concepts in sensory processing and trauma-related approaches, focusing on assessment tools and treatment planning. The level 2 workshop delved into more advanced applications, including trainthe-trainer elements, and emphasised clinical reasoning and practical integration across diverse settings. Both workshops featured the interactive ‘Sensory Labs’.
“Very organised, professional running of the day. I really appreciated Tina’s knowledge, genuine and personcentred approach.” Fiona, OT
“Tina Champagne was brilliant, and this masterclass was extremely worthwhile. I would highly recommend to many OTs.” Rose, OT
A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in making the tour the great success that it was.
Tina’s tour is a clear example of the collective demonstration across OTA living our values of Pride, Connection, Empowerment and Progress.
We hope you’ll consider attending our upcoming OTA events – stay tuned for the next one!
Carolyn Dun, Megan Turville, Erin Finch & Janene Strahan
Over the last decade Victorian mental health occupational therapists previously at North Western Mental Health (NWMH) and now Northern Health (NH), have advocated that promoting safe driving is core to mental health practice for people living with a mental health condition. Providing driving education and advice aims to support consumers to be aware of their responsibilities as drivers with a mental health condition, whether they choose to maintain, resume, begin or cease driving during their recovery.
The Northern Health Drive Safe team has recently completed the 4th version of the guidelines for public mental health clinicians to assist consumers with safe driving. The guidelines are publicly available, to support occupational therapists and other mental health clinicians with information to assist consumers with safe driving.
The guidelines are divided into twenty-three parts to assist mental health clinicians to access the information easily and use during specific phases of consumers’ continuum of care, such as at entry to the service, during the acute, sub-acute, rehabilitation and transition/discharge phases. Information is provided on how mental state can impact on driving, as well as other considerations such as treatment, cognitive impairments, co-occurring conditions such as physical health and substance use.
“A scoping project revealed that clinicians frequently experienced significant anxiety and felt unsupported when working with consumers who were drivers or wished to drive.”
The guidelines outline:
• the role of the doctor in assessing fitness to drive
• the role of clinicians in asking about driving and having conversations about driving
• the role of the occupational therapy driver assessor in providing specialist driver assessments
• relevant VicRoads roles and processes are also outlined.
Additional resources for consumers, carers, family and health clinicians are listed throughout the document.
We initially embarked on developing guidelines in 2009 due to a lack of information available to support clinicians’ decision making. A scoping project revealed that clinicians frequently experienced significant anxiety and felt unsupported when working with consumers who were drivers or wished to drive. The guidelines were introduced as one of the strategies to enhance clinicians’ awareness and knowledge about driving.
Each iteration of the guidelines has followed an extensive process. For the latest version we incorporated consumer and carer lived experience staff into the review team. A four-step process was implemented to review the version 3 (2017) guidelines and develop version 4, ensuring alignment with legislation, standards and evidence-based practice.
This process included the following steps:
1. A critical group appraisal using the AGREE II Appraisal of guidelines Research and Evaluation instrument.
Firstly, a critical appraisal of version 3 (2017), using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) was undertaken. Then in the 4th version we addressed limitations of the previous guidelines and endeavoured to strengthen the guidelines further.
2. Completion of an updated literature review.
A rapid literature review in 2022 was also conducted. Of the 54 articles included for potential data extraction, most of these articles (approximately 66%) related to medication and driving
cessation following dementia diagnosis. Relevant research and grey literature are referred to throughout the guidelines.
3. Review by consumers, carers and key stakeholders within the organisation.
Extensive consultation was conducted on views of best practice in a range of clinical scenarios with a range of stakeholders and experts including psychiatrists, consumer consultants, carer consultants, pharmacist, forensic mental health consultant, drug and alcohol consultant, and driver assessor occupational therapists.
4. External review by experts in the field.
The guidelines were subject to a review by experts from Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, VicRoads Licensing Authority, Western Health, and Austin Health.
To download the guidelines, scan the QR code below:
All authors are occupational therapists who have previously been employed as staff of the Northern Health Mental Health Division’s Drive Safe Program.
The Drive Safe Program was the 2023 winner of the National Allied Health Adult Team Excellence Award.
Carolyn Dun, Professional Leader Occupational Therapy – Mental Health, Northern Area Mental Health Service, Northern Health.
Dr Megan Turville, Occupational therapist and researcher. Mind Your Health Centre, Rosanna, Victoria. Teaching Associate with Monash University.
Erin Finch, Professional Leader Occupational Therapy – Mental Health, North West Area Mental Health Service, Occupational Therapy Driver Assessor, Northern Health.
Janene Strahan, Occupational Therapy Driver Assessor.
References
References for this article can be viewed online – scan the QR code:
Jonathan Ramke, Cate Hilly and Antonia Kish
Occupational therapy within the scope of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services encounter a multifaceted landscape where outcomes and achievements can fluctuate in tandem with the fluidity and ever-changing nature of the early childhood educator workforce. This reality has created a necessity for adaptability and persistence among occupational therapy students and occupational therapy practice educators as they navigate the ever-changing dynamics of their placements in this setting.
In the intricate composition of support provision, occupational therapy students often find themselves offering guidance to early childhood educators on one occasion, only to encounter a different early childhood educator upon their return. The transience currently inherent in the educator workforce poses distinctive challenges, necessitating students to consistently articulate their roles and re-engage in goal setting and service planning with varied stakeholders.
Despite these challenges, the establishment of a student-led Play and Participation Screening service across four ECECs in the ACT emerged as an example of taking a novel approach. This service, part of a feasibility study at the University of Canberra and the Good Start in Life for Young People project, sought to heighten awareness among caregivers and early childhood
educators regarding developmental play and participation expectations for children aged 3-5 years. Additionally, it aimed to equip stakeholders in these centres with the knowledge of when, why, and how to refer children with additional support needs to appropriate services.
The impact of this screening service resonated far beyond merely testing its feasibility. It served as a catalyst for targeted support, not just for individual children, but for families and educators as well, fostering a deeper understanding of the occupational therapy role within the community. Through this initiative, early childhood educators within the four ECECs gained invaluable insights into the application of play-based and participationfocused interventions and the occupational therapy role supporting children’s participation, through collaboration with caregivers and early childhood educators.
For the individual children and their caregivers that participated in this study, the screening service provided a means to identify specific play-based and participation needs while offering tailored interventions and support to their ECEC service. Additionally, the involvement of occupational therapy students in this service extended to facilitating knowledge of the importance of play and participation, which are fundamental to
early childhood development and child wellbeing. These occupational therapy students played a crucial role in not only developing and evaluating interventions, but also in providing coaching and advice to caregivers during these sessions. By emphasising child-led play and promoting children’s participation within ECEC environments, these interventions further facilitated family’s and early childhood educators’ access to essential community resources and services.
In this evolving landscape, the journey of occupational therapy in ECEC settings is one marked by dynamic challenges and need for transformative interventions. Through innovation, collaboration, and perseverance, occupational therapy continues to shape a path toward holistic development and inclusive care for all young children and their families. As the occupational therapy landscape also evolves, initiatives like these underscore the profession’s adaptability and dedication to enhancing the lives of children and families. While challenges persist, the resilience and creativity demonstrated by these occupational therapy students and practice educator serve as a testament to the profession’s objective of making a positive impact and supporting occupation participation.
Wage theft is when an employer doesn’t pay an employee their lawful entitlements. This may include paying incorrect wages, not adhering to an applicable modern award or enterprise agreement or paying other entitlements incorrectly. The Fair Work Ombudsman takes matters of underpayment very seriously, and intentionally underpaying employees can be a criminal offence under various Federal and State laws.
Our recent article Minimum Entitlements & Working Arrangements touched on some of the risks and penalties associated with underpaying staff. This article focuses on a common wage theft hotspot for practice owners: allowances and entitlements in the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (HPSS Award).
An award is a legal document that contains the minimum terms and conditions of employment and covers specific industries and occupations. Employees of an occupational therapy practice are covered by the HPSS Award1. This includes occupational therapists, allied health assistants (AHAs), and other employees such as clerks, medical receptionists, cleaners and security officers.
Occupational therapy practice owners must pay their employees at least the minimum pay rates and entitlements set forth in the HPSS Award. The award details the minimum rates of pay for each classification level and each pay point for employees working in the health services industry2. Classification levels in an award determine the pay rates and entitlements based on an individual employee’s skills, qualifications, years of experience, and responsibilities.
Practice owners must ensure they are classifying staff correctly. When practice owners fail to honour the terms of the HPSS Award, such as paying an employee at an incorrect classification level, this is a legal and financial liability known as a breach of award.
Practice owners must ensure they are paying staff the correct allowances. Allowances are payments made to employees to cover specific work-related expenses or conditions, such as travel, shift work, or working in challenging or specialised environments. When wages are increased3, allowances need to be increased accordingly. Failing to pay the correct allowances will effectively result in the unlawful underpaying of staff. The penalties for underpaying staff have never been higher, even if the infringement is an honest mistake.
Here’s an example of some common occupational therapy practice hotspots that should be carefully considered in relation to mitigating wage theft and a breach of award:
Travel: It is common for an occupational therapist to travel between appointments. Occupational therapists who are full-
time, part-time or casual employees should be paid for their travel time and reimbursed for all reasonably incurred expenses with respect to travel such as tolls, parking fees, etc. These details should be clearly outlined in your workplace policies and employment agreements.
Leave Loading: Leave loading is a payment that some workers are entitled to receive from their employer while on annual leave, on top of their base rate of pay. Most modern awards say that employees get paid annual leave loading on top of their minimum hourly rate when they take annual leave. Under the HPSS Award, a rate of 17.5% leave loading on top of their annual leave is applied when an employee takes paid time off.
Overtime: Overtime is work performed outside the ordinary hours listed in an award or agreement. Overtime is usually paid at a higher rate.
Superannuation: Pay rates in awards do not include superannuation. Private practice owners must ensure they are paying their staff the correct entitlements, including the correct superannuation contributions4
“When practice owners fail to honour the terms of the HPSS Award, such as paying an employee at an incorrect classification level, this is a legal and financial liability known as a breach of award.”
Modern awards can be difficult and complicated to decipher and implement correctly, and the above-mentioned hotspots are not an exhaustive list. Always refer to the newest pay guide5 and seek guidance from an experienced employment and industrial relations professional when interpreting an award.
For more information on mitigating wage theft and applying the HPSS Award, you can check the Fair Work Ombudsman website or seek advice from an HR consultancy that works closely with the allied health sector such as WorkPlacePLUS.
As the national HR and IR partner of Occupational Therapy Australia, WorkPlacePLUS provides support to OTA members on employment matters affecting your practice. For more information, contact Anna Pannuzzo on (03) 9492 0958 or visit www.WorkPlacePLUS.com.au.
To read our Winter edition article, scan the QR code below:
Footnotes
1 Occupational therapists who are employed by schools are covered by the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2020. The general advice in this article still applies.
2 You can choose to pay staff above the minimum award rate.
3 Effective 1 July 2024, minimum award wages increased by 3.75%. These increases apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2024.
4 Effective 1 July 2024, the superannuation guarantee rate increased from 11% to 11.5%.
5 To receive a copy of the new 2024-2025 HPSS pay guide, please contact WorkPlacePLUS.
Occupational Therapy Australia Oration 2024
Congratulations to Jenny Gribbin, recipient of the inaugural 2024 Occupational Therapy Australia Oration. Jenny delivered her keynote presentation, Your OT Roadmap for Innovation Success, at the 2024 OT Exchange (OTX2024) in June.
Jenny graduated in 2005 (University of Queensland) and completed OT driver assessor training in 2012 (University of Sydney). She founded her business Driving Well Occupational Therapy in Brisbane in 2016 with the mission to serve clients locally and occupational therapists nationally.
During COVID Jenny forged a productive international relationship with Dr Miriam Monahan (OTR/CDRS, Driver Rehabilitation Institute in USA), exploring and challenging best practice in assessing learner drivers. She has pioneered implementation of the “potential to drive” approach and dedicated her efforts to improving occupational therapists’ ability to work with learner drivers, creating opportunities for thousands of young Australians.
This inaugural accolade is run biannually in line with the OT Exchange Conference, recognising and showcasing an exceptional Australian occupational therapist who has made an outstanding, innovative, and impactful contribution to the practice of occupational therapy. The OTA Oration is bestowed by the Occupational Therapy Australia Board in recognition of innovation and impact in the Australian occupational therapy profession which has led to positive outcomes for the profession or those who are recipients of occupational therapy services.
“Jenny has pioneered implementation of the ‘potential to drive’ approach and dedicated her efforts to improving occupational therapists’ ability to work with learner drivers.”
The OTA Research Foundation (OTARF) Grant aims to stimulate new research knowledge and support the career development and capacity of researchers, particularly emerging researchers. Congratulations to Heather Block, recipient of the 2024 OTARF Grant.
Dr Heather Block is an occupational therapist and researcher. She has over 10 years of clinical experience working with people with neurological conditions and acquired brain injuries, predominantly in the acute setting. Between 2019 and 2024, Heather completed her PhD on the topic of ‘Managing challenging behaviours after traumatic brain injury in the acute hospital setting’.
Heather now works as a post-doctoral Research Fellow with the Caring Futures Institute at Flinders University. She is committed research initiatives to support healthy ageing, support and care with expertise in knowledge translation, particularly implementation science methodologies. Heather plans to dedicate her OTARF grant funding towards research in the area of occupational therapy practice in primary health care settings, and present of her findings at the next OTAUS conference.
The OT School of Victoria Grant is a national clinical award from the Occupational Therapy Trust Fund, which aims to promote advancement in clinical practice by supporting OTA members to engage in clinical based projects or studies. Congratulations to Abby Hutchison, recipient of the 2024 award, who will fund her project ‘Barriers and facilitators to work participation for adults following traumatic amputation: an exploratory qualitative study’.
Abby has a wealth of experience as an OT, having worked in amputee rehabilitation as her area of clinical practice and expertise for the past 15 years, working in public, private and military hospitals, and community-based therapy. Amputee rehabilitation was the topic of her recently completed Masters of Applied Science (by Research) Degree at La Trobe University (2020-2023) and associated publications for the Disability and Rehabilitation Journal. She is currently the Director and Director and Senior Occupational Therapist for Enable Rehab where her work and research revolve around vocational rehabilitation, promoting the role of Occupational Therapy in facilitating return to employment and work participation following injury, and aims to promote the value of Occupational Therapy Frameworks and Occupational Therapy clinicians in understanding lived experience through an occupational lens.
The Elspeth Pearson Award enables recipients to advance their clinical skills and expertise through professional development opportunities. This award has been made possible through the generosity of Elspeth Pearson’s family and the Elspeth Pearson Estate. It is awarded to recently qualified occupational therapists (qualified for up to three years) and final year occupational therapy students to broaden their education and experience within the profession.
Congratulations to 2024 winners Kiara Moodley, Jacqueline Rota, Shane Fenwick, Sheridan Tanner and Selah Dimech!
Jacqueline Rota
Jacqueline a finalyear occupational therapy research honours student with an interest in researching and promoting innovative, holistic interventions within healthcare practices. Jacqueline plans to use the award funds to advance her knowledge and skills.
Kiara Moodley
Kiara has been working mostly in paediatrics and speech pathology, addressing the unique needs of children by delivering assessments and interventions to address issues including fine and gross motor, sensory processing, regulation, and play and executive functioning. Kiara plans to use the award funds facilitate her clinical understanding in the Perceive, Recall, Plan & Perform (PRPP) – Assessment Course.
Selah Dimech
Selah has worked with a national NDIS practice to provide allied health services individuals with disabilities. She is passionate about raising awareness on the role of OTs through the use of social media and has a growing interest in providing adult therapy for neurodivergent and mental health population groups. Selah plans to use the award funds for professional development courses related to neurodivergent therapy.
Shane Fenwick
Shane has been working in the mental health field, with extensive experience in the Not-For-Profit sector including refugees and asylum seekers, homelessness, and providing NDIS support to people with disabilities. Shane plans to use the award funds to attend the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance’s (INFTA) Forest Therapy Guide training to how to incorporate nature-based interventions into clinical work with underprivileged consumers.
Sheridan Tanner
Sheridan has been working in a private practice with a focus on long-term recovery within the NDIS space and improving mental health and wellbeing. With an interest in becoming a Mental Health Endorsed practitioner, Sheridan plans to use the award funds for courses related to professional development in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Trauma-focused ACT to enhance her clinical skills and deepen her understanding of evidence-based practices.
Occupational Therapy Australia is pleased to announce that nominations for its most prestigious award the Sylvia Docker Lectureship are now open.
The Sylvia Docker lecture is presented at the 2025 Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference. The objectives of the lecture are to inspire and advance the development of the profession and to contribute to the occupational therapy literature through a creative and inspirational reflection of professional practice, research or education.
Applications for this award are now open and close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Friday, 25 October 2024. Further information on the award, entitlements and the nomination process and form, scan the QR code below:
The next round of awards, research grants and opportunities to showcase occupational therapy brilliance will open soon.
In 2024-25, we have the following awards open for application:
• Fellows of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy
• Occupational Therapy Australia Research Foundation Deductible Gift Recipient Grant
• Elspeth Pearson Award
• Occupational Therapy School of Victoria Clinical Award
• Judith Marsham Farrell Research Grant
• Honorary Life Membership
• OTA Research Awards.
Make sure you keep an eye out on our social media and OTA communication for when these applications open.
Jenny Gribbin
Iwas grateful to be the inaugural recipient of the OT Australia Oration award and give an address at the OT Exchange (OTX) Conference in Perth. OT Australia announced this new accolade late in 2023, wanting to honour and showcase a clinician who has made an outstanding, innovative and impactful contribution to the clinical practice of occupational therapy.
Many OTs are now familiar with the “potential to drive” approach for learner and pre-learner drivers with neurodivergent conditions and executive function disorder; my work has transformed this clinical practice. There are many highs in this journey – and there were also many challenges. It took a village to achieve this innovation.
My application began: “How can occupational therapists be innovative within the current challenging landscape? When the focus is not on the clinical outcomes, but on misconceptions about costs, disrespect for our clinical opinion, and unrealistic expectations, occupational therapists must again and again find the resilience, strength, courage, and self-care to continue to provide services.” This was written in January 2024 and could not be truer now, given the additional challenges with NDIS Bill Reform, PACE, and Pricing Arrangements.
My goal was to share my own journey, but more importantly share the tools and resources I relied upon to enable me to transform OT clinical practice for learner drivers in Australia:
• Build your tribe
• Embrace collaboration
• Lifelong learning
• Utilize design thinking
• Foster creative curiosity
• Lean in courageously
• Wrangle self-doubt
• Practice self-care
• Follow your values.
Highlights from my address included:
• Calling out negative media comments, including that NDIS allied health providers “have decks on their holiday houses”. Figuring out the “doing things better” part of innovation is easy. Getting through the negativity, the hurdles, the weeds – that is hard
• Mentioning my favourite musicals – including Hamilton and Juliet –any chance I could get, and how these have encouraged creativity and provided inspiration
• Revealing that there have been times in my career that I have had no idea what I was doing and asking if anyone else felt that way – and seeing nearly everyone’s hand being raised
• Reading aloud Elizabeth Gilbert’s “letter to fear” from her book Big Magic – it’s okay to be afraid – bring that fear with you, just don’t let it drive!
• Sharing “The Man in the Arena” speech by Theodore Roosevelt from Dr Brene Brown’s work
• Having all those able to stand up and practice the Superman/
Wonder Woman pose which improves confidence, then sprinkling courage on each other, to gain strength to be vulnerable, stretch, grow and get out of our comfort zone
• Reaffirming my values and reason for being an OT: I am an OT because at my core, I believe that humans deserve the chance to live their best life, and I get to help them do that
• My mic drop moment: I wondered how a woman photographed with Mr Shorten on his Facebook page on 16th May 2024 (using a wheelchair) had come to be able to talk with him that evening. I considered all her daily activities and highlighted occupational therapists’ roles and interventions that may have contributed to her occupational performance
• Leaving the delegates feeling inspired to be creative, to be vulnerable, to be innovative, to advocate for their clients, to be the best OTs that they can be – through a slideshow of my work with my team and my client success stories, set to Katy Perry’s “Roar”
• The most special highlight was hearing OTs say that they indeed were inspired, my remarks resonated, they needed to hear this, they felt seen.
It is hard right now to be an OT particularly working in the NDIS space. My wish for OTs is to remember to lean into your values, take care of yourself, remember your impact, and celebrate your contribution.
“Leaving the delegates feeling inspired to be creative, to be vulnerable, to be innovative, to advocate for their clients, to be the best OTs that they can be.”
We like to think of few things as being genuinely impossible, but running a business without experiencing some change would undoubtedly make the list. Whether you’re still new in the business owner world, a sole trader, or are an experienced business owner, you probably know by now that operating a business means constantly adapting and adjusting to keep up with the overall landscape – economically and socially. This however also means that the insurance you hold for your business also needs to keep up with the changes your business goes through. If you don’t update and adjust your insurance as you change the way your business operates, or the way you work, you could be left without cover if you experience an unfortunate incident. Here are some of the common changes businesses operating today may be going through and how to approach your insurance requirements in light of these changes.
While it may feel like COVID-19 is long behind us, the resulting shift to remote work has very much become a regular part of life. Whether you run your business from an office, or from home will influence the type of insurance you need for your business. If you operate your business from an office, a Business Insurance Pack may be one of the most important covers you might need to consider. It is designed to cover your business’s tangible/physical assets if they’re damaged by events such as fire or storm. A Business Insurance pack also includes the option to include Public Liability cover which is designed to cover your business if you’re held liable for bodily injury or property damage to a member of the public.
If you run your business from home, firstly, check your Home Insurance cover to find out whether your office equipment is covered under your policy, as some Home Insurance policies may exclude office equipment if they are used as part of a business.
Even if your Home & Contents Insurance does provide full cover for your home office equipment, a Business Insurance pack may still be a handy cover to consider for home-based businesses as it is specifically designed for business owners. For example, if your home (and home office) suffers an incident such as theft or storm, and some of your equipment is damaged leaving you unable to work on your business for a period of time, a Business Insurance pack may provide cover for the income you lose during this time (if you select cover for Business Interruption on your policy).
If you take your equipment, (such as your laptop and/or phone) away from your office or home, a Business Insurance pack may also help protect your assets while they’re away from your office/home. Under the General Property Section of a Business Insurance pack, your portable items may be covered while they’re outside for incidents such as loss & damage.
Regardless of where you run your business from, if your business has a digital footprint, there is a possibility of falling victim to a cyber-attack. Staying cyber safe requires a holistic approach, including having appropriate security software installed on your devices; ensuring staff are aware of cyber safety practices; as well as considering Cyber Insurance.
Cyber Insurance is designed to cover your business for financial losses incurred as a result of a cyber-attack. It may cover both the losses suffered by your business as a result of an attack (known as first party losses), as well as your legal defence as a result of legal action taken by third parties impacted in the cyber event (known as third party liability). Cyber Insurance may also include access to an incident response specialist, who can help coordinate the steps your business may need to take to recover from the cyber incident.
If you employ contractors or have virtual/ remote employees, your Professional Indemnity Insurance may also be impacted, so there are a few additional boxes you’ll need to tick when it comes to ensuring adequate coverage.
Firstly, if your business provides professional advice, and you engage someone as a contractor to work for you, always ensure they have their own Professional Indemnity Insurance. On top of this, you will also need to ensure the services provided by your contractor is covered under your business’s Professional Indemnity insurance. This is because if a client takes legal action as a result of the incident its likely both the contractor and your business could be brought into the legal action. Ensure you ask your contractor to provide a copy of their Certificate of Currency to you before they begin, as well as an updated copy each year and every time it is changed.
Even if you don’t hire contractors and only have employees, if your staff work remotely or are interstate, bear in mind your business
is still responsible for holding Worker’s Compensation Insurance in line with the state/territory your staff are located in.
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) quickly having found its way into many professions and daily uses, it is likely you may be using it in providing your services. If you have incorporated AI into your service, firstly ensure the policy you have in place doesn’t have an exclusion in relation to the use of AI. Even if there isn’t a specific exclusion, all your usual due diligence and risk management practices should stay in place to protect your business reputation. AI is a tool, and as useful as it may be, you remain the expert and are responsible for the delivery of the professional service including in any consultation, report or interaction.
If you are using AI to generate client reports, here are a few practices to
be mindful of that may help prevent a professional negligence claim:
• The content of the report must be within your own knowledge, training and professional services
• Ensure no confidential, sensitive or identifying information is uploaded/ provided to any platform/software where not legally appropriate
• Implement appropriate cybersecurity measures
• Once a report is generated, review and assess the report for completeness and accuracy – no matter how the report is generated, as a professional, you are responsible for the content of any report to verify the accuracy and facts.
It is inevitable that your business will go through changes over time, but ensuring your insurance is up to date is an important part of your risk management. Even if you’re
unsure whether you need to update your insurance or not, a quick call to your broker may help you clarify whether you need to change anything and may help prevent you being left out of cover should something go wrong.
© 2024 Aon Risk Services Australia Limited ABN 17 000 434 720 AFSL no. 241141 (Aon)
This information contained on this website is general in nature and should not be relied on as advice (personal or otherwise) because your personal needs, objectives and financial situation have not been considered. Before deciding whether a particular product is right for you, please consider your personal circumstances, as well as any applicable Product Disclosure Statement, Target Market Determination and full policy terms and conditions, available from Aon on request. All representations on this website in relation to the insurance products we arrange are subject to the full terms and conditions of the relevant policy.
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