What support can occupational therapists offer young people who are not in education, employment or training? Chris Prager shares his experience of a non-traditional project placement to tackle this issue.
The delivery of healthcare is fast becoming a complex issue, as it shifts further from its medical and clinical beginnings and closer to a more integrated, community-centred and holistic practice (Rigg, Engelman and Ramirez 2018).
In response to this, university-based occupational therapy programmes are quickly adapting and evolving their placement opportunities to prepare students for life after graduation, including an increasing number of non-traditional and role-emerging project placements as an option for their learners.
During these types of placements, students are placed in a setting where they can complete an occupational therapy related project (Overton, Clark and Thomas 2009). This requires students to work more independently, albeit still under the supervision of a practice educator, in an environment where occupational therapy is not necessarily immediately obvious, nor the primary focus.
There are many reasons as to why nontraditional and role-emerging project placements are becoming more and more popular within both undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy degree programmes.
These include a shortage of clinical practice education opportunities and health reforms caused by ever-changing work practices within the allied health professions, as they strive to improve health outcomes in the face of mounting pressures and funding cuts (Lloyd, Bassett and King 2002; Bradley et al 2016).
Whatever the reasons, non-traditional project placements offer students a unique opportunity to gain experience of occupational therapy, while allowing them to establish a professional role using the same practice and processes that they would apply in a more traditional or clinical setting (Overton, Clark and Thomas 2009).
One such role emerging opportunity is provided by Iconic Steps, a media production agency that creates a space for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), and ‘allows them to be seen and become the future icons of a more equal and creative industry’ (Iconic Steps 2023).
My motivation
As a current student at the University of East London, my four weeks with Iconic Steps has given me an insight into what my life as an occupational therapist could be like after I graduate; and I have to say that I have not been disappointed.
I already know that I made the right choice in going back to education to become an allied health professional and I am looking forward to what the rest of my course will bring.
I will admit that I was a little nervous before starting, as it was going to be my first ever experience of a non-traditional placement. I need not have worried though, as everyone at Iconic Steps went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
Watching their joy as they presented their finished music videos, watching their confidence grow a little bit more every day, watching as they ticked off their SMART goals and knocked down every barrier in their way, and knowing that I had played a small part… reinforced the notion that I have made the right decision in re-training to become an occupational therapist.”
©mediaphotos via Getty Images
From day one, my practice educator reminded me that this type of placement is about developing my skills – such as building a therapeutic relationship with service-users, working on my communication skills, reflecting on my practice, and in this case, specifically applying holistic assessment and intervention strategies to help service-users back into employment, education or training.
I knew that to achieve this, I would need to throw myself into the experience and have a ‘give-it-a-go’ attitude. So, I volunteered for everything I could.
My experience
During my third week, I was lucky enough to work in partnership with the King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust ) and help a group of young NEET service-users to complete a music video production course. This allowed me to build my confidence and experience the evaluation, intervention and outcome steps of the occupational therapy process.
The interactions between myself and the service-users gave me the opportunity to help them engage with the week-long course, while I completed a series of one-to-one interviews and worked with them to create a series of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed (SMART) goals.
The focus of these sessions allowed me to understand their wants. Through something simple as listening to their needs, I was able to better guide them towards areas of interest by encouraging self-expression and help them to achieve a positive outcome while taking the first steps in reclaiming their occupational identity.
Watching their joy as they presented their finished music videos, watching their confidence grow a little bit more every day, watching as they ticked off their SMART goals and knocked down every barrier in their way, and knowing that I had played a small part in helping them to achieve something meaningful, reinforced the notion that I have made the right decision in re-training to become an occupational therapist.
© mediaphotos via Getty Images
My five ‘top tips’ for successfully surviving a
non-traditional placement
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Research the organisation and client group before you start. Knowing the role, focus and aims of the service you will be joining will help to settle any first day nerves.
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Reflect, reflect, reflect. Keep a written record and constantly evaluate your practice experience – both the good and the bad. This will allow you to identify and appreciate the positives, whilst better identifying how you can improve in the future.
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Ask for as much feedback as possible.
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Finally, look after yourself. Being a student on placement can be stressful and burn out is real. By looking after your own wellbeing you will be better able to look after the wellbeing of others.
My highlights
The main take-away of a non-traditional projectbased placement, however, is the project itself. As such, I was tasked with developing an activity analysis of my choosing for a group of NEET service users and relate it to the field of multimedia.
By breaking the task down into its individual components, I was able to understand its therapeutic value.
As such, I chose photography, and I quickly learnt how multimedia is not just a creative medium. It can also be used to aid mental health and wellbeing, improve engagement, develop performance skills, and help to reduce negative thought patterns by giving people something to focus on, especially if they are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stressed or depressed.
I think it is fair to say that I never would have been able to experience professional life within the confines of such a relaxed and unique setting had I been given a clinical placement.
Indeed, undertaking this type of project helped me to better understand how providing identity, meaning and structure to a young person’s life is fundamental in improving their health and wellbeing.
Overall, I could not have asked for a better experience for a practice placement. In fact, it is safe to say that as someone who wanted a more traditional clinical-based placement, my perception of project-based placements has changed my outlook on occupational therapy as a creative profession, and how we, as practitioners, can promote the restoration of function and improve overall wellbeing by incorporating the creative arts into the person’s journey.
If you get the opportunity to undertake a non-traditional, project-based, or role-emerging placement of your own, I urge you to embrace it. I’m not going to lie; it will be hard work and exhausting. You will laugh, you might even cry, but if you throw yourself into it, I guarantee that you will come out the other side a better learner than when you started. I know I have.
Bradley EH, Canavan M, Rogan E, Talbert-Slagle K, Ndumele C, Taylor L and Curry LA (2016) ‘Variation in health outcomes: the role of spending on social services, public health and health care’, Health Affairs. 35(5): 760-768.
Iconic Steps (2023) Iconic steps. Available at https://iconicsteps.co.uk/ [accessed 6 April 2023].
Lloyd C, Bassett H and King R (2002) ‘Mental health: how well are occupational therapists equipped for a changed practice environment?’, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 49(3): 163-166.
Overton A, Clark M and Thomas Y (2009) ‘A review of non-traditional occupational therapy practice placement education: a focus on roleemerging and project placements’, British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 72(7): 294-301.
Rigg KK, Engelman D and Ramirez J (2018) ‘A community-based approach to primary health care’. In SL Arxer and JW Murphy (eds) Dimensions of community-based projects in health care. New York: Springer Publishing Company. pp. 105-117.
Words CHRIS PRAGER, Occupational Therapy Student, University of East London. For more about Iconic Steps visit https://iconicsteps.co.uk/