Occupational Therapy News OTnews November 2019 | Page 49

DIVERSE ROLES FEATURE CV and make me a more confident and adaptable professional in the future.’ She concludes: ‘As my confidence grows in this role, I am also hoping to have the opportunity to implement some further occupation-based interventions within the crisis team. I also plan to create a presentation to promote the benefits of implementing occupational therapy into crisis work, which I hope may be an option for more crisis teams in the future. ‘As mental health services change across the country, more intensive home treatment is being offered by crisis teams, creating a role for occupational therapists. ‘If you’re about to qualify, or are currently looking for jobs, I would recommend broadening your search outside of the occupational therapy title. There are other opportunities out there that will help develop your skill set further, as well as providing you with the opportunity to educate other professionals about the occupational therapy role and the perspective you can add to a team. ‘This could provide endless opportunities for your own career, as well as educating other teams about what occupational therapists can offer.’ Megan Elliott, crisis clinician, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, email: [email protected] Goh et al (2019) conducted a study to explore factors that assist occupational therapists to thrive within generic roles in Australia’s non-government mental health sector. Twelve occupational therapists participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were analysed thematically using constant comparative analysis. The authors present a preliminary framework of thriving, identifying that it was supported by: personal agency – ‘keeping my occupational therapy lens’ and ‘managing ambiguity; workplace facilitators including ‘opportunities to use my occupational therapy skills’; and profession- provided facilitators through ‘preparation’, ‘validation’ and ‘ongoing inclusion’. They suggest that the framework provides insights for those developing university curricula or providing continuing professional development opportunities, as well as for occupational therapists employed in a generic mental health role. analysis, activity structuring or routine management, patients can feel empowered to make positive changes to their lives during crisis. ‘Similarly, encouraging and promoting ADL performance in order to maintain levels of functioning is also important in promoting recovery and facilitating a sense of achievement. During a crisis, even the smallest of changes can make a huge difference.’ Although Megan ‘is not practising occupational therapy currently in this role’ and is working under a generic title, she stresses that she is working with occupational therapists on the inpatient ward attached to the team in order to complete her preceptorship. ‘This is enabling me to develop my core occupational therapy skills while also developing my skills as a crisis clinician,’ she says proudly. ‘To me, this is providing a massive opportunity for development and enabling me to learn skills that I wouldn’t otherwise have learnt in a solely occupational therapy post. ‘This has included lots around risk assessing, which is a big part of the team’s work, and also interventions such as crisis planning, which I wasn’t familiar with before. I hope that this will enhance my Reference Goh NCK, Hancock N, Honey A, Scanlan JN (2019) Thriving in an expanding service landscape: experiences of occupational therapists working in generic mental health roles within non-government organisations in Australia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Oct 10. [Epub ahead of print] NHS England (2019) Crisis and Acute Care for Adults. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/ adults/crisis-and-acute-care/ For more information about the role of crisis teams: Department of Health (2000) The Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide. Available at: www.wales.nhs. uk/sites3/Documents/776/CRHT%20PIG.pdf OTnews November 2019 49