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What is OT?. “ Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation …” OCCUPATION = all things that people need and want to do
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What is OT? “Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation…”OCCUPATION = all things that people need and want to do “…The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life…” World Federation of Occupational Therapy
Philosophy of OT • Client-centered • Enabling, Empowering • Person-environment relationship • Culturally sensitive • Holistic • ‘Doing’ philosophy • Remediative & preventative World Federation of Occupational Therapy
Aboriginal definitionof health 'Aboriginal health is not just the physical well being of an individual but is the social, emotional and cultural well being of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential thereby bringing about the total well being of their community. It is a whole-of-life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life.’ NAHS, 1989
OTs & Indigenous health • Health inequities experienced by Indigenous Australians • Need for health promotion, preventative & remediative approaches • Contribution of OT to addressing these inequities • Health-disability-culture unique occupational needs
OT Workforce Needs • <0.1% of OT workforce identifies as Indigenous Australian (Lowe & O’Kane, 2004) • Need for more allied health working in Indigenous health • Victorian workforce analysis based on 1:1200 workforce: population ratio for allied health (VACCHO 2007)
Vision of KOTS KOTS (Koori Occupational Therapy Scheme) seeks to actively encourage and advocate for increased Indigenous representation in the occupational therapy profession. Our motivation to create this scheme is borne of a deep commitment to the knowledge that Indigenous health professionals are best positioned to deliver meaningful and accessible services to Indigenous populations.
Objectives of KOTS • To increase the number of Indigenous OTs • To increase awareness of Indigenous health and its social, cultural, political and historical contexts within the OT profession • To increase awareness of the role of OT within Aboriginal health services
Current endeavours 1. Increasing numbers of Indigenous OTs • Promoting OT as a career choice • Establishing Scholarship support scheme • Coordinating work placements for students • Establishing bank of OTs to mentor & coach Koori • students Strategic planning, sustainability, funding
Current endeavours 2. Awareness within OT field • Publications & Presentations • Advocate for improved OT curriculum • Indigenous health info pack • Professional development for practitioners Strategic planning, sustainability, funding
Current endeavours 3. Awareness within Indigenous health • Publications & presentations • Work with VACCHO on AHW training Strategic planning, sustainability, funding
Future directions 1. Increasing numbers of Indigenous OTs • Supporting Koori students via a scholarship support • scheme • Advocating for improved recruitment & retention of • Koori students Advocating for a cross-disciplinary effort to address these issues across the allied health spectrum
Future directions 2. Awareness within OT field • Advancing a national association position paper on • Indigenous health • Advocating for a review of Indigenous health content • in OT curricula Advocating for a cross-disciplinary effort to address these issues across the allied health spectrum
Future directions 3. Awareness within Indigenous health • Advocating for the availability of OT services within AHS Advocating for a cross-disciplinary effort to address these issues across the allied health spectrum
KEEP IN TOUCH Feel free to contact us with any feedback, guidance or support kots@annawearnetrust.org.auhttp://www.annawearnetrust.org.au/kots.doc With support from the Anna Wearne Trust & VACCHO