ROAMReclaiming Occupation As Means

Mr Brock Cook, Reg OTMr James Naismith, Reg OTDr Robert Pereira, Reg OT

Flemington Racecourse Events CentreMay 3rd 2014

Reference to cite: Cook, B., Naismith, J. & Pereira, R. B. (2014). Reclaiming Occupation As Means (ROAM): Creating communities of occupation-centred occupational therapists. Paper presented at the 'Victorian Occupational Therapy Conference: Moving with the Times', Melbourne, Australia, May 3.

Brock CookQuality time with GF

Occupational TherapistMental Health

practitioner Gym

RugbyPowerlifting

Playing with Rusty my dogBeing Batman

Advancing the profession

James NaismithHusband

Father to a fur-baby (Olly-dog)

Occupational TherapistMusic enthusiast

SocialisingGardening

Home RenovatorAdvancing the profession

Richmond Tigers supporter

Robert PereiraBeing a HusbandGoing to church

SocialisingRacquet Sports

PhotographyTravellingGardening

Occupational ScientistOccupational Therapist

What is Occupational Therapy?

"....provides services to individuals and populations to develop maintain, restore and optimize health and function throughout the lifespan. This includes providing services to people compromised by aging, injury, disease or environmental factors."

"....Physiotherapy identifies and maximises quality of life and movement potential....This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well being. (Physiotherapists Board of New Zealand)

Physiotherapists Board of New Zealand. (2009). Annual Report 2008-2009. Wellington: Author

Definition "Occupational Therapy"

Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well

being through occupation.

The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life.

(WFOT 2012)

What is

Occupation

Simple Occupation

Complex

Occupation is engagement in activities, tasks, and roles for the purpose of productive pursuit, maintaining one’s self in the environment, and for purposes of relaxation, entertainment, creativity, and celebration

(Christiansen, Baum, & Bass-Haugen, 2005)

Occupation is groups of activities and tasks of everyday life, named, organized, and given value and meaning by individuals and a culture; occupation is everything people do to occupy themselves, including looking after themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure), and contributing to the social and economic fabric of their communities (productivity)

(Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 1997)

Occupations are the daily living tasks that are part of an individual’s lifestyle (Golledge, 1998).

Occupation provides the mechanism for social interaction and societal development and growth, forming the foundation of community, local, and national identity because individuals not only engage in separate pursuits, they are able to plan and execute group activity to the extent of national government or to achieve international goals for individual, mutual, and community purposes (Wilcock, 2006)

Occupation is the doing of work, play, or activities of daily living within a temporal, physical, and sociocultural context that characterizes much of human life (Kielhofner, 2008)

Occupation is perceived as “doing” by the individual, is goal-directed, carries meaning for the individual, and is repeatable. (McLaughlin-Gray, 1997)

"...occupation as ends and occupation as means..."

Gray, J. (1998). Putting occupation into practice: Occupation as ends, occupation as means. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52(5), 354-364

Occupation as a means is when a specific occupation is used as a means in therapy to bring about change in a

person's performance.

Occupation as an ends is the goal or the product of intervention.

Definition "Occupational Therapy"

Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well

being through occupation.

The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life.

(WFOT 2012)

Occupational Therapy’s Dilemma

Gradual loss of occupation in practice

Gap filling

Lack of unifying professional identity

Inconsistency in understanding what

occupational therapists do

Discomfort in using occupational terminology in

practice

Current professional development focus is to address our roles as gap

fillers

What do we own in our professional toolkits that is

occupation specific?

Bringing Occupation BackFive-Tiered Approach

• Knowledge Translation: Learning and Sharing through Community of Practice

• Philosophy: Occupational Science

• Application: Occupation-in-Practice E.g. Occupational Terminology; Occupation as Means and Ends

• Outcomes: Person- and Occupation-centred

• Reflection: Impact on professional learning and development

Application:Occupation-in-practice

#whatisROAM• Increasing the professional development

opportunities that are aimed at strengthening our occupation focus

• Increase the knowledge sharing and knowledge translation opportunities about occupation-based practice

• Promote (both professionally and publically) the power and link between occupation and well-being

• Promote occupation-in-practice

#whatisROAM• Promote greater use of occupational terminology in

everyday clinical practice (i.e. the power of words to change practice and perception)

• Promote and support Occupational Therapists to be the change agents that we all know we can be!

Final Thoughts….• What do Occupational Therapists feel they need to learn

about occupation?

• Is occupation relevant in your practice?

• Are you comfortable being gap fillers?

• Are you comfortable that your profession lacks a strong professional identity, unity, presence, and relevance?

• What’s at risk if we don’t ROAM?o Professionallyo For the people who we work witho For the future of our professiono For occupational science and occupational therapy researcho For our relevance to society

ROAMWays Forward

Contact:ROAM Geelongroamgeelong@gmail.com

• Aim for ROAM Geelong Community of Practice to meet once every 2 months

• Format; dynamic involving:o Participatory lectures that are

occupation-focusedo Learning how to apply occupation-in-

practiceo Journal article and other publication

reviewso Reflective practice opportunities'o Learning-through-doing opportunities

(participating in meaningful occupations together)

o Guest speakers

James Naismith@jimmynai

Robert Pereiraroamgeelong@gmail

.com

Thank You

Brock Cook@keeper85

brockcook.com