Current role and responsibility

I currently work across three roles:
1)  In mental health as the senior OT at the Jamie Larcombe Centre with a focus on PTSD in current serving defense force members and veterans. My main role is supporting discharge and I do this mainly through functional assessments, sensory assessments and interventions and group sessions.
2) In the community, supporting older people who receive home care packages. I support them by assessing their safety at home and recommending changes in their home and equipment to support their independence.
3) As an academic at Flinders University in the Health Sciences Program.

What do you like most about what you do?

I love the variability in my roles and having the flexibility to explore a range of aspects of the role of Occupational Therapy. While working clinically in mental health and physical health my main objective is to support people to return and stay at home and enjoy what is important to them. I like being able to support others to engage in what they love.

What is the achievement you are most proud of?

I am most proud of the work I am currently doing in mental health. I am linking virtual reality and Occupational Therapy together to provide treatment. This includes a clinical study that is currently underway as well as virtual reality session on the ward weekly. The aim of these sessions is to support emotional regulation through relaxation, breathing and distraction.

What Flinders experience has had a lasting impact on you?

The biggest impact on my learning was the opportunities I was given to take on placements. I was lucky enough to go to Darwin and India, the range of experiences I had as an OT student on these placements has shaped my practice and my personal life. I feel I appreciate the impact of culture and socioeconomic status. I am more creative in my problem solving because of the real world experiences I had while on placement.

What advice do you have for your younger self?

Be open to all the experiences you can personally and professionally while on placements as this is where you will learn the most. Give yourself time to reflect and learn from those experiences and how the can impact you for the better professionally and personally.

Celebrating 10 years of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy at Flinders – more graduate stories