Staff profile

Dr Ellie Fossey

Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate courses co-ordinator

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Allied Health
Department of Occupational Therapy

HS3-416, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

DipCOT UK, MSc(Health Psychol) City, Lond., PhD (Melb)

Membership of professional associations

Occupational Therapy Australia; Mental Health Professionals' Network Project Reference Group; Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health Editorial Board

Area of study

Occupational Therapy

Brief profile

Ellie has conducted occupational therapy research and taught in occupational therapy undergraduate and postgraduate programs at La Trobe University in Melbourne since 1994, as well as in Singapore, and in previous positions with in South Australia and Coventry, England. Ellie is also an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Psychosocial Research Centre, co-located with Moreland Community Mental Health Service, Coburg.

Ellie’s research and teaching focus on frameworks for understanding people’s everyday lives and occupations; the ways in which these may be impacted by health conditions and changing life circumstances; and occupation focused practices. Ellie’s research has predominantly attended to occupational issues faced by people whose lives are disrupted by mental health issues. She has particular interests in qualitative and collaborative approaches to research, and has used a participatory approach to design and undertake a number of projects in collaboration with people experiencing mental health issues and service providers in the mental health sector.

Fossey, E. (2009). Participating as resisting: everyday life stories of people experiencing mental health issues. PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne

Research interests

Consumer participation

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Disability

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Rehabilitation

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Teaching units

  • OCT4HOB
  • OCT5ECB
  • OCT5ERA
  • OCT5OTA
  • OCT5OTB
  • OCT5PRD
  • OCT5ROT
  • OCT5RBA
  • OCT5RBB

Recent publications

Papers in journals

Chaffey, L., Unsworth C. & Fossey, E. (2012) Relationship between intuition and emotional intelligence among occupational therapists in mental health practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 88-96.

Conteras, N., Rossell, S., Castle, D.J., Fossey, E., Morgain, D., Crosse, C. & Harvey, C. (2012). Enhancing work-focused supports for people with severe mental illnesses in Australia. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, doi: 10.1155/2012/863203

Fossey, E., Harvey, C., Moktari, M. & Meadows, G. (2012). Self-Rated Assessment of Needs for Mental Health Care: A Qualitative analysis. Community Mental Health Journal, 48, 407-419.

Paluch, T., Fossey, E. & Harvey C. (2012). Social firms: Building cross-sectoral partnerships to create employment and supportive workplaces for people with mental illness. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 43(2), 63-75. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1448.

Rebeiro Gruhl, K. & Fossey, E. (2012). Partnerships that work in enabling employment for people with mental illness [Editorial]. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 43(2), 1-3. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1441.

Williams, A.E., Fossey, E. & Harvey, C. (2012) Social Firms: Sustainable Employment for People with Mental Illness. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation, 43(2), 53-62. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1447.

Chaffey, L., Unsworth, C. & Fossey, E. (2010). A grounded theory of intuition among occupational therapists in mental health practice. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 300-308. Fossey, E. & Harvey, C.A. (2010). Finding and sustaining mainstream employment: A qualitative meta-synthesis of mental health consumer views. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77, 303-314.

Williams, A.E., Fossey, E. & Harvey, C. (2010). Sustaining employment in a social firm: Use of the Work Environment Impact Scale v.2.0 to explore views of employees with psychiatric disabilities. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 531-539.

Ennals, P. & Fossey, E. (2009). Using the OPHI-II to support people with mental illness in their recovery. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 25, 138-150.

Krupa, T., Fossey, E., Anthony, W.A., Brown, C. & Pitts, D.B. (2009). “Doing daily life” as a means to health, personal growth and empowerment: Occupational therapy, psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 32, 155-161.

Curtin, M. & Fossey, E. (2007). Appraising the trustworthiness of qualitative studies: guidelines for occupational therapists. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54, 88-94.

Ennals, P. & Fossey, E. (2007). The Occupational Performance History Interview (OPHI-II) in adult community mental health settings: Consumers’ and occupational therapists’ perspectives. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54, 11-21.

Fossey, E., Harvey, C.A., Plant, G. & Pantelis, C. (2006). Occupational performance of people diagnosed with schizophrenia in supported housing and outreach programmes in Australia. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 409-419.

Harvey, C., Fossey, E., Jackson, H. & Shimitras, L. (2006). Time use of people with schizophrenia living in the community: Predictors of participation in occupations and their implications for social inclusion. Journal of Mental Health, 15, 43-55.

Cooper, J., Kennedy-Jones, M. & Fossey, E. (2005). Developing a worker role: Stories of four people with severe mental illness. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 52, 116-126.

Chaffey, L. & Fossey, E. (2004) Caring and daily life: Occupational experiences of women living with sons diagnosed with schizophrenia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 51, 199-207.

Farnworth, L. & Fossey, E. (2003). Occupational terminology interactive dialogue: Explaining concepts of time use, tempo and temporality. Journal of Occupational Science, 10, 150-153.

Farnworth, L., Nitikin, L. & Fossey, E. (2003). Being in a secure forensic psychiatry unit: every day’s the same, killing time or making the most of it. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 430-438. Gray M, Fossey E. (2003). The illness experiences and occupations of people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 50, 127-136.

Shimitras L, Fossey E, Harvey C. (2003). Time use of people living with schizophrenia in a North London catchment area. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 46-54.

Yuen M, Fossey E. (2003). Working in a community recreation program: a study of consumer-staff perspectives. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 50, 54-63.

Fossey E, Epstein M, Findlay R, Plant G, Harvey C. (2002). Creating a positive experience of research for consumers by sharing feedback. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25, 369-378.

Fossey E, Harvey CA, McDermott F, Davidson L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 717-732.

Meadows G, Burgess P, Bobevski I, Fossey E et al. (2002). Perceived Need for Mental Health Care: Influences of Diagnosis, Demography, and Disability. Psychological Medicine, 32, 299-309.

Fossey E, Harvey CA. (2001). A conceptual review of functioning: implications for the development of consumer outcome measures. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 91-98.

Meadows G, Burgess P, Bobevski I, Liaw ST, Fossey E. (2001). Australian general practice and the meeting of need for mental health care. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 36, 595-603.

Books and book chapters

Meadows G., Farhall, J., Fossey, E., Grigg M., McDermott, F. & Singh, B. (Eds.)(2012). Mental health in Australia: Collaborative Community Practice, 3rd edition. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780195574883.

Kielhofner, G. & Fossey E. (2006). The range of research. In Kielhofner G. (Ed) (2006). Scholarship in Occupational Therapy: Methods of inquiry for enhancing practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.

Kielhofner, G., Fossey, E. & Taylor, R. (2006). Disseminating research. In Kielhofner G. (Ed) (2006). Scholarship in Occupational Therapy: Methods of inquiry for enhancing practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.

Kielhofner, G., Fossey, E. & Taylor, R. (2006). Writing a research report. In Kielhofner G. (Ed) (2006). Scholarship in Occupational Therapy: Methods of inquiry for enhancing practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.

Older publications

Other publications since 2000

Fossey E. (2011). Furry companions: caring, affection and connections. New Paradigm, Australian Journal on Psychosocial Rehabilitation [Summer], 30-33.

Fossey E (2011) Invited Commentary [Waghorn et al. Reliability and validity of work-related subjective experiences among people with psychiatric disabilities]. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 18(3), 156-157.

Ponchard R, Talbot L, Rowe R, Fossey E (2010) People with mental illness in paid employment report that self management of mental health, and support in and outside the workplace helps them to remain employed [Evidence review]. OT Seeker, www.otcats.com

Fossey E, Bennetts W, Saunders S, McDermott F, Harvey C. (2004). Participating lives: Learning more about consumers’ aspirations and options for meaningful employment and other forms of occupation. New Paradigm: Australian journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, March 2004.

Fossey E, Irwin P, Cassidy L, King L, Cahill, L., Jess, J., Lescun, E. & Parker, L. (2004). Sunshine Friendship Quilters’ Group: a trip in a taxi, a yap, a good laugh and a cup of tea. New Paradigm: Australian Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, December 2004.

Dun C. & Fossey E. (2002) Promoting the process of recovery. In S Pepper (ed) Vol 1: Towards recovery (Series - Psychosocial rehabilitation: Working with people with psychiatric disability), pp 45-51. Melbourne: New Paradigm Press.

Fossey, E. (2001). The interdisciplinary team (Part 2): Effective interdisciplinary teamwork: an occupational therapy perspective. Australasian Psychiatry, 9(3), 232-235.

Fossey E, Urlic K. (2001). Evaluating occupational performance using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills: A mental health perspective. American Occupational Therapy Association Mental Health Special Interest Section Quarterly, 24(3), 1-4.

Fossey E, Yuen M, Giffen J. (2000). Facilitating occupational opportunities through consumer participation in service delivery in an Australian community mental health service. American Occupational Therapy Association Mental Health Special Interest Section Quarterly, 23, 2-3.

Meadows GN, Burgess P, Fossey E, Harvey CA. (2000). Perceived Need for Mental Health Care, Findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. Psychological Medicine, 30, 645-656.

Meadows GN, Harvey CA, Fossey E, Burgess P. (2000). Assessing perceived need for mental health care in a community survey: development of the PNCQ. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 35, 427-435.

Research projects

Current areas of research focus on the following topics with people experiencing mental health issues:

  • Participation in everyday life and social inclusion
  • Enabling return to study and support in postsecondary education
  • Improving employment opportunities, supports and career prospects
  • Consumer workforce issues and involvement in mental health services and research
  • Peer support groups
  • Perceived needs for mental health care