|
|
 |
School of Occupational Therapy Content Approved by: |
|
|
Occupational Therapy OT e-news - Text only version Newsletter Issue: OneDate: May 2009In this first newsletter for 2009 it is important to begin by acknowledging that the beginning of the year, with the bushfires north of Melbourne and in Bendigo, was a very difficult time for many students and staff. The support and generosity of the La Trobe University and wider community has been remarkable but the ongoing ramifications of this terrible event will be felt for many years. In the midst of all this, the School was preparing to launch the new common first year program at the Bundoora and Bendigo campuses – the Bachelor of Health Sciences/Master of Occupational Therapy Practice. This exciting development is well underway, and if discussions emanating from the inter-professional classes are anything to go by, it would appear that students are enjoying mixing across the various disciplines in the Faculty. In this edition you will read about the new occupational therapy program in Bendigo which Dr Carol McKinstry is coordinating, and you will hear about the Outside Study Program (OSP) leave taken in 2008 by Dr Primrose Lentin and Christine Imms who will graduate with a PhD at the end of this first semester. The School welcomed Alex Logan and Philip Myer back to the School as lecturers in occupational therapy and occupational health and safety respectively. Daniel Clohesy has recently joined the School to teach predominantly in the physical intervention and the MOTPrac curricula. Two staff resigned from the School, Elspeth Froude took a tree change and returned to live in Launceston, and Primrose Lentin will leave the School in July this year to take up a position at Monash University. We were sorry to say farewell to Glenys French at the end of February this year. Glenys was a long time staff member of the School of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University and prior to that she taught at Lincoln Institute for many years and was also Head of the School from 1993 to 1997. I asked Glenys to reflect upon her career in Occupational Therapy. Her years of involvement with the profession are testament to the career opportunities available in occupational therapy. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Glenys’ significant contribution to the education of occupational therapy students and on behalf of students and staff, wish her well for the years ahead. Linsey Howie HOS Contents
Reflections on an Academic CareerI have been asked to say something about myself, and so have decided to reflect on the things that have led to my long association with the School of Occupational Therapy. When I joined the School as a tutor, it was an outstanding educational institution being one of the first places in the world to educate Allied Health Professionals together. It was an exciting place to be, and the educational vision established created the opportunity to work with colleagues from the disciplines on which the organisation of Lincoln Institute was based, and with other health professional groups who joined the organisation over time. We embraced problem-based learning and interdisciplinary clinical education without the numbers of students that has created challenges for the current programs. The profile of Occupational Therapy education was occupationally-based, included basic and applied science and provided an opportunity to learn skills that were related to potential patients work, leisure and self-care. For me, the opportunity to work with colleagues from other disciplines, to be involved in occupational therapy subjects as well as in the basic science subjects such as anatomy and kinesiology provided the variety and challenges that made coming to work each day an exciting prospect. It was fun taking students down to the loading bays at the nearby brewery “to examine the movements involved in the loading of kegs onto the delivery trucks”! Sadly the leafy environment at La Trobe University is not able to offer the same opportunity for learning, but the library is fantastic and the development of online learning has increased the flexibility of our educational processes. Our mentors and colleagues in education and in clinics provided the stimulus for ongoing enquiry on one hand, and the students provided a challenge to the authority we were attempting to bring to the class room and clinical setting on the other. While I have always been committed to the notion of occupation as a process for achieving health, it has not always been clear to me how this works. No wonder it was difficult for students. The development of theoretical frameworks for practice has provided a language that allows us to explore more easily what we do and how this relates to what our clients do. Our task as educators has been enhanced by the development of more effective occupationally-based outcome measures and the growing authority derived from qualitative enquiry in recent years. We can take up our role as advocates for the role of occupation in health promotion with a confidence based on research not available when I first came to academia. Being an academic has enabled me to continue to learn formally through the courses and research completed, and informally through the interaction with students, clinicians and a range of contemporary professional leaders met at conferences and in workshops attended. I have been able to lead and to follow in the academic context and with the support of professional colleagues, have created opportunities for students to think occupationally, to read critically, and to write professionally. It is the connection between occupation and human health and wellbeing, that continues to excite me. Sharing this excitement with colleagues and students is the basis for my long association with occupational therapy education. Dr Glenys French Professor Leeanne Carey 2009 AOTA & AOFT Award RecognitionAustralian researcher recognized for “outstanding contributions through research to the advancement of knowledge in occupational therapy”. Professor Leeanne Carey, BAppSc(OT), PhD, was elected into the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Academy of Research on April 25th, 2009 at the Awards Ceremony held at the AOTA’s 89th Annual Conference in Houston, Texas. The award is the ‘highest scholarly honor that AOTF confers and one of the highest of the occupational therapy community itself’. Since its inception in 1983, only 43 scholars have been inducted into the Academy of Research. Professor Carey is the first from Australia. Prof Carey travelled to Houston to receive the award and to meet with members of the Academy of Research. Membership in this group will provide new and ongoing opportunities to advance international collaborations and strengthen research foundations of occupational therapy. Prof Carey is founding head of the Division of Neurorehabilitation and Recovery at the National Stroke Research Institute, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Melbourne, Australia and holds an adjunct Professorial appointment at the School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University. Prof. Carey’s major research interest is development of approaches to rehabilitation that are founded on theories of neuroplasticity and learning, and empirically tested for both clinical and neuroanatomical outcomes. The clinical research focuses on the assessment and treatment of somatosensory and motor functions following stroke, and has included development of novel assessments and science-founded approaches to sensory rehabilitation. This research has been combined with investigating the functional neuroanatomical mechanisms of recovery post-stroke using functional MRI. Prof Carey’s work has been published in highly regarded journals such as Neuroimage, Neurology, Stroke, Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Journal of Hand Therapy and American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Prof Carey is on the editorial board for Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Occupational Therapy International and Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, is principal investigator for 19 grants totalling over $1.5 million, associate investigator on grants totalling over $2.5 million and held a prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Award (2004-2008) for the program of research titled Scientific Foundations of Neurorehabilitation Post-stroke. Common First Year (CFY)Over 115 students at Bundoora, 19 in Bendigo, and several staff in the School of Occupational Therapy including Kate D’Cruz, Mary Kennedy-Jones, Carol McKinstry, Penny Smith and me, Anne Williams, have successfully commenced studies and teaching in the Faculty of Health Sciences new common first year. That’s quite an achievement after the many years and hours of planning and preparation for this shift in health sciences education at La Trobe University. The cohort of 2009 OT students are the first to undertake the new double degree program: successful completion of a four year study program will qualify them with a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Occupational Therapy Practice. There was a great sense of anticipation amongst students and staff in the first week of semester, when all of the OT students met for their academic orientation. Tasks for week one included getting connected to the OT staff and other OT students through discipline mentoring sessions; developing an understanding of the skills needed to work in the new team-based learning environment, and learning about occupational therapy. In small teams the OT students created a shield to represent the qualities of their teams and prepared a presentation on the career of occupational therapy, suitable for a school careers information evening. Since week 2, OT students have attended workshops in four units of study, each involving a different team with a mix of students from other health science courses, including nursing, social work, health science and speech pathology students. Teams spent their first workshops sharing their PowerPoint presentations about their careers, then developing a team contract to shape the way they would work together on enquiries over the rest of the semester. We have seen some clear benefits of enquiry and team-based learning already: the OT students now have the opportunity to work with a much more diverse group of students and to develop their academic skills and confidence faster. Working in teams challenges and develops students’ interpersonal and time management skills, important skills required for health workplaces. At the same time, we see team members creating a supportive network for one another and the great benefits of students working together to collect, analyse, and present information for their enquiries. As one OT student said, “My team came up with ideas for our enquiry that I would never have come up with on my own”. Recently we held our second discipline mentoring session for the semester. This was a very successful panel presentation from four practising occupational therapists about what it is like to work as an OT and how their careers have developed. The students were very interested to hear about the diversity of work options in OT and opportunities for working overseas. The discipline mentoring program will involve regular sessions with all of the OT students throughout the year, so that they stay connected with the school and continue to develop their understanding of occupational therapy. Now five weeks into semester one, staff and students have settled into the routines of workshops, lectures and team-based learning. The western lecture theatres and health sciences three are a hive of activity as students meet, mingle and work together across disciplines. We are looking forward to a continuing positive experience for all in this new learning environment for the remainder of the common first year. Anne Williams Profile - Anne Williams2009 is a year of transitions for me as I enter the role of co-ordinator of the first year of the undergraduate occupational therapy course, so capably managed by Janet Fricke for many years. This is my fourth year working in the School of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University, in which I have predominantly worked with first and second year students in the undergraduate program. I came to La Trobe after many years working as an occupational therapist and Case Manager in a variety of Health Care Agencies and teams, both in Melbourne and in rural Victoria. During my career I have worked in mental health, occupational rehabilitation, physical rehabilitation and community health. Working in these different jobs and in the country for nine years, where there are fewer resources, have taught me about the value of being flexible and independent, plus the benefits of being a member of a supportive workplace team. These are some of the skills that students will now begin to develop in the new common first year through team and enquiry based learning. Another transition for me this year is to complete my Master of Occupational Therapy, including submitting a minor research thesis. My study has focused on factors in the work environment that support people with mental illnesses to retain their jobs. Being a student here as well as a staff member has increased my awareness of the current demands students face and has again highlighted to me the value of supportive relationships at work and in study. My supervisor, Ellie Fossey and other postgraduate students have been instrumental in supporting my research journey. I have found postgraduate study stimulating and the research process particularly enlightening. I recommend it to anyone curious about research: come and do it, it will open up a whole new world of learning. I have found the transition from clinical practice to education rewarding, and enjoy working with students as they progress with their studies. This year I am seeing some of the students who I taught in their first year enter the final year of occupational therapy studies and am working with two small groups of fourth year students as they complete their critical review unit. It is exciting to have been here long enough now to see the students reach this point, on the verge of their own transition from being students to being workers in the diverse opportunities that occupational therapy offers. Anne William Tree Change —Elspeth FroudeAfter 18 years of lecturing at La Trobe University School of Occupational Therapy, and 21 years living in Melbourne, we decided it was time for a change. Family ties and the lure of a more relaxed lifestyle lead us to a National Trust house on three acres just outside of Launceston. Internet access was a key priority that was all functioning a few days after our arrival. I now have the advantage of working with a view overlooking mountains and wineries. Our weekends are spent bushwalking and gardening and we even have sheep in our front paddock. The kids have all learnt to drive the John Deere and are spending considerably less time attached to a screen. I am still involved with the O.T school as an adjunct lecturer and I have recently taught in the paediatric masters unit with Christine Imms and am involved in the online part of the subject. I will also continue with honours and post graduate supervision. Unfortunately there is no OT school here in Tassie but I have been involved with supporting clinicians that are supervising students from the Monash OT school. I will also be doing some anatomy prac teaching through the school of Life Sciences at University of Tasmania. I am of course continuing as the Editor of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, which I commenced in May 2008. The journal continues to go from strength to strength now with 6 issues per year. The editorial board members come from all over Australia and we keep in touch through email and teleconferences. I miss my colleagues and the students at La Trobe but keeping in touch is so easy thanks to technology. Elspeth Froude Bendigo LaunchIn response to current and predicted ongoing workforce shortages of occupational therapists in central Victoria, the Bendigo La Trobe University Campus will have an intake of 25 first year students into the Bachelor of Health Sciences/Masters of Occupational Therapy Practice double degree program in 2009. The program will have the same course content and structure as the Bundoora Campus program, including the common first year with other students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Bendigo Campus Faculty of Health Sciences is undergoing significant expansion with the recent commencement of dentistry and oral hygiene courses, in addition to the increased numbers of physiotherapy students studying at Bendigo. Other courses at the Bendigo Campus include social work, nursing, public health (health promotion and environmental health) and pharmacy. The Bendigo Occupational Therapy Program is aiming to attract local students and at present is marketing the program to secondary school students in the central Victorian region. The commencement of the program will also increase career, research and postgraduate study opportunities for therapists currently working in the region For more information, please contact Carol McKinstry, PH: 5444 7416 OSP - Primrose LentinI was granted six months study leave in second semester 2008. I spent the time writing articles for publication from undergraduate and postgraduate research projects I had supervised, working with co-authors Marilyn Di Stefano, Jane Galvin, Isabelle Hatcher, Janeen Stewart and Karen Urlic. As well as this I worked on other writing projects related to my research and occupational science interests, and assisted Glenys French and Ellie Fossey in convening the Fifth Australasian Occupational Science symposium which was held at La Trobe. I also attended the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Victorian Chapter multidisciplinary study group sessions on the psychoneurobiological mechanisms associated with traumatic stress, reading Gazzaniga’s work on left and right split brain research, Joseph Le Doux’s writing on the emotional brain, Willem Kuyken on depression and Norman Doidge’s book “The Brain that Changes Itself.” Permission to develop a research project was obtained with RecLink Australia to investigate the outcomes associated with their community occupation-based programs. Others involved in the research team are Iliya Bircanin, Priscilla Ennals and Penny Griffin. I also established a research link with Dr Leeanne Carey, Division Head and Principle Research Fellow, Division of Neurorehabilitation and Recovery at the National Stroke Research Institute based at the Austin Hospital, and will be involved in future research investigating the occupational and psychosocial factors associated with stroke recovery. Primrose Lentin OSP - Christine ImmsIn second semester 2008, I took six months of OSP leave to focus on writing and research and to develop collaborations with researchers in my field. The goal of my leave was to complete a number of publications and develop my post-doctoral research plan. The largest writing task was to complete the preparation of a book with Karen Dodd and Nick Taylor. The book called Physical and occupational therapy for people with cerebral palsy: A problem based approach to assessment and management, will be published by Mac Keith press. While much of the time was spent at home writing, I was also able to spend a month working at McMaster University in Canada and a month at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. At McMaster University I met with Professor Mary Law and many researchers from CanChild. CanChild is an internationally recognized centre for research into childhood disability. During my time in Canada I worked on preparation of a grant to undertake a pilot study to refine a model of participation intervention aimed at promoting the leisure participation of adolescents with physical disability. The grant was successfully submitted on my return to Australia. In addition, while in Canada I flew down to Atlanta to attend and present at the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Disability annual meeting. In Sweden I worked with Professor Ann-Christin Eliasson and other researchers in the neuropaediatrics unit of the Astrid Lingrin Children’s Hospital at the Karolinska Institute. The focus here was to complete data analysis and preparation of a publication investigating the stability of a new classification tool for children with cerebral palsy. This paper is now in press in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. In addition to the publications already mentioned, I also submitted two other papers (one accepted and one under review) to journals and a book chapter to research methods book edited by Pranee Liamputtong. One of the most valuable outcomes of the OSP leave, and particularly the opportunity to travel overseas, is that I was able to spend time meeting with other researchers. As a result, I am now involved in two international research collaborations; one with Canada and the US that involves ongoing research in the area of leisure participation for children with a physical disability. The other collaboration is with researchers in Sweden that involves research into the utility of the ICF for children and youth with a particular focus on the participation construct. My OSP leave was supported by other members of staff taking on extra work to cover my teaching for which I am very grateful. It was an extremely valuable experience, opening up many future opportunities. Christine Imms OT PublicationsBook ChaptersBoyt Schell, B, Unsworth, C & Schell, J (2008) 'Theory and Practice: New Directions for Research in Professional Reasoning', Clinical and Professional Reasoning in Occupational Therapy, Ed(s). Barbara A Boyt Schell & John W Schell, Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer l Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health, pp. 401-431. Imms, C (2008) 'The evidence base for upper extremity intervention for children with cerebral palsy', Improving hand function in children with cerebral palsy: Theory, evidence and intervention, Ed(s). AC Eliasson & PA Burtner, London, Mac Keith Press, pp. 396-417. Paluch, T, Boltin, S & Howie, L (2008) 'Individual Blame or Systemic Failure? Re-evaluating occupational disengagement in an indigenous community', A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy, Ed(s). Nick Pollard; Dikaios Sakellariou; Frank Kronenberg, United Kingdom, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, pp. 155-161. Unsworth, C (2008) 'Review of Methodologies for Researching Clinical Reasoning', Clinical and Professional Reasoning in Occupational Therapy, Ed(s). Barbara A Boyt Schell & John W Schell, Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer l Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health, pp. 371-400. Refereed Journal ArticlesBlennerhassett, J, Carey, L & Matyas, T (2008) Clinical Measures of Handgrip Limitation Relate to Impaired Pinch Grip Force Control after Stroke, Journal of Hand Therapy, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp.245-252. Blennerhassett, J, Carey, L & Matyas, T (2008) Impaired Discrimination of Sensory Information About Slip Between Object and Skin is Asociated With Handgrip Limitation PostStroke, Brain Impairment, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.114-121. Brooks, S & Howie, L (2008) Therapist as researcher: Using Heuristic methodology in a study of spoken language in the therapeutic relationship, Gestalt Journal of Australia & New Zealand, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.13-31. Brown, T, Cosgriff, T & French, G (2008) Learning Style Preferences of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech pathology Students: A Comparative Study, The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp.1-12. Burggraaf, A & Bourke-Taylor, H (2008) Occupational therapy student's fieldwork placement: Institutional and community based rehabilitation models in the Solomon Islands, New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapists, Vol. 55, No. 2, pp.25-31. Carey, L & Matyas, T (2008) Effectiveness of Sensory Discrimination Training When Delivered By Family Members: A Pilot Study, Brain Impairment, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.140-151. Carey, L, Abbott, D, Egan, E & Donnan, G (2008) Reproducible activation in BA2, 1 and 3b associated with texture discrimination in healthy volunteers over time, NeuroImage, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp.40-51. Imms, C (2008) Children with cerebral palsy participate: A review of the literature, Disability and Rehabilitation, Vol. 30, No. 24, pp.1867-1884. Imms, C (2008) Review of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment and the Preferences for Activity of Children, Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp.386-401. Imms, C, Reilly, S, Carlin, J & Dodd, K (2008) Diversity of participation in children with cerebral palsy, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, Vol. 50 pp.363-369. Maglio, J & McKinstry, C (2008) Occupational therapy and circus: Potential partners in enhancing the health and well-being of today's youth, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 55, No. 4, pp.287-290. Mynard, L, Howie, L & Collister, L (2008) Belonging to a community-based football team: A ethnographic study, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 19/8/08 pp.1-9. Randall, M, Imms, C & Carey, L (2008) Establishing Validity of a Modified Melbourne Assessment for Children Ages 2 to 4 Years, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 62, No. 4, pp.373-383. Seitz, R, Matyas, T & Carey, L (2008) Neural Plasticity as a Basis for Motor Learning and Neurorehabilitation, Brain Impairment, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.103-113. Turner, C, Fricke, J & Darzins, P (2008) Interrater reliability of the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART) in a rehabilitation setting, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 55 pp.1-8. Unsworth, C (2008) Using the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures for Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs-OT) to Measure Outcomes for Clients Following Stroke, Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp.351-364. Urlic, K & Lentin, P (2008) Mental health consumers developed an understanding of their potential for work through doing work and becoming persons with possible work futures, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 55, No. 4, pp.293-295. Wheatley, C & Di Stefano, M (2008) Individualized Assessment of Driving fitness for Older Individuals with Health, Disabilty and Age-Related Concerns, Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp.320-327. Conference PublicationDi Stefano, M & Macdonald, W (2008) 'Design of on-road test routes: validity issues for assessment of functionally impaired drivers', Robert Anderson (ed(s)), Proceedings 2008 of the Australasian Road Safety, Research Policing and Education Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 09/11/2008, South Australian Dept for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure, Walkerville, SA, pp.462-469. AnnouncementsI am pleased to advise that Ellie Fossey from the School of Occupational Therapy has recently been appointed as the new Chair of the Faculty Human Ethics Committee. Ellie replaces Helen McBurney who served as the Chair of this Committee for many years. Linsey Howie Grants AwardedJane Galvin has been working with a team which has been successful in a getting a grant of $22,000 through the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The study is titled Prospective Investigation of the Impact of Peri-operative Factors on Development in Children Treated for Posterior Fossa Tumour. Carolyn Unsworth has also been successful securing a Grant for $10,000 – called “Pilot testing of a standardised off-road (clinic-based) assessment battery used in licensing recommendations for older and functionally impaired drivers” AwardsJane Galvin has been awarded one of five research exchanges (research ambassador) offered through the Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative – Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. Jane will travel to Canada in May for a couple of weeks to present her work and meet with experts in the field. Please see the next Edition of OT News e-News for further information regarding Jane Galvin’s Award Linsey Howie Adjunct AppointmentsWe are pleased to confirm the following Academics/Clinicians who have Adjunct appointments in the School. Some of you may not know that Adjunct appointments are important in contributing to the professional and intellectual aspects of teaching and learning and clinical practice. The School values Adjunct positions and the work Adjuncts do to ensure students receive contemporary knowledge and experience within, and external, to the discipline. For instance, Professor Leeanne Carey supervises students in the Honours program as well as students undertaking PhD studies in occupational therapy and other disciplines. Professor Mary Law at McMaster University is a co-supervisor of Helen Bourke-Taylor’s PhD Thesis. Associate Professor Carol Harvey, from the Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne has co-supervised several Master of OT students (Alexandra Logan & Tamar Paluch). Elspeth Froude is contributing to the paediatric curriculum in the undergraduate and entry level masters program. Adjunct Professors: Adjunct Associate Professor: Adjunct Senior Lecturer: Adjunct Lecturers: A baby girlAll Staff of Occupational Therapy wish to express their congratulations to Scott Presnell and partner on the safe arrival of baby Ruby. Linsey Howie HOS |
|
|
