CLINICAL SUPERVISION: ENHANCING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE AND IDENTITY

Summary of the Workshop: There are significant challenges for occupational therapy practice in mental health settings. These include the recruitment and the retention of practitioners, articulating a differentiated role for... [ view full abstract ]

Summary of the Workshop:
There are significant challenges for occupational therapy practice in mental health settings. These include the recruitment and the retention of practitioners, articulating a differentiated role for the profession and demonstrating measurable outcomes that clearly relate to occupational therapy interventions. There is very strong evidence that clinical supervision is of measurable benefit not only to the effectiveness and well-being of workers in psychiatry / mental health but to actual outcomes for users of those services. In many mental health service contexts clinical supervision is mandatory for all clinicians, including occupational therapists.

This workshop explores participants’ notions and practices of supervision, with particular but not exclusive relevance to the mental health practice context. Drawing on participants’ own experience and knowledge and the extensive experience of the workshop leaders we explore not only some of the major potential contradictions, paradoxes and inhibitors commonly found in supervision practice but its potential to support the development and consolidation of professional identity and scope of practice in Occupational Therapy.

This interactive and experiential workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on their current experience and practice of supervision and provide opportunities to share knowledge, experiment with and hopefully incorporate new supervision practices and to deepen their understanding of professional identity in Occupational Therapy.

Maximum number of participants:
25

Brief description of intended participants:
The workshop is particularly suitable for Occupational Therapists providing or receiving supervision in mental health practice and /or interested in enhancing supervision skills in any practice setting.