Occupational Therapy Services at Northern Health

Occupational therapists often work as part of an integrated healthcare team with other health professionals. They work with a range of clients in both the public and private sectors throughout Australia. You can find occupational therapists working in a range of practice areas in public hospitals and health centres as well as in private practice.

Working with children

• Assisting children to achieve their developmental milestones such as fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Educating and involving parents, carers and others to facilitate the normal development and learning of children.

Rehabilitation and aged care

• Assisting clients to regain or enhance their daily lives after specific events such as hip replacement or stroke.
• Assessing and modifying clients' home and community environments to improve their safety and independence.
• Prescribing and educating clients and carers in the use of adaptive equipment to assist function.

Acute Care

• Specialist interventions in various health conditions including surgery, burns, HIV and acute mental health.
• Assessing clients' cognition, function and psychosocial needs.
• Monitor clients' function and progress, prescribe adaptive equipment to ensure safety upon discharge from hospitals.

The Northern Health Occupational Therapy Department employs in excess of 50 EFT of Occupational Therapists, Allied Health Assistants and administration support staff.

Occupational Therapy has a strong commitment to staff development, research, client-centred care and evidence-based practice. We are supported by the Allied Health Directorate, which has a strong emphasis on building links and resources that are allied health focused. All staff is encouraged to actively take part in service development, through participation on site based and health service wide committees and projects.

Committees
Northern Health Occupational Therapy Departments have 2 committees and several cohort groups that are structured around issues of workforce, competency and clinical effectiveness. Some of the achievements of these committees include: grade one rotation evaluation, staff orientation, ongoing training needs analysis and provision of appropriate education, review of treatment protocols, working towards raising awareness of consumer participation, review of educational resources, development of student information packages, maintenance of the Occupational Therapy internet site and development of an Occupational Therapy Charter.

Service and Programs

Acute and Community Care Programs
(The Northern Hospital/Craigieburn Health Service/Panch Health Service)
The Northern Hospital
The below services are provided to a range of patients in various wards throughout the hospital, with most referrals being internally generated. Following assessment and intervention, Occupational Therapists provide input into the discharge planning process.

• Emergency Department (ED) / Short Stay Unit (SSU)
• Medical Assessment and Planning Unit (MAPU)
• Inpatient General Medical Units (Units A & B)
• Inpatient Orthopaedics and Plastics Unit (Unit C)
• Inpatient Surgical Unit (Unit D & E)
• Orthopaedic and Aged Rehabilitation Service (OARS)
• Child and Adolescent Health Unit (CAHU)
• Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Outpatient Service 
• Orthopaedic Pre-Admissions Clinic

Continuing Care Programs
(Bundoora Extended Care Centre/Broadmeadows Health Service)

INPATIENTS
There are 3 inpatient wards as follows:

• Rehabilitation Unit 
• Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit
• Palliative Care Unit (BHS only)

OUTPATIENTS
The outpatient services are managed through:

• Community Therapy Service (CTS)
• Activities of Daily Living Display Centre (BECC only)
• Continence Clinic (BECC)
• Falls and Mobility (BECC)
• Pain Management Clinics (BECC)
• Cognitive Dementia & Memory Services (CDAMS) - BECC
  

Careers
Rotations 
We have 10 Grade 1 rotational positions across the health service. The rotations are organized to give therapists a broad range of skills across a variety of clinical programmes and to encourage increased understanding of the Occupational Therapy role across the continuum of care. We also have a number of permanent grade one positions across the health service.

There are nine 6 month rotations:
Acute General Medicine (TNH)
Acute Orthopaedics -adults and paediatrics (TNH)
Inpatient Rehabilitation (BECC and BHS)
Inpatient GEM (BHS)
Inpatient GEM and TCP (BECC)
Community Therapy Service SACS (BECC and BHS)Community Therapy Service HACC (BECC)

There is also one 12 month rotation:
Acute Inpatients and Hand Therapy (TNH)

Link to NH Careers page

Student Clinical Education Information
Northern Health Occupational Therapy (incompassing the Hand Therapy Dept) is affiliated with many universities, including Latrobe & Charles Sturt Universities. The Occupational Therapy Dept is able to provide core clinical placements in a number of different clinical areas at each site.

Research and Achievements 
The Occupational Therapy Service actively supports occupational therapist wanting to undertake research in their field of speciality. 
Allied Health Learning and Research page

Contact Us
alliedhealthenquiries@nh.org.au

Links to External Organisations
Occupational Therapy Australia
Occupational Therapy Australia Victoria