Main description:

This ground-breaking text provides a comprehensive guide to the occupational therapy profession in Australia, from the profession's role in the health care system to the broad scope and nature of its practice.

The book is organised into three sections: the Australian context; professional issues and practice issues. Contributions from 80 Australian occupational therapists working in education, research, policy and practice bring together the most relevant and up-to-date information in this essential book. The authors begin the Australian environment section with an overview of the Australian health care system, a history of occupational therapy in Australia and the role of Australian occupational therapy professional associations and regulatory bodies. The values and philosophy of occupational therapy, ethical and legal aspects of practice and the role of occupational therapy in population health and health promotion are considered next. The professional issues covered in the book include using effective communication skills, client-centred practice principles and a strength-based approach when working with individuals, families, groups, communities, organisations and populations. Additional topics, including occupational science, the education of occupational therapists, research in occupational therapy, evidence-based practice clinical reasoning and occupational therapy models of practice, are also covered in the middle section of the book.

Occupational Therapy in Australia: Practice and Process Issues is established as the essential practice reference for students, practitioners and educators in Australia. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes new chapters on communication skills, environmental aspects of occupational therapy practice and decolonising occupational therapy through a strength-based approach to practice.

Contents:

Part I: The Australian context

1. An introduction to occupational therapy in an Australian context

2. Australia's health and health care system

3. History of Australian occupational therapy

4. The role of occupational therapy professional associations and regulatory bodies in Australia

5. The scope of practice of occupational therapists in Australia: roles, responsibilities, and relationships

6. Values and philosophy of occupational therapy

7. Ethical and legal responsibilities of occupational therapy practice

8. Occupational therapy in population health and health promotion

Part II: Professional issues

9. Skills for effective communication in occupational therapy practice

10. Working with clients: client-centred practice

11. Decolonising occupational therapy through a strengths-based approach

12. Occupational science in Australia

13. The education of occupational therapists in Australia: academic education and practice education

14. Research in occupational therapy

15. Evidence-based practice in occupational therapy

16. Clinical reasoning in occupational therapy practice

17. Occupational therapy models of practice

Part III: Practice issues

18. Fundamentals of occupational therapy: understanding the environment

19. The occupational therapy practice process

20. Core business: task, activity and occupation analysis

21. Understanding human occupations: self-care, productivity, leisure, play, education, sleep, and social participation

22. The development of occupations across the lifespan

23. Occupational therapy practice contexts

24. Emerging professional practice areas: focus on technology

25. Occupational therapy assessment

26. The role of occupational therapy in primary health care in Australia

27. Occupational therapy practice in regional, rural & remote Australia

28. Population and community occupational therapy practice and project management in Australia

29. Advocacy, promotion, leadership and entrepreneurship in the occupational therapy profession in Australia

30. Looking forward: occupational therapy in Australia's future