Anyone an occupational therapist?

[BoomVan]

Any Occupational Therapists care to talk me through what their job involves? I think this is something I would like to do for mental health patients - providing practical support and exercises during serious illness and eventually rehabilitate them so they can deal with the day to day again.

So I have an unrealistic perception of what this job is? Can anyone provide specifics on what kind of activities they do with their patients?

Great you’re interested

have you looked in to what is involved in becoming an OT in the first instance?

Used to be a lot of OTs in post in my early career, they were absolutely invaluable. Seemed to get rarer over the years.
you could start here chooseot.co.uk/routes-into-occupational-therapy/
and www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/occupational-therapist.

I don't have a degree or a levels so it would be pretty much starting from scratch to achieve this.

That website was informative thank you. I work in finance at the moment so I have a problem solving mind but more in relation to mathematical problems!

Has anyone studied occupational therapy at university? Was it easy to get a job afterwards?

DS with ASD has been under OT care for 6 years and they are amazing. Massively helpful and practical. They have contributed enormously to his well-being and happiness, helping him to achieve things and gain independence and dignity.

He works with OTs at our LA. Resources are scarce and I think that the team finds it hard working under such pressure - not enough time with patients and not enough cash for the gear they need. They frequently seem to move jobs.

@reallyworriedjobhunter yeah I'm not surprised by that. My focus is because I felt my brother who was under a mental health team could have done with OT to help be a functioning adult again. He lost so much and didn't know how to get it back again after diagnosis. Pills aren't enough. But as I say, I could be thinking of an imaginary job as quite clearly OT wasn't available for him. To me it seems like an essential part of recovery and I only hope one that is used more regularly in the future.

@reallyworriedjobhunter dont want to derail, but can I ask what age your ds and how he got OT referral? My dd17 could really benefit from this, also ASD.