I find it very difficult not to become evangelical when writing about OT, coaching and the potential the OT profession currently has. In my ezine I try and keep personal opinion out (probably unsuccessfully but hey ho!), and in formal publications its even more important to be “neutral”.
But I don’t feel that keeping neutral serves us in terms of passion, ideas and creative thought!
I am always constantly amazed at how highly skilled, professional and competant Occupational Therapists are. We have an exceptional knowledge base…one that no other profession can boast. We know about the stuff of being human and how to make life the best it can be: we don’t just work with one aspect of life or one approach. Its not just health or injury related industries, that are looking at ways they can improve their businesses and the lives of people in them. Interpreting our skills and philosophy in a transferable way is key to creating new opportunites. The world is finally waking up to the value of engagement, participation and occupation and creativity.
I often have a rant when I see or met people involved in enterprises which seem completely at home in the OT arena. Two such examples are the Upstream project in Devon and the Lightbox project in Bristol. I was working in Devon when the Upstream Project was started and couldn’t fathom why such a project didn’t have an OT at its core. The project was about engaging people who are isolated socially and rurally (elderly or disabled) by using activities, especially creative activities. The Lightbox project is run by psychologists using Positive Psychology and Creativity to promote mental wellbeing: duh! completly the heart of OT. I have many other examples but would just be ranting and I don’t want to dimish the fabulous nature of these projects, I am just sad that our profession appeared to “miss out” on something which we have been doing for over 150 years…….
But today…I recieved some joyful news from an OT who is doing a Phd looking at OT’s in Social Enterprise. It was like being given a cup of nectar.
Anna Stickley (Anna.Stickley@northampton.ac.uk) is in contact with over 20 enterprising OTs who have set up a Social Enterprise including:
- using sports in the community with clients with MH, D&A probs to promote wellbeing and engagement
- use of Animation Therapy, headed by an OT
- Sensational Kids, a well established SE
We also talked about the opportunity of independent OT’s joining together to form Social Enterprises to offer services back to the NHS or other statutory bodies, like some midwivery services currently do.
This is what adapation, creativity, vision and self belief in our profession is about. We don’t have to get scared by the fears that seem to abound like “the NHS is being dismantled…its awful” “there are no OT jobs out there” etc. Fear freezes us and dissolves creative thought and passion in an instant.
We create opportunites by embracing the challenges out there and looking at offering what we have in a different way: adaptation…we do it with our clients all the time.
I will be writing more about this over the coming months, but if you have an idea and want to work differently, this is your time. Be courageous, be creative, be resourceful.
Jen
