Overview:

With a partner, you will prepare and deliver a 15-minute oral presentation to show your understanding and ability to apply knowledge pertinent to Enabling Work Participation as an occupational therapist. It is expected you will demonstrate effective and professional presentation skills, building on the skills you have already used in Year 1 & 2. Groups will have the opportunity to select from a list of topics in a Moodle Choice activity in Week 1. Each topic may only be selected once- the first students to choose their topic will be allocated to that option.

Together, you will independently research professional literature and relevant legislation to identify factors that influence practice as an occupational therapist in a treatment team for a selected enabling work context. You must:

1. Explain the OT & team roles: Clearly outline the role of the occupational therapist, including our unique contribution to a team who works with clients in the context allocated. Give examples of the expected range of work enabling responsibilities and duties for an occupational therapist in the team. Explain who else would be in the team. Provide a brief summary about what each of the other key professionals and stakeholders in the team contribute to the process of enabling client’s work participation. Provide evidence to support your choices. (suggest 4-6 slides) (20 marks)
2. Explain how the Legislation and OTAustralia Code of Ethics (2014) apply to the allocated practice area: In your own words, synthesise pertinent information from the relevant Legislative Act focusing on why the legislation allocated with your area of practice is important to consider. Do not simply present long sections that are copied directly from the legislation and code. Discuss how the legislation and the OT Australia Code of Ethics (2014) are used by an OT to guide service delivery in the work enabling role you described in Part 1. What should occupational therapists ensure they do when working in this area of practice to address the legislative and ethical obligations? (suggest 4-6 slides) (20 marks)
3. Explain how the OT role and legislation demonstrates occupational justice: Clarify how occupationally just practice is impacted by the legislation in your selected work enabling context. Do not simply give an explanation of what the four occupational justice principles are. You must synthesise reasons why occupational therapists are interested in occupational justice that enables work participation in this area, what legislation mandates for both the client and occupational therapist, and future possibilities for occupationally just practice in this area. (suggest 3-4 slides) (20 marks)
4. Facilitate a class discussion: Develop 2 questions to ask your audience to facilitate discussion in the 5-minute question time after your presentation. Please do not prepare any new information to present during question time. Make sure your questions are easily able to be answered by your peers in relation to what you have already presented. (suggest 1-3 slides) (20 marks)
5. Engage your audience: Deliver your presentation using a high standard of verbal and non-verbal communication, with appropriate use of multimedia and within the time limits set (minimum 12-maximum 17 minutes) for the 15-minute presentation and maximum 5 minutes’ question time. (5 + 5 =10 marks)
6. Share key resources: Briefly present 2 key non-legislative sources from your Annotated Bibliography of 6 sources (the Bibliography will include your selected Legislative Acts but you should already have discussed these in #2). Provide your whole Bibliography as an electronic resource for your peers via the OCCT13001 Moodle General Discussion forum before your presentation. If you do not share your annotated bibliography with your peers before the presentation you will not obtain any marks for this component. (suggest 1-2 slides for 2 key sources) (10 marks)

IMPORTANT: Any content not presented within the maximum time limit of 17 minutes will not be marked. Class Discussion up until total of 22 minutes will be included in marking. To be fair to all students, we are not able to allocate any other class time during the term for this assessment, even if an extension is approved by teaching staff. Therefore, any student who is not able to present in class on the scheduled day in Week 6 will not be eligible for any marks for the class discussion.

Overview:

Scenario: You are the occupational therapist acting as a generic case manager for the referred client, Mrs. Andrea Sullivan. In this case, you are working in a consultative role for WorkCover, planning and overseeing the range of treatments and interventions that Andrea requires to return to work after her work-related injury. You will usually refer Andrea to a range of appropriate health professionals to deliver direct interventions (including occupational therapy) in your case management role. It is rare that you would deliver client interventions directly when working as a case manager.

Your task: Complete a realistic initial needs report template for Andrea. This report will enable clear and effective communication with the treatment team. It will also enable insurer funding approval so Andrea can commence her rehabilitation program to support her eventual return to work. You will need to research best practice for managing the type of injury she has and suggest appropriate strategies for all phases of her recovery from injury. Ensure all interventions align with client centred goals for improving Andrea’s function. You can assume that Andrea is collaborating with you as the case manager so her management plan is client centred.

Essential documents provided in Moodle Assessment Resources folder:

Client case history interview transcript, Work Capacity Certificate, completed K10 and Orebro questionnaires, initial needs report template.

Use all of these documents, along with information from published research, textbooks, and OCCT13001 lectures, to inform your professional reasoning when completing all sections of the report template. The template available in Moodle contains the specific details for what information you should include in each section of the report:

• Client details and dates of initial assessment
• History of injury
• Treatment and medical history
• Work role history and psychosocial status
• Work duties and physical demands
• Analysis of symptoms impact
• Summary of barriers to occupational engagement
• Client goals
• Recommended interventions
• Recommended Action Plan
• Reference list
  

Use of professional language and medicolegal writing style expected for this report:

• Use third person past tense for history, assessment (client was referred, Assessments were carried out)
• Use third person present tense for work duties, job demands, analysis and barriers (is able to, using both hands to)
• Use third person future tense for Goals, Interventions and Action Plan (In 3 weeks, client will…., Case manager to refer to…)
• Use professional terminology (soft tissue injury, hydrotherapy, home exercise program etc)
• Do not use colloquial phrases unless it is presented as a “direct quote” from a client (it was “okay”, “felt a twinge”, “took it easy”, “smokos” etc)
• Do not use abbreviations or acronyms unless you have clearly defined what they mean first
• Maintain an objective and factual tone with your content. Make sure you are cautious about information the client has reported but may not have any evidence for.
• Avoid value judgements not based on fact (could barely drive, has a great family, is really wanting to RTW)
• Keep your sentences short and succinct. Do not include long sentences if you can use dot points.
• This type of report may be subpoenaed by a court of law. Do not attribute blame to any person, this is not our role. It could be read by lawyers, judges, the client, and the employer. Keep this in mind as you write your information, carefully choosing words that accurately reflect the intended meaning.

Word count:

There is no set word count limit for this report. However, you should be careful to present your information as concisely as possible while covering all of the key elements required. In real-world practice, the time taken to develop long wordy reports may not be fully funded. Efficient production of written reports to meet industry standards is a critical professional skill to master.

1. Succinct, accurate and professional recording of client information that meets medico-legal documentation standards (20 marks)
2. A comprehensive description of the client’s current status providing clear links to work engagement issues. (10 marks)
3. Succinct and accurate analysis of all key work duties and physical demands to depth in the example given, using correct demand type and frequency terminology. (15 marks)
4. Comprehensive analysis of the impact of the condition (symptoms and function) on all of the client’s key occupational roles and tasks. (6 marks)
5. Provides an effective summary of all barriers to work engagement. (6 marks)
6. Measurable and realistic goals clearly address all symptom management, physical, psychosocial and work engagement needs. (8 marks)
7. Effective reasoning and justification for all proposed interventions by the client management team, which reflects legislation and the best available current evidence for the client condition and context. (15 marks)
8. Clear, comprehensive and appropriate client plan for symptom management, increasing function and re-engaging in a meaningful work role. (15 marks)
9. High-quality sources correctly cited in APA 6 style clearly support statements made and reflect contemporary best practice evidence. (5 marks)

Overview:

This assessment requires you to apply the work enabling skills and knowledge you have developed throughout this unit of study.

Scenario: You are the occupational therapist who has received a referral from the WorkCover Case manager. You have been asked to develop a written Recover at Work Plan for the injured client that meets the treating doctor's recommendations. You have arranged a workplace assessment to observe work duties that the client's employer thinks are suitable for the Plan. You have also been asked to monitor the client once they commence the Recover at Work Plan. You should ensure your Recover at Work Plan has embedded adherence to relevant legislative requirements.

There are two parts to developing the Recover at Work plan for the client case.

Part A: Job Task Analysis

The Job Task Analysis component is to demonstrate your client work assessment skills. You will watch a video to assess a worker completing two usual work duties. You will then complete a Job Task Analysis template. In the template, you will record what you observe from the client video in relation to the person and the environment that they are working in. You will describe the job task duties, identify the relevant (critical) physical demands, and analyse the worker functional capacity to help you select and upgrade appropriate work for the client’s Suitable Duties Plan.

Part B: Suitable Duties Plan

You will then use your Job Task Analysis to complete a graded Suitable Duties Plan that meets legislative and best practice requirements.

Essential information available in the Assessment Resources folder on Moodle:

Worker background history, Work Capacity Certificate for the injured worker, Job Task Analysis template, Suitable Duties Plan template.

In your Part A: Job Task Analysis, you must:

1. Select and describe the key requirements of the two job task duties from your observations of the worker videos and using the worker case history information provided.
2. Use the Job Task Analysis Template to analyse the physical demands of each duty observed.
3. Analyse the worker functional capacity for meeting each physical demand listed in the template. Use your professional reasoning to provide a rationale for how you will include upgrading of each demand in the SDP.

In your Part B: Suitable Duties Plan you must:

1. Include all stakeholder details and information about the worker’s pre-injury work role.
2. Write a long-term (6-12 months) goal and short-term objectives (methods for achieving the goal) for the Suitable Duties Plan. Include dates plan starts and finishes.
3. Clarify any medical restrictions and functional limitations of the worker according to the case information provided.
4. Select graded suitable work duties for the worker to complete over a four-week period, completing the Suitable Duties Plan Template. Ensure your upgrading is steady and not too fast or too slow to achieve your SDP aims.
5. Describe how and when the suitable duties plan will be monitored. Describe the process to occur to manage any client symptoms increase during the SDP.
6. Discuss recommendations for rest breaks, symptom management and any assistance required with work tasks, along with in-text citations of evidence supporting your statements.
7. Provide a covering letter to your treatment team explaining the purpose of the plan and any abbreviations used in the SDP.
8. Provide a reference list of minimum 5 APA 6 style sources that includes relevant legislation, support for contemporary best practice interventions and occupational therapy models and practice principles that inform your Suitable Duties Selections, accommodations, and upgrading.
9. Submit your completed Job Task Analysis and Suitable Duties Plan to Moodle by the due date. Please submit these files as two separate documents.

Word count:

There is no set word count limit for this report. However, you should be careful to present your information as concisely as possible while covering all of the key elements required. In real-world practice, the time taken to develop long wordy reports may not be fully funded. Efficient production of written reports to meet industry standards is a critical professional skill to master.

1. A concise description of job task duties. Correctly identifies & analyses key components of critical physical demands for two work duties. (4 marks)
2. Correctly describes worker current capacity for each work task and provides a clear rationale for the upgrading of task demands in SDP. (26 marks)
3. Succinct and accurate recording of client information that meets medicolegal documentation standards. (5 marks)
4. Measurable, timely realistic goal and objective that are specific, factual, accurate and concisely stated. (5 marks)
5. A concise summary of the client’s current restrictions and functional status clearly outlining key barriers to work engagement. (5 marks)
6. Selects appropriate work duties, describes restrictions succinctly, using correct terminology and abbreviations. (10 marks)
7. Clearly discusses all potential outcomes of the plan. Provides brief summary and justification for follow up actions to be taken by key stakeholders in the event of each outcome. (10 marks)
8. Recommendations are clearly stated, appropriate, and supported by professional evidence. (10 marks)
9. Effective reasoning and justification for all communications with the client management team before and during the Suitable Duties Plan, which reflects legislative obligations and best practice principles. (10 marks)
10. Provides professional written communication that concisely outlines the purpose of the plan, explains all abbreviations and clearly directs immediate documentary actions required by stakeholders. (10 marks)
11. Minimum of 5 high-quality sources correctly cited in APA 6 style clearly support statements made and reflect contemporary best practice evidence. (5 marks)