Today I took possession of these:
Today I also spent a good portion of my children-at-school hours preparing a form for assessment. I have a 'referral' on hand and am preparing to see my first client late next week.
It does occur to me that there might be easier ways to get back into it. Setting up a new service with few resources or professional supports after more than 10 years out of the profession is not an easy job. I am grateful for the year I spent in Australia, brushing up on my knowledge and skills and collecting resources.
That time of preparation has given me a bit of a professional dilemma too. While I've been 'away', new methods of treatment have been developed and the research is showing them to be more effective than the way I was trained and worked. My observation is that most practising OTs in Australia haven't yet changed their ways much. It is all too new. However, as that is the way the research is pointing, I feel obliged to not just cling to what is familiar, especially as I am setting up something new here, I have the freedom to go in a different direction.
So, to add another variable to the pile that included a lack of resources, precedent in service provision and professional support; I have a change in methodology. Add to that the fact that I am a volunteer who is not intending to develop a time-intensive treatment-delivery service, I'm taking a journey into unknown territory (for me).
That is all probably nonsense to you. Can I try an analogy?
Let's see. You used to be a chef. But then you took a decade off to teach English in another country. While you were away from the profession there were many changes. Changes in recipes, changes in technology, changes in what was seen as healthy eating etc. When you came back, you did so in another country. Your work and all your training before was in restaurants. Your new position is as a mobile caterer. Actually you are starting up a new business as a consultant.
Can you see some challenges? I'm seeing quite a pile
On the positive side. I have a supportive school staff, several of whom I know personally. My first client family are friends who don't mind that they are a little bit like guinea pigs. I don't have a boss breathing down my neck. I don't have a salary that obliges me to produce results in certain time frames. I am free to make most of my own decisions.
I'm excited.
Disclaimer: I am not employed by CAJ, I am volunteering my professional skills, seeing CAJ and CAJ-related children. CAJ is, however, kindly allowing me to use their facilities.
4 comments:
Just curious Wendy on how you think things have changed or not changed in the way OTs practise here in Australia and the new treatment methods you're mentioning?
Wanting to compare your perspective with mine a little bit here! I agree with what you've said, just think that practice can sometimes take a while to catch up with the evidence...
I graduated in early 95 and worked until the end of 98, sometimes with kids, sometimes not. After that the COOP method and research started to come out. But I found as I moved around last year that many therapists are only just starting to (or not at all) incorporate this different approach to their work.
I do understand that practice takes a while to catch up. There are many reasons for that, including, it feels safest to keep doing what you've been doing all along. Plus therapists being locked into systems that are larger than then - namely where the funding for their programmes and wages comes from.
How's that go for my perspective?
OK then, sounds like your thought process is similar to mine. And I would add to the list of reasons why practice takes a while to catch up, others' expectations (or not) of what OTs actually do and how they do it.
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