ACOTUP - Newsletter - Issue 24 - 2015

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Join Occupational Therapists from across the globe
at these upcoming events or explore their websites:
Montréal, Québec
Eyesight to Insight: Visual/Vestibular Assessment and Treatment
2-day workshop with speakers Mary Kawar, OT in the state of
California and Carl Hillier, optometrist.
April 23-24, 2015
Turkey
International Neurology and Rehabilitation Meeting
June 4-6, 2015
Wyndham Grand Hotel Istanbul Levent
Tel Aviv
6th International Conference on Disabilities
July 6-9, 2015
Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv
Plan a TriP!
McMASTER UNIVERSITY
Innovative OT Practice in HIV-AIDS Service Organizations!
Akeen stakeholder group has developed innovative prac-
tice settings with HIV-AIDS Service Organizations
(ASOs), launched the pilots in the summer of 2014, and
continues work together in direct, consultative and programmatic
services through subsequent MSc (OT) clinical placements.
McMaster University, through Dr. Patty Solomon, Associate
Dean of the School of Rehabilitation Science and Lorie Shimmell,
Director of Clinical Education – OT, partnered with Stephen Tattle,
and Kate Murzin, who is the Aging Initiatives Lead of the Canadian
Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR). This part-
nership led to active work with ASOs’ Executive Directors and ex-
isting teams that enabled us to find the important intersections
between ASO clients’ needs and the roles of occupational thera-
pists. We were able to develop five clinical placements in student
OTs’ final placements, each eight weeks in length, which have re-
sulted in tremendous learning for all of us.
In addition to supervision by three registered occupational
therapists, the students and Lorie held weekly problem-based tu-
torial (PBT) group sessions, using teleconference for remote access
for this unique collaboration. We utilized in situ examples, main-
taining strict confidentiality, from the work and challenges in which
each student was engaging and used a group approach to discuss
and manage issues, share ideas and create innovative practice so-
lutions.
Throughout the clinical placement experiences, the five MSc
student OTs: Leah Ferreira, Samantha Langan, Laura Peters, Ellyse
Shacklady and Heather Vrbanac, were strong advocates in serving
clients, staff and the organizations by developing occupational ther-
apy roles at the ASOs. Collectively, we have gained a strong un-
derstanding of occupational issues for people served within ASOs,
assessment and intervention strategies and resources for a variety
of these needs. As well, these pilots promoted progressive perspec-
tives on the parts of our colleagues in the ASOs, about what occu-
pational therapy can provide in these settings. We have discovered
wide-reaching occupational issues that cross physical, cognitive
and emotional function for people, who, in many cases, are further
impacted by the dual experiences of aging and HIV-AIDS as a
chronic disability.
In tandem with these clinical placements, a Master student in
the Rehabilitation Science program has undertaken qualitative re-
search that focuses on the development of occupational therapy
roles through student clinical placement, seeking the perspectives
of clients, service providers and student occupational therapists en-
gaged in last summer’s collaborations.
Following successful acceptance of an abstract about this
work, Heather, Ellyse, Laura, Samantha, Leah and Lorie are prepar-
ing for a podium presentation at the upcoming 2015 CAOT Con-
ference in Manitoba, AB in May to share experiences and learning
that may well translate into other ASOs and MSc (OT) programs
across Canada.
For more information, please contact Lorie Shimmell shim-