Mental Health Specialization for OTs

The future for careers in occupational therapy is good, with expected growth of 27 percent through 2018. While generalists will have no trouble finding work, those that specialize will see expansion in a variety of areas. Mental health is one area that will potentially have significant gains into the next decade. Practitioners looking for a new challenge may want to investigate this slightly out-of-the–box specialization.

The number of OTs working in mental health has dwindled, but the number of people who need these services has expanded. A therapist working with mentally disabled clients develops individualized programs that assist in a client’s ability to adapt, function and cope with the challenges of daily life. Depending upon need, OTs assess and supervise their clients’ abilities for emotional and physical self care, from basics such as dressing to negotiating a job environment.

There is no typical client. Over the course of a day, a mental health OT may work with someone with clinical depression, a low functioning schizophrenic or a recovering addict.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is nationally recognized for their board certifications in specialized fields. Per their criteria, OTs need to be certified or licensed by and in good standing with an AOTA recognized credentialing or regulatory body. Within the last five years, prior to application, they must also have a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience as an OT and 600 hours of experience providing services in the area of their choice.

Mental health specialization is not a quick certification. The five areas of competencies and criteria that applicants must use for building their certification portfolio are as follows.

COMPETENCY A: Occupation and Mental Health
OTs must present examples of the relationship between occupational engagement and mental health to design and deliver prevention plans and wellness services that optimize quality of life.

COMPETENCY B: Occupational Engagement and Psychiatric Conditions
OTs must provide evidence informed by an understanding of a client’s psychiatric condition to design and deliver services.

COMPETENCY C: Mental Health Systems and Team Participation
OTs show evidence of how they collaborate with a client’s family and caregivers to further engage the client in their self care.

COMPETENCY D: Mental Health Systems and Team Participation
OTs provide examples of how they navigate the complexities of the mental health system and facilitate the coordination of services for clients.

COMPETENCY E: Advocacy
OTs demonstrate how they advance access to occupational therapy services for persons at risk and advocate for policies and programs that support client involvement in a variety of settings.

For more information: www.aota.org/certification.