Speakers

A Showcase of Specialist Occupational Therapy Roles and Projects within Devon Partnership NHS Trust

The seminar will showcase the specialist Occupational Therapy provision within Devon Partnership Trust, beginning with an overview of the diversity of our specialist services Occupational Therapy work within. We will outline current opportunities to include Occupational Therapy training, support post qualifying, career progression, values, culture and innovative projects going forward. 

There will be a closer focus on the development of the Occupational Therapy pathway with the Eating Disorder inpatient unit to include assessment of VDT MocA functional levels and sensory needs to structure specific appropriate OT interventions.  

The second project will share how the Learning Disability Occupational Therapists utilised a multi-element approach of bringing together sensory friendly environmental design, education and co-production to promote effective regulation of arousal, increase occupational participation opportunities and reduce restrictive practices. The presentation will share how the project formed, measured change and how it became part of the national reducing restrictive practice strategy. 

Speaker Bios: 

Aelfrida Palmer: Aelfrida is the Professional Lead Occupational Therapist for core services overseeing the adult and older adult directorates. Working for DPT for over 20 years in a variety of community, inpatient and specialist roles. She has a passion for research and is excited to have a paper soon to be published in the Lancet she co- authored in the area of psychiatric liaison.

Danielle Morgan: Danielle is an Advanced Specialist Occupational Therapist including advanced sensory integration practitioner, working within our specialist Learning Disability inpatient service. Danielle is actively involved in the development of the new Leaning Disability Unit which will be completed June 2024 to ensure its sensory friendly and trauma informed. 

Kristel Sebastian: Kristel has been Occupational Therapist for almost 3 years, following working in inpatient mental health Kristel secured the role of Specialist Occupational Therapist just over a year ago. Developing the Occupational Therapy pathway with-in the Specialist Eating Disorder Unit (SEDU) for Devon, Kristel has made strong links across the South West and beyond to explore emerging evidence based Occupational Therapy intervention for SEDUs to include VDT MocA functional levels and the use of sensory approaches for trauma and attachment.