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OTA Mental Health Endorsement Program
Member Programs
OTA Mental Health Endorsement
The OTA Mental Health Endorsement program provides recognition of the additional knowledge, skills and experience of OTs focusing their scope of practice on mental health.
The endorsement program sets a high standard for our profession and provides an important signal to practitioners, funders, and users of occupational therapy services about what the profession considers the foundation for safe and effective practice.
Important: the BAMH endorsement has been phased out and OTA is no longer accepting BAMH endorsement applications. To apply or re-apply you must go through the new process.
Applying for OTA Mental Health Endorsement
Essential Criteria for Endorsement
Two years of full-time equivalent supervised mental health experience as a qualified occupational therapist, is required as a minimum foundation for applying for endorsement including at least six months of full time equivalent supervised mental health experience in the last five years.
Training and clinical experience in the use of risk assessments (including mental state assessments) and safety planning is also an essential minimum requirement.
Example: A practitioner working 2.5 days per week exclusively focused on mental health (0.5 FTE) would need to work for four years to gain the necessary mental health experience.
Experience in some settings that are not exclusively focused on mental health, such as paediatric practice, can be considered eligible; however, the panel may ask for additional information about the type of mental health work and the proportion of your time working with mental health presentations as the primary diagnosis/presentation.
Access to, and use of, mental health-focused supervision is a requirement regardless of your practice setting and must be detailed alongside each relevant work role.
Note: your supervisor does not need to be OTA mental health endorsed, however, experienced in the relevant area of mental health practice.
Before applying
We strongly encourage you to read OTA's Mental Health Capability Framework before embarking on the endorsement application process. You should also work with your supervisor to identify any potential gaps and to make sure you understand the criteria before applying.
The Mental Health Endorsement is built on the foundations of the capability framework and while not all capabilities are assessed through the endorsement application process, there is a clear set of mental health capabilities which are required for endorsement. The capabilities listed should not be considered exhaustive but rather a minimum set of core mental health capabilities.
To apply:
- You must be a current member of Occupational Therapy Australia (to maintain this endorsement you need to keep your OTA membership)
- Please read all instructions and documentation carefully and follow instructions accordingly.
- Be mindful that you are applying as an individual. Your application needs to be a true and accurate reflection of your individual skills and experience.
- Applications will only be assessed using templates provided.
Please note: unsuccessful applicants will not be eligible to reapply for endorsement for a 3-month period. Please ensure you meet the essential criteria and provide all evidence and information required.
Application process
The application consists of two parts and a total of six sections which must be completed before lodging.
Part One
- Your details including a summary outlining reason for applying for endorsement
- Clinical experience - clinical focus and evidence of clinical employment history
- Prior training and continuing professional development
If an application is submitted which does not meet the essential criteria, the application will NOT be assessed. If you are unsure if you meet the criteria, please contact Occupational Therapy Australia to discuss further before applying.
Part Two
- Other prior developmental activities
- Demonstrating mental health capability
- Supervision and CPD planning
Applicants must also supply an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) and statutory declaration (signed by approved witness) when lodging their application form via info@otaus.com.au.
Application form and supporting documents
- Mental Health Endorsement application form (DOC, 67 KB)
- Statutory declaration for Mental Health Endorsement application (PDF, 367 KB)
- Mental Health Endorsement application guide (PDF, 630 KB)
Before filling in the application form, please read the application guide.
It provides prompts and guidance to assist you in completing your application and how you can demonstrate the capabilities and prerequisites required for the endorsement program.
Again, we strongly recommend reading OTA's Mental Health Capability Framework and talking with your supervisor before starting the application process.
Mental Health Endorsement FAQs
OTA has developed these FAQs for the Mental Health Endorsement that you may wish to review. Click the link to find out more.
Evaluation of Applications
Once the completed application form is submitted along with the supporting documents (CV and signed statutory declaration), it will be allocated to a peer review panel. The peer review panel meets regularly and assesses each application against the essential criteria for endorsement and competency against each capability area.
The applicant will be notified of the outcome of the review process.
Unsuccessful applicants are provided with feedback from the review panel. This feedback acts as a guide for development activities towards a future successful endorsement.
Please note: unsuccessful applications will not be eligible to reapply for endorsement for a three month period. This is to allow the applicants time to undertake development activities.
Funding schemes
The OTA mental health endorsement program provides access to mental health funding through Medicare, Department of Veteran Affairs, WorkSafe Victoria and more.
Endorsement is required to practice under the following:
- Medicare Better Access to Mental Health initiative
- Medicare Eating disorder treatment and management plan program
- Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) mental health programs
If you intend to provide services through other government funding programs - such as the Medicare Better Access initiative or Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) mental health funding - you should review the requirements for those programs.
While OTA mental health endorsement is a prerequisite for those funding programs, and our program is designed to align with their capability requirements, each program has its own guidelines which outline the specific services that can be provided. Individual government funding program also have their own compliance requirements which practitioners must understand and adhere to.
Better Access to Mental Health Initiative
OTA has produced a video guide to assist you with the process of applying for Mental Health Endorsement.
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