Dark Occupations - 18 NOV 26
Mental Health Interest Group invites you to their November meeting
Program Overview
This is a free, member only session.
Please join the Mental Health Interest Group Community via OTA Connect here before registering.
OVERVIEW
This Interest Group (IG) is open to all OTA members working in or with an interest in the area of mental health. The aims of the group include:
• To provide opportunities for networking, professional development and education.
• To educate, provide support, and create a safe space to discuss clinical practice (research and evidence-based practice, innovative OT practice, lived experience).
MEETING DETAILS
TOPIC:
Dark Occupations
PRESENTERS:
Rebecca Twinley and Chris Helfrich
DATE:
Wednesday 18 November 2026
TIME:
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM | SA
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM | QLD
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | NT
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM | WA
MEETING PLATFORM:
Zoom: This session will be run on the Zoom Webinar Platform. Registrants will be sent separate login details one business day prior to the session. Please check all email folders for this information. This meeting will not be recorded.
Please ensure you have created an account with Zoom (Sign Up Free | Zoom) prior to joining the meeting.
If you have questions regarding the Zoom system requirements please visit: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697-Getting-Started
REGISTRATION FEES & INFORMATION
OTA Member: Free
If you are a non member who wishes to attend please contact us to discuss your options.
Registrations close Wednesday 11 November 2026 11.59pm AEDT
MEETING DOCUMENTS & RESOURCES
Agendas, resources and meeting minutes are available for members to download on the IG page once we have received these from the convenors. This meeting will not be recorded.
You must be logged in to access this page.
DISCLAIMER
Any material, content, advice or resources shared and discussed at interest groups is general in nature and is used to guide peer discussion and support only. Occupational Therapy Australia encourages all participants to think critically and appraise the content for individual circumstances. Occupational Therapy Australia does not necessarily endorse content delivered in these formats and accepts no liability for any consequences resulting from adhering to the content shared at interest groups. All opinions expressed by the convenor or other participants are the opinions of those individuals and do not represent or reflect the views of Occupational Therapy Australia, its affiliates or employees.
Interest Group Participants
By registering to attend, participants agree to actively contribute and show respect to all other participants. We ask you to take personal notes and monitor the Interest Group webpage for meeting resources. Occupational Therapy Australia reserves the right to remove members from an Interest Group at its discretion.
Presented By
Christine Helfrich
Presenter
Dr. Christine Helfrich is the Director of Scholarship and Research and a Clinical Professor in the OT Doctorate Program at Yeshiva University in New York City. She has worked clinically and developed student fieldwork programs across the spectrum of mental health settings. With federal funding, she defined the role of OT with survivors of domestic violence and unhoused individuals. Her evidence-based Life Skills Manuals focus on social learning and occupational justice for those least likely to receive OT services. She strives to understand and include the voice of clients in all aspects of research, teaching, service and fieldwork development. She is a member of the AOTF Academy of Research and a Fellow of the AOTA. She earned her BS in OT from Cleveland State University and her Post Professional MS in OT and PhD in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.