Meeting Your Local Member Guide

This guide is designed to support Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) members in preparing for one-on-one meetings with their local federal election candidates. It provides practical advice on how to prepare, conduct, and follow up after a meeting to effectively advocate for the occupational therapy profession ahead of the 2025 federal election.

OTA Submission: Aged Care Rules on the Residential Care Service

OTA was invited to meet with the Department of Health and Aged Care to discuss our submission to the Aged Care Rules on the Residential Care Service list. The Chief OT, Michelle Oliver and senior OTA policy staff met with the Department on Monday 3 March.

OTA's 2025 Federal Election Playbook

The OTA 2025 Federal Election Playbook is a key resource for OTA members, OTs, supporters of the profession, and government officials seeking to understand and shape policies that impact healthcare, disability, aged care, mental health, veteran care and workforce planning from the perspective of the occupational therapy profession.

Announcing OTA's Federal Election Advocacy Toolkit

With the 2025 Federal Election fast approaching, now is the time to advocate for occupational therapy. OTA’s Federal Election Advocacy Toolkit provides everything you need to engage with local candidates and highlight our profession’s priorities.

Mental Health Endorsement Application Guide

Download the Mental Health Endorsement Application Guide here.

Mental Health Endorsement - CPD & Supervision Summary

Download the Mental Health Endorsement - CPD & Supervision Summary form here.

Mental Health Endorsement Audit Guidelines

As an endorsed mental health occupational therapist, you are required to undertake activities to develop and maintain your mental health expertise in order to maintain your endorsement. OTA is required to ensure that all endorsed practitioners adhere to these requirements through regular audits.

Evidence-Based Care for Cognitive & Psychosocial Impacts of TBI

This survey examines practices, gaps, and barriers in cognitive and psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with moderate-to-severe TBI.

Maximizing Occupational Therapy in Residential Aged Care: Barriers & Enablers

This project aims to understand barriers and enablers to maximising occupational therapy's contribution in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Exploring perceptions of the allied health role in palliative and end of life care

This study aims to explore how allied health professionals work with older adults receiving palliative care and at end of life, in Australia; what unique input the various disciplines can offer, and what learning or professional development informs clinical practice.

Capability Framework for Working with Older People (Aged Care)

The Capability Framework for Occupational Therapists working with Older People (Aged Care) proposes a series of capabilities (knowledge, skills and attitudes) for occupational therapists practising across different aged care settings and support structures. The framework acknowledges that aged care is a complex and multifaceted area of clinical practice and is within the scope of all registered occupational therapists.

New Aged Care Act

The Aged Care Bill 2024 was passed by Parliament on 25 November, incorporating additional amendments.

Mental Health Medicare Mental Health Centres Grant Opportunity

A grant opportunity for the delivery of Mental Health Medicare Mental Health Centres centralised tele psychology and tele-psychiatry service was released on 23rd December with the closing date for applications on 31 January.

Residential Care Service List Consultation - February Update

The Department of Health and Aged Care is consulting on the Aged Care Residential Care Service List following recent feedback received on the broader Aged Care Service List.

Opportunity to Participate in a Study on Outcome Measurement Tools in Aged Care

Researchers are seeking participation from health professionals from a range of backgrounds to participate in a study titled "Aged Care: GEM-OMATIC: Geriatric Evaluation and Management: Outcome Measures that are Automated, Timely, Interoperable and Consolidated".

Draft Guidance on Strengthened Quality Standards

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is creating guidance resources to help providers and workers understand and comply with the Strengthened Quality Standards. OTA has provided feedback on the draft materials, and the Commission is now updating the resources based on input received.

PHN: Allied Health in Primary Care Engagement Framework

The National PHN Allied Health in Primary Care Engagement Framework seeks to define the scope and role of PHN engagement with Allied Health, in line with the above shared leadership approach.

DHAC: National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management

The Action Plan will provide a key step towards a national and holistic policy framework that will support consumers, health practitioners and the wider community to improve the quality of life for people living with pain, their families and carers and minimise its impact.

DHAC: Progress Report - Implementation of the Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

The report provides an objective and independent assessment by the Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care on progress of the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations. It identifies progress against each recommendation, presents stakeholder views and initial observations.

DHAC: A New Model for Regulating Aged Care Consultation Paper No.1

This paper opens consultation with stakeholders to inform a new model for regulating aged care, which is referred to in this paper as the ‘Regulatory Model’. This paper is the first in a series of consultation papers that will develop the different components of the model in more detail.

Capability Frameworks

Occupational Therapy Australia’s capability frameworks propose what best practice looks like in a particular area across the career pathway. Each framework outlines a set of capabilities that occupational therapists may use in their area of practice at the foundational, intermediate or senior practitioner level.

Aged Care

OTA are actively working towards a better Aged Care sector that supports our profession to deliver the high quality, specialised services our older population want and need.