Policy and Advocacy Update Compensation Schemes 23 September

Important Update: Using Return to Work SA’s Separate Fee Schedule for Mental Health OTs

Members may recall that Return to Work South Australia (RTWSA) has introduced a separate fee schedule for mental health occupational therapists. While the fees themselves remain aligned with the main OT fee schedule, this initiative is a significant step toward recognising and better understanding the vital role of mental health OTs.

Why this matters:

• Highlighting Mental Health Services: The separate fee schedule allows RTWSA to specifically track the volume and type of mental health services being provided by OTs. This data is crucial for demonstrating the impact and value of our profession in the mental health space
• Advocacy and Future Planning: By identifying the specific contributions of mental health OTs, we can strengthen our advocacy efforts for further investment and support in this area. Accurate data will help us push for improvements that directly benefit both practitioners and clients
• Recognising Specialised Skills: This initiative is also a recognition of the specialised skills that mental health OTs bring to the table. Differentiating these services from general OT work underlines the unique role mental health OTs play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their clients.

Your Participation is Key: We encourage all mental health OTs to utilise the separate fee schedule to ensure your work is accurately represented and counted. By doing so, you help us build a clearer picture of the scope and impact of mental health occupational therapy within the RTWSA system. Please feel free to provide feedback to policy@otaus.com.au