Mental Health Practitioner

What is a Mental Health Practitioner

A significant amount of time within primary care is spent with people who have mental health and well-being needs. The time that is needed to address these needs can be significant, and it is often more appropriate for the person to see a skilled professional with training in mental health issues than other members of the team.

Occupational Therapists are the only Allied Health Professional (AHP) who are dual trained at degree level as both mental and physical health care professionals. Understanding the impact of developmental, physical, and mental health conditions on daily function and enabling participation in activities are unique and important contributions of Occupational Therapy.

Their practice spans across all age groups, and they have expertise in prevention, early intervention and self-management. This means that Occupational Therapists are able to function as an approved mental health clinician, extending their core professional role and engaging in an advanced level of practice within the context of mental health practitioner role.

Occupational Therapists in Primary Care provide the opportunity for people to access the right support earlier, and lessen the impact of mental health problems by focusing interventions on the outcomes that really matter to them.