Supporting workforce development and education for occupational therapists working in Victoria's public mental health and wellbeing sector
The statewide mental health Occupational Therapy educator role is to support leadership, workforce development and education for occupational therapists working in Victoria’s public mental health and wellbeing sector. The role also contributes an occupational therapy perspective to broader workforce initiatives.
The statewide mental health Occupational Therapy educator will continue delivering occupational therapy-specific workforce development and education activities, aligned with the priority areas identified in the statewide occupational therapy scoping report, and strategic plan for the Public Victorian Area Mental Health Leadership Network “Together we go further”.
Prepared by the CMHL Statewide Mental Health OT Educators, this report presents findings from a four-month engagement with all 24 Victorian Area Mental Health Services conducted in 2020-2021. It establishes a baseline understanding of the OT workforce profile across Victoria, identifying gaps, strengths and shared priorities to inform strategic planning and guide the CMHL Statewide OT Educator role.
The first revision since its 2021 launch, developed collaboratively with all 21 Victorian Area Mental Health Services and endorsed in February 2024. Grounded in the 2021 Statewide OT Workforce Scoping, it sets out four strategic directions, being Influence, Workforce, Connect, and Showcase, to advance the OT profession and strengthen the workforce across Victorian public mental health services.
Look through a summary of the priorities and the types of resources available for each below or jump straight in to the resources page.
Supports OTs to implement sensory modulation approaches across the lifespan in mental health settings, covering sensory processing assessment, strategy development, and environmental considerations for individuals from infancy through to older adults with dementia.
Resources include downloadable handouts and infographics, standardised assessments, and textbooks and manuals covering sensory modulation theory, group programs, and self-regulation curricula.
Focused on helping OTs access, structure, and improve the quality of professional supervision within Victorian public mental health services.
Resources include a training summary document covering online, face-to-face, and e-learning options, a clinical supervisor database, key supervision frameworks, and books and journal articles on supervision practice.
Provides guidance on the theoretical frameworks and standardised assessments most commonly used by OTs across Victorian public mental health services, supporting client-centred, occupation-based practice.
Resources include model overviews, webinars, textbooks, and education day materials for CanMOP, MOHO, OTIPM, and the Kawa Model, alongside detailed assessment descriptions, training requirements, tip sheets, and score forms for tools such as the AMPS, ESI, COPM, Sensory Profile, and MOHO suite.
Focused on building OT leadership capacity, strengthening workforce visibility, and guiding the strategic direction of the Victorian public mental health OT network.
Resources include a statewide workforce scoping report and infographic, two iterations of the Victorian Public Mental Health OT Leadership Network Strategic Plan, guidelines and templates for establishing sustainable statewide Communities of Practice, and a webinar series on research and embedding evidence in mental health OT practice.
Supports OTs to develop structured occupational formulations and meaningful, measurable occupation-based goals, primarily drawing on the MOHO framework to strengthen clinical reasoning and documentation.
Resources include a practical textbook, peer-reviewed journal articles, animated video tutorials, an online worked example, and access to a statewide Community of Practice connecting Occupational Formulation Implementation Leads across Victorian Area Mental Health & Wellbeing Services.
Supports OTs to plan, facilitate, and evaluate therapeutic group programs across mental health settings, with a focus on occupation-based group intervention and evidence-informed facilitation.
Resources include statewide group module templates and worked examples, a group evaluation tool, group facilitation competency frameworks, textbooks and journal articles on group dynamics and therapeutic group work, and a range of established OT group programs targeting sensory regulation, activity engagement, recovery, and social cognition.
Head over to the resources page to find the available OT resources organised based on the six workforce development priorities.
The Statewide Mental Health Occupational Therapy Educator Role will continue to provide high-quality professional development opportunities for occupational therapists in Victoria’s public mental health sector, aligned with the OT workforce development priorities. Our training and events focus on enhancing occupational therapy expertise, staying up to date with best practices, advancing our workforce development priorities, and fostering a strong professional community.
Statewide Occupational Therapy Communities of Practice provide valuable opportunities for occupational therapists in Victoria’s public mental health sector to connect, share knowledge, and support each other in their practice. CoPs foster collaboration, learning, and professional growth.
There are several OT CoPs available for OTs working in the public mental health and wellbeing sector:
Join an OT Community of Practice, complete the expression of interest form
Submit a proposal for a new OT Community of Practice
Guidelines for establishing sustainable OT Communities of Practice
We invite your feedback: to inform the review of our guidelines for establishing sustainable Occupational Therapy Communities of Practice, please complete this feedback form.
The OTLN meets bi-monthly to advance the interests of the Occupational Therapy profession working in Victorian public mental health and wellbeing settings. The OTLN seeks to influence the sector so that the occupational needs and recovery aspirations of people and families, carers and supporters connected with Victorian public area mental health and wellbeing services are met. If you're interested in joining, contact us via email to connect with the OTLN.
If you're interested in joining or connecting with the OTLN, send us an email
Established in April 2024 as part of the statewide mental health Occupational Therapy educator's ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration, research capacity and embed evidence within the mental health workforce. The primary aim of the Network is to provide a platform to foster timely, accessible, and relevant communication channels between mental health occupational therapy academics and clinical services, to support collaborative statewide planning, promote innovation and knowledge sharing, capacity building for research and evidence based practice, and advance the occupational therapy workforce within the Victorian public mental health sector. The Network meets quarterly including a face to face workshop each year.
Interested in joining the OT Translational Research Network?
Supporting people working across mental health nursing, allied health, and Lived and Living Experience roles to find supervisors.
Build your confidence and capability as an early career allied health practitioner in mental health through the Entry Level Training Series.
The CMHL Workforce Development and Education functions transitioned to the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing in July 2025.