Models
1. Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP; Egan & Restall, 2022)
This new revision replaces the CMOP (1997) and CMOP-E (2002) provides three essential things to guide occupational therapy practice:
- The Model: Canadian Model of Occupational Participation - How we think about occupation.
- The Approach: Collaborative relationship-focused occupational therapy – How we approach service provision.
- The Framework: COTIIP – Foundational processes and actions for promoting Occupational Participation
Webinars
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT) webinar series introduces the model, approach, framework, and integration in 4 free webinars.
Watch CAOT webinars
Text Book
Promoting Occupational Participation: Collaborative Relationship-Focused Occupational Therapy (Egan & Restall, 2022) CAOT/ACE.
Recommended book $
CMHL Occupational Therapy Education Day
2023 Occupational Therapy Education Day on Canadian Model of Occupational Participation Evaluation summary
2. Model of Human Occupation (MOHO; Keilhofner)
Text book
6th Edition Text Book: Kielhofner's Model of Human Occupation (Taylor, Bowyer & Fisher, 2023)
Recommended book $
Website
The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO)
MOHO site
3. The Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model (OTIPM; Fisher 2009)
The OTIPM, underpinning the AMPS, ACQ-OP, ESI and ACQ-SI, is a model for the occupational therapy process that is client-centered, top-down and based on the client's needs and situation. In the OTIPM, the occupational therapy process is depicted as occurring over three global phases:
- Evaluation and goal-setting
- Intervention
- Revaluation
Each step in the process may be OB occupation based, occupationally focused, or both (Fisher, 2013). It guides documentation in all phases of the process and improves documentation to a clear occupational therapy perspective.
Text book
Fisher, A. G. (2009). Occupational therapy intervention process model: A model for planning and implementing top-down, client-centered and occupation-based interventions: OTIPM manual. Colorado: Three Star Press.
4. Kawa Model
'Kawa is the Japanese word for ‘river’. The Kawa Model uses the natural metaphor of a river to depict one’s life journey. The varying and chronological experience of life is like a river, flowing from the high lands down to the ocean. Along its meandering path, the quality and character of its flow will vary from place to place, from instance to instance. Occupational therapists try to enable, assist, restore and maximize their clients’ life flow' (Teoh & Iwama, 2015).
Text book
The Kawa Model Made Easy: A Guide to Applying the Kawa Model in Occupational Therapy Practice (2nd edition)
Download Kawa Model pdf
Other Models
Not occupational therapy specific, but commonly used in mental health settings supporting occupational therapy practice include:
- Social & Emotional Wellbeing
- Recovery
- Co-production
Assessments
The most commonly used occupational therapy assessments used across public Victorian Area mental health and wellbeing services were identified as:
- Adult Adolescent Sensory Profile (Brown & Dunn, 2002)
Identify sensory processing patterns in everyday life activities though this 60-item questionnaire. Use for identifying and developing client awareness and strategies to optimise the desired sensory environment. Generates an individualised profile of sensory processing across four quadrants: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding.
- Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM; Law, Baptiste, Carswell, McColl, Polatajko, Pollock)
Available in 40 languages, digital version and app available at www.thecopm.ca
- Learning to use the COPM: Watch examples
- The COPM Learning Module | COPM
- The COPM with Clients with Mental Illness | COPM
- Cross-cultural Applications of the COPM | COPM
- Tip Sheets for using the COPM (e.g. #1 Doing the COPM Interview, #2 Asking the right questions, #3 Keeping the COPM issues manageable)
- Manual: Law, M., Baptiste, S., Carswell, A., McColl, M. A., Polatajko, H., & Pollock, N. (2014). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) Manual (Fifth ed.): CAOT.
- The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS, Fisher & Jones 2014)
A standardised observational assessment of the quality performance of activities of daily living in real environments, focusing specifically on 35 motor and process skills. Requires training and calibration, was reported as used by 65% of Victorian public area mental health services in 2021. Currently available to previously trained and calibrated occupational therapists.
- AMPS Course Handouts 2018.pdf
- AMPS Intro Chapter
- AMPS Reference List
- Text books: Fisher, Anne G. & Jones, K. (2014). Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Vol 1 & 2: User Manual (8th Rev. ed.) Fort Collins, CO: Three Star Press.
- Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI, Fisher & Griswold, 2008)
ESI is a standardised observational assessment of a person's quality of social interaction. The observation takes place in daily activities where the person interacts with one or more social partners. 3-day training course is followed by calibration (submission of 10 scored assessments). The course covers theoretical basis of the ESI as well as experiential learning of administration, scoring, and documentation procedures for the ESI, and how to incorporate occupation-based assessment and intervention into their ongoing occupational therapy services. Currently available to previously trained and calibrated occupational therapists.
- ESI score form (for calibrated users)
- Intro to ESI Presentation by Centre for Innovative OT Solutions
- Text Book: Fisher, Anne G. & Griswold, Lou Ann. (2014) Evaluation of Social Interaction, 3rd Edition. Three Star Press.
- The Assessment of Compared Qualities - Occupational Performance (ACQ-OP) and Social Interactions (ACQ-SI)
The ACQ-OP is a standardised companion interview for AMPS and/or ESI that supports occupational therapists to learn about a person's perspectives on his/her performance in a 5-10 minute semi-structured interview and, at the same time, evaluate the extent of difference between a person's reported problems with occupational performance and those observed by the occupational therapist when administering the AMPS or ESI. The ACQ-OP/ACQ-SI promotes developing client-centreed goals, planning and implementing interventions, and/or making recommendations for needed supports or assistance. Currently available to previously trained and calibrated occupational therapists.
- Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) Assessments Tools
Are used at many Victorian area mental health services, including Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST), Occupational Circumstances Assessment and Interview Rating Scale (OCAIRS), Occupational Performance History (OPHI-II), Occupational Self-Assessment (OSA), Volitional Questionnaire (VQ), and Worker Environment Impact Scale (WEIS).
- The Domestic and Community Skills Assessment, Third Edition (DACSA-3)
DACSA is an occupational therapy instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) assessment, which can be used to assess the domestic and community skills of a person with a mental health condition. The project to update and establish content validity of the DACSA-3 was conducted from 2021-2025 as part of a Master's research project at La Trobe University.
- Checklist of Leisure, Interest and Participation (CLIP)
A contemporary Interest Checklist designed to help occupational therapists understand a client's current, past, and desired engagement in leisure activities, aiding in goal setting and therapeutic interventions. The CLIP is a revised version of the Modified Interest Checklist and includes more contemporary leisure activities (Levick, Broome, Ingram, Oprescu & Gray, 2025).
