Occupational Therapy in Tusla
A Tusla Occupational Therapist works with children & young people to enable them to participate in life to the best of their abilities. This includes working holistically to facilitate optimal engagement in things a child or young person needs or wants to do. We work collaboratively with the rest of Tusla team, other agencies involved a child, young person’s family & carers. By enabling children &young people to engage in activities that hold meaning to them, occupational therapists strive for an improved day to day quality of life.
As part of our Tusla Area Based Therapy Teams (ABTT), we offer a comprehensive Children’s Occupational Therapy Service. ABTT Occupational Therapists primarily work with children and young people in care whose presentation has been impacted by disrupted attachment and early trauma, in collaboration with all key players in the child’s life.
Occupational Therapists in ABTT work to help build healthy co-regulation and strengthen attachment. Together with parents, primary carers, education staff and/or other appropriate adults involved in the care of the child or young person, we work out strategies to cope with these challenges across environments including home and school. As occupational therapists, our overall goal is to facilitate better engagement in the activities that are important or meaningful to a child or young person. This may include participation in family life, play, self-care and learning activities.
A trauma informed perspective is integral to the working of the ABTT. Occupational therapists already have these skills. Our profession’s holistic philosophy recognises the interconnectedness between the child/young person in care’s environment and their participation in occupations. The child’s environment includes both physical and social supports and barriers, with the child’s support systems playing an important role. In addition, occupational therapy understands the child’s innate need to engage in occupations and the power that meaningful experiences have in developing positive mental health and well-being.
Occupational therapists prioritise collaborative work and collaboration is an essential therapeutic objective of the ABTT. Working in the ABBT we intervene at multiple levels; directly with the child by building their skills, with birth families and foster carers, with communities to support caregivers, by promoting new programme development to meet children/young people, birth and foster carers needs and on the macro level by advocating for policy or legislative change.
The ABTT, is an exciting opportunity for occupational therapists. It is a chance for occupational therapists to bring a strengths-based approach to understand a child/young person in care’s unique story, which includes their preferences and needs. Occupational therapist’s ability to creatively problem solve, create conversations by asking the right questions to facilitate curiosity, and develop plans through the development of goals that focus on the best and most meaningful options for the child compliment the Five National Outcomes, which guide the ABTT’s. Occupational therapists who are looking to grow their understanding and application of trauma informed practice, bring their skills of innovation and collaboration will thrive.