Board Director Elections Application for WFOT 1 st Alternate Delegate Nominee: Michael Curtin

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1 ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Board Director Elections Proven commitment to the profession of occupational therapy in Australia including five years professional experience as an occupational therapist and evidence of a history of membership of Occupational Therapy Australia inclusive of being a current member at the time of nomination Since graduating in 1983 I have been an active member of an occupational therapy association. From mid-1983 to mid-1987 I was a member of the Queensland and then the Tasmanian associations. From mid-1987 to mid-1991 I worked as an occupational therapist in Botswana and did not belong to an occupational therapy association. When I moved to England in 1991 I joined the British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT) and became a member of the research committee and the British Journal of Occupational Therapy editorial committee. Partly due to my active engagement in the association I was selected to be the WFOT representative to work on two manuals for community rehabilitation workers in developing countries published by the WHO - one on working with children with cerebral palsy and the other on working with people who have a spinal cord injury. I was also selected to run a four-week occupational therapy training programme in Hungary on behalf of WHO to a group of Hungarian health professionals. I remained an active member of BAOT until I returned to Australia at the beginning of Since returning to Australia I have been a member of Occupational Therapy Australia and have been active in a number of different ways, including: a regular reviewer of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal; a member of the Critical Appraisal Papers team for the journal for 12 months; a member of the scientific panel for the 2006 WFOT Congress in Sydney and a member of the scientific panel for three subsequent national occupational therapy conferences; a member of the conference management committee for the 2017 conference; and I chaired the working party that successfully established the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Foundation. 2. Possession of the following personal attributes required of Board Directors: Communication skills, including the ability to respect alternative viewpoints and express your own ideas: I have well developed communication skills that I employ on a daily basis as the Associate Head of School of Community Health (SCH) and Discipline Lead for occupational therapy at Charles Sturt University (CSU). I have been recognised for my ability to work with a wide range of individuals and groups, both in my professional (e.g. students, academics, researchers, practitioners, consumers, other stakeholders) and community roles (e.g. Country Fire Authority, weekly presenter on Indigo FM narrow cast radio). I have often been complimented on my respectful, facilitative and encouraging communication style that fosters partnership and collaboration. This is evidenced by the successful relationships I have with overseas and Australian individuals and organisations involved in the final year SCH Nepal and Vietnam interdisciplinary professional practice placements. 1

2 Leadership skills in the following areas: governance of not-for-profit organisations, strategy, risk management, advocacy, policy, and/or education: At both the University of Southampton (UoS) and CSU I have been supported to take on leadership responsibilities. At UoS I was the only staff member selected from my School to attend and complete the inaugural Faculty funded leadership course. Following this I took on leadership roles in the School, including acting head of occupational therapy. Within a year of moving to CSU I applied for the discipline lead position, a position I have held since I was later encouraged by senior University staff to apply for the Associate Head of School position, which I have held since My university leadership roles have been recognised externally by course accreditors who during two separate accreditation visits specifically complimented my style of leadership, and the positive impact this had on staff and the development of the curriculum. Networking capacity to advance the prospects of our profession: I have a genuine love of working with a diverse range of individuals and organisations and an ability to network and build relationships. This is most recently evidenced by my role as lead editor for the 7 th edition of an international occupational therapy textbook that is due for publication in early For the 7 th edition nearly 100 authors from a range of countries in Europe, North America and Australasia, were recruited to write chapters for the book. To date I have worked with the two co-editors and all authors to meet all deadlines proposed by the publishers. 3. An understanding of Occupational Therapy Australia s values and demonstrated ability to apply these values in their work as an occupational therapist As the discipline lead for an occupational therapy course I am in tune with the values of Occupational Therapy Australia. The values of respect, unity, excellence, integrity, collaboration and accountability outlined in the strategic plan are values that I am comfortable with as I naturally integrate them into my professional life. Respect is something that I show in my interactions with students and colleagues and other people that I meet every day. Having a clear unity in purpose is important so that the members are informed of the vision and mission of the organisation. However, I believe this unity in purpose must evolve from, and be owned by, the membership body and be developed by respectful conversations that invite open discussion. As an academic I fully support the commitment to excellence in research, practice and performance. This value underpins both my education and research work and is evidenced through my journal and book publications, my conference presentations, and in my interactions with a range of professional colleagues. I believe in being authentic when interacting with people, and ensuring that my words and actions have integrity, so that I can build collaborative relationships and partnerships. My commitment to integrity and to ethical practice is demonstrated by my 10-year membership of the CSU s Human Research Ethics Committee, in which I am involved in providing constructive feedback on the ethical aspects of proposed research of staff and students, and providing professional development. 2

3 I enjoy working collaboratively as this leads to more sustainable outcomes. As I embrace the values of respect, integrity and collaboration, it is natural that I also embrace the value of accountability. I have always employed a robust and strong moral and ethical social justice approach to my work and personal life. For me it is important to be fair and transparent in decisions and processes to earn people s trust. 4. Knowledge and understanding of the duties and obligations of a Director and governance of not-for-profit organisations My understanding of key duties and obligations of a Director and governance of not-for-profit organisations includes the following: The directors make strategic decisions for the organisation that the management and staff/volunteers then action. The directors are required to meet as a board and make decision that include the strategic direction of the organisation, as well as decisions on practical aspects of running the organisation, such as the employment of staff and deciding which activities the organisation will engage in. Directors and the board must comply with the law and engage in their governance role in good faith in the best interest of the organisation. Directors must acknowledge conflicts between personal interests and the interests of the organisation and manage this conflict in good faith and in the best interest of the organisation. 5. Demonstrated awareness of the breadth of occupational therapy practice settings (including public, private, academia, management, regional, rural and remote) Since graduating in 1983, I have worked in a diverse range of practice settings, both in Australia and overseas. I have worked in both traditional (e.g. working with children and families, working in spinal cord injury rehabilitation) and non-traditional (e.g. establishing occupational therapy hospital and community-based rehabilitation services in Botswana, researcher in a spinal injuries centre, disability advisor on a disaster management project in Nepal, capacity building with a parent-run autism centre in Nepal) practice settings. When I returned to Australia in 2004 I deliberately chose to work at a regional university as I was interested in preparing occupational therapy students to work, and supporting occupational therapy and allied health practice, in regional, rural and remote settings. I have been involved in a number of research projects investigating health services in these settings. As an academic I actively remain abreast of contemporary developments in the profession, both nationally and internationally. This is evident in the significant recent changes to the direction of the 7 th edition of an international occupational therapy textbook, which I instigated as the lead editor. I am fortunate that my management and research roles enable me to remain informed of the developments within the profession. 3

4 6. An understanding of contemporary issues affecting the occupational therapy profession and a vision for the profession of occupational therapy in Australia, including key future opportunities and challenges There are many contemporary issues affecting the occupational therapy profession in Australia. The following are three I feel are significant: i) Working towards authentic collaboration and partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to develop culturally meaningful and relevant occupational therapy services. In acknowledging the long-term and detrimental impact of colonial invasion and practices on the social and emotional health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the occupational therapy profession has to find meaningful ways in which to work in collaboration and partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. If the profession is serious about occupational and social justice then it needs to invest more resources and time into ensuring that occupational therapy services are meaningful and relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. Recently, steps have been taken by the Registration Board to include an accreditation requirement for occupational therapy courses to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities in the development of their curricula. Further development in creating services that are meaningful and relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities needs to be done. Apart from the potential benefit of the occupational therapy profession contributing to the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, there is also the possible benefit of increasing in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people becoming occupational therapists and contributing to the development, relevance, and sustainability of the profession. One action that Occupational Therapy Australia Ltd. could implement is to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. This would demonstrate commitment to working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. ii) Increase in the number of occupational therapy courses in Australia and the subsequent increase in the number of occupational therapy students leading to difficulty finding enough placements and an increase in the number of unemployed graduates. In 2017 there will be 22 universities in Australia offering occupational therapy courses. Some of these universities offer an undergraduate and graduate-entry occupational therapy course, so the number of courses in Australia currently is closer to 30. The increase in the number of courses and subsequent increase in the number of occupational therapy students has had significant impact. This has led to many courses having difficulty finding placements for their students, increased pressure on occupational therapists to continually offer student placements, and decreased employment prospects for graduated students. In addition, it is difficult for many universities, in particular regional universities, to recruit appropriately qualified occupational therapists to academic positions. 4

5 Although Occupational Therapy Australia Ltd. can do little to prevent Universities establishing occupational therapy courses, it could provide support for a national conversation about how to meet the professional practice requirements of students and the employment prospects of graduates. iii) The impact of the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on the profession. The NDIS offers unprecedented choice and flexibility for people with impairments and their families. The values of the NDIS (i.e. facilitating person-centred practice by providing choice and control, self-determination, and self-directed opportunities for people with impairments) dovetails with the philosophy and values of the occupational therapy profession. The alignment of the values of the NDIS with those of the occupational therapy profession provides significant opportunities for occupational therapists to be the discipline of choice for many of the service and employment opportunities that will emerge as a result of the NDIS. Occupational Therapy Australia Ltd. has a significant role in actively advocating for and promoting the occupational therapy profession to ensure that the profession remains relevant and sustainable in the changing disability landscape. SPECIFIC ESSENTIAL CRITERIA RELATED TO MY APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF WFOT 1 ST ALTERNATE DELEGATE 7. A summary in support of my nomination outlining my strengths and relevant experience that demonstrate my abilities to meet the duties of the role and my interest in this role The duties of the WFOT 1 st Alternate Delegate involves working closely with the delegate and 2 nd alternate on WFOT matters, and to communicate WFOT business to the Occupational Therapy Australia Ltd. Board and members. This includes constructively collaborating with delegates/alternates from other WFOT member countries on education, practice and/or research projects to support and advocate for the development, use and practice of occupational therapy worldwide, promoting the profession s contribution to the health and wellbeing of individuals, groups, communities and populations. I understand the commitment is for 12 years; four years as the 1 st alternate, followed by four years as the delegate, and then four years as the 2 nd alternate. I have a strong interest in the development of the occupational therapy profession. I show this interest in my work as discipline leader for occupational therapy at Charles Sturt University (CSU) where, in collaboration with the occupational therapy team and other stakeholders, I work to develop and deliver a contemporary and future-focused curriculum to produce excellent graduates capable of working in diverse practice settings, who are comfortable in their role as global citizens. I also demonstrate my interest in the development of the occupational therapy profession through my research and publications, which have a focus on disability and regional, rural and remote practice issues. I have both a national and international perspective of the profession, which is evidenced by my continuing role as the lead author of an international occupational therapy textbook; the 7 th 5

6 edition of this textbook will be published early in For the 7 th edition I have worked with two international co-editors and nearly 100 contributors from around the world to create an innovative textbook for students and graduates. Since working in Botswana from 1987 to 1991, where I started occupational therapy services in the two referral hospitals, I have actively maintained my interest in the global potential of the occupational therapy profession. I worked in the UK from 1991 until 2003 as a practitioner, researcher and academic. During this time I cowrote, as a WFOT representative, two WHO manuals for rehabilitation workers in developing countries one on working with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and the other on working with people with a spinal cord injury. I co-ran a four-week WHO funded course on occupational therapy for health workers in Hungary, again as a WFOT representative. I continued my international interest after returning to Australia in 2004 by coordinating the CSU inter-disciplinary final year professional practice placements in Vietnam and Nepal. This has involved developing collaborative partnerships with host organisations in Vietnam and Nepal, and with Australian agencies that have expertise in the areas of practice. I am applying for the role as WFOT 1 st Alternate Delegate due to my strong and long-held interest in the global potential of occupational therapy to impact on the health and wellbeing of people. I am at a stage in my professional career when I am able to make a substantial contribution to the work of WFOT as a representative of Occupational Therapy Australia Ltd. I have an excellent work ethic, and strong commitment to completing tasks and activities to the best of my ability. In addition, I have highly developed communication skills that allow me to engage in robust and respectful discussions, with a diverse range of people. These are attributes and skills that I believe are essential when working collaboratively with international colleagues to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for the profession. Michael Curtin 19 th August