Written by Chloe Debono
Hi, I’m Chloe a 4th year occupational therapy student. Throughout the months of February, March and April I completed an 8-week placement block with the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. This placement focused on the occupation of parenting, where I worked alongside parents experiencing mental health disorders and/or substance misuse issues that placed their children at risk of significant harm.
As an Occupational Therapy student in this setting, my role didn’t target focusing on parenting directly. Instead the goal was to increase participation in areas of daily living, develop regulation strategies, establish healthy routines, and build coping mechanisms to support overall wellbeing and ability to engage in meaningful occupations.
Going into this placement experience I felt motivated, open-minded, and eager to learn about the role of Occupational Therapy within mental health and substance misuse setting. However, as placement progressed, I found it took an extreme toll on my own mental health. Hearing client’s stories and the challenges they faced was emotionally demanding and highlighted the importance of my own self-care when working with this population.
Wellbeing Strategies
Some strategies I found particularly helpful throughout my mental health placement included:
- Going to the gym – having a gym located across the road from my placement site made it easy to exercise before my one-hour commute home. Moving my body helped release the build of negative energy
- Staying connecting with family and friends for support, perspective, and understanding
- Making time for activities I enjoyed on the weekends, this included seeing friends, swimming laps, walking, baking, and spending time with family
- Creating clear boundaries between placement and personal life by consciously switching off when leaving placement each day
- Prioritising sleep and rest
- Maintaining healthy eating habits
While this placement challenged me both personally and professionally. It provided valuable insight into the reality of working within mental health and the importance occupational therapy has in this setting. Although placement was demanding, I am grateful for the learning opportunities it provided, and the development of skills and professional growth.
If you need support please reach out to the Charles Sturt crisis line (1300 572 516) or click here for more information about support available for student.
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