Functional Capacity assessments and ME: What an occupational therapist needs to know

Presenters:

Clare Batkin
Clare Batkin is an occupational therapist, clinical educator, sessional academic and founder of the clinical education business Your OT Tutor.
Clare has over 15 years’ experience as an OT working with adult clients across public and private sectors with her most recent work focusing on completing Functional Capacity Assessments for adult NDIS participants.
She is a self-proclaimed “OT Nerd” who loves sharing her enthusiasm for learning and evidence-based practice with other therapists to help them become better OTs who love what they do.

Your OT Tutor: https://yott.au/
LinkedIn:   / clare-batkin  

Julie Hughes
Julie Hughes has been an occupational therapist for over thirty years.
Julie has a long standing interest in ME and has worked in this area as both a clinician and researcher.
She studied in Brisbane but then lived and worked in the UK for many years before returning to live in QLD in 2017 where she commenced as a Lecturer in Occupational therapy on the Australian Catholic University (ACU) campus in Brisbane.
She is the Occupational Therapy Advisor for MEGA.

Occupational Therapy Advisor to the Board: https://megroupaustralia.org.au/gover...

LinkedIn:   / julie-hughes-846b4852  

Chelsea Bartlet
(Although Chelsea was not available to join Clare and Julie on the live event, she has contributed to the presentation contents.)

Chelsea Bartlett is an occupational therapist and clinical team leader, currently working in a community-based private practice setting.
Since graduating from Australian Catholic University in 2019, Chelsea has
developed clinical experience working with adults with a variety of health
conditions and disabilities, both in hospital and community settings. She currently works across the NDIS and aged care sectors.
Chelsea obtained First Class Honours for her research on the lived experience and occupational disruption of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for adults in Australia. This research was written in collaboration with co-author of this presentation, Julie Hughes, and has been published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy.

British Occupational Therapy Journal:
Living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Experiences of occupational disruption for adults in Australia
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...

LinkedIn:   / chelsea--bartlett  

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This collaborative presentation by Occupational Therapist (OT) team outlines important considerations for health professionals to assist more pwME to access NDIS funding to improve their function, safety and participation.

Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) for pwME:
Evidence of functional impairment to clearly addresses NDIS eligibility criteria.
Practical ‘how-to’ strategies for information gathering (assessment process) and report writing itself, including a guide/cheat sheet.

After the presentation, you will be able to target FCAs to include the content NDIS is looking for.
Using language they understand and that is inline with legislation,
Maximise the chances of pwME receiving appropriate funding through the NDIS.

#SevereMEDay #SevereME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #MEcfs #Neurological #Disaility #NDIS #FunctionalCapacityAssessment #FCA #OccupationalTherapy #AlliedHealth #HealthProfessionals #HealthLiteracy #MEGAdream #CapacityBuilding