ROMA (ITALPRESS) – It was on 24 May 1997 when the professional profile of the Occupational Therapist was published in the Official Journal. A historical date, which represents not only the celebration of the normative recognition of the profession, but also the opportunity to reflect on the path of growth and innovation that occupational therapists have been able to build over time in favor of people and communities. Just on the occasion of this event, almost 30 years after the publication of the profile, a informative and informative document of the profession is born. From the title “The process of occupational therapy”, the text was drafted by the National Commission of Occupational Therapists and approved by the Fno Tsrm and Pstrp. The aim is to clarify the role and express the advanced skills of these professionals in taking charge and promoting autonomy. The document, available on the website of the Fno Tsrm and Pstrp, highlights the activity of the Occupational Therapist, illustrating all the path that makes it possible: from the observation and evaluation phases to the planning and verification of the interventions. It highlights the models used, clinical-professional decisions and changes that develop over time, making more understandable what is at the base of professional work. “When we talk about “process” – they say by the national albo Commission – we mean a coordinated set of related actions, carried out logically, continuously and aimed at achieving a goal or improvement.”.
At the centre there is the value of “significant jobs”, that is the daily activities that people desire, must or choose to carry out and that give meaning to life: self care, study, work, relationships, leisure. The occupational therapist promotes the health and well-being of people in these activities, in increasingly diverse and articulated contexts: hospitals, territorial services, mental health services, neurorehabilitation, geriatric field, evolutionary age, home care, schools, communities and in the design of inclusive environments. “If the professional profile has remained the same since 1997, over time the daily practice of the occupational therapist has evolved, enriching itself with new skills, tools and areas of intervention”. Michela Bentivegna, President of the National Commission of Occupational Therapists, welcomes the professional community by stressing that this growth “was made possible thanks to the commitment of the same professionals who, through continuous training, scientific updating, research and the ability to receive innovation, have been able to give new impulses to the profession”. The approved document clearly defines the “core” of Occupational Therapists, the fields of application of the profession and the areas in which such professionals have a well-established knowledge, skills and experience, to guarantee specificity and professional identity in interventions aimed at people and communities. Valorizing the Occupational Therapist means investing in a health capable of facing the challenges posed by ageing population, chronicity, disability and new social and welfare needs, through evidence-based practices oriented to effectiveness and customization of interventions. “Celebrating the Occupational Therapist Day is a recognition for all professionals and professionals who contribute to restoring autonomy to people, making them participate and protagonists of their lives,” Bentivegna concludes.
– photo press office Fno Tsrm and Pstrp –
(ITALPRESS).
