Mock Prac Musings...

Laptop fully charged and small Tupperware containers of snacks at the ready, I sat amongst my classmates in the OT seminar room on Tuesday, all of us breathing the same air of trepidation as it dawned upon us that we had just a week left until the Psychosocial block commenced.



Mock prac, or Prac prep, is a good jolt in the ribs for those of us who tend to be slackers because it turns up the pressure, never failing to induce an 'I have no clue what I'm doing and just want to go home and SLEEP so I don't have to think about all the work ahead!' panic response, which is soon replaced with a good sense of fear that if I don't get buried in the books ASAP, I'll soon be buried neck-deep in other, more unpleasant things...


That said, I find mock prac to be an excellent compass, orientating me to the direction I should be moving in to achieve my fieldwork aims and highlighting common mistakes to avoid. Just having a joint meeting in which everything is discussed is reassuring, because it gives a sense that we're all on the same page in terms of what is expected of us during fieldwork.

It was a bit of a  lightbulb moment for me when we discussed the idea of empowering facility staff and residents to perpetuate meaningful change instead of waltzing in with our OT baskets and doing amazing things that would die the moment we left. It was a reminder that while this may be just a three-month block for us, it would be unethical, and a failure, if we made no lasting positive impact on the people we worked with.



Unlike the Physical Prac Prep, Psychosocial seems to focus more on the development of our therapeutic selves than on the development of our knowledge base, although the two are inextricably linked. I like the underpinning idea that there is no set formula to achieve successful intervention, but that if we could learn how to think critically and creatively, we would be able to apply our knowledge to any patient and achieve an infinite range of client-centred intervention programmes.

Sitting among my classmates, I was struck again by how brilliantly and differently each of our minds worked. It was a reminder of how much we have to learn from each other, a lesson I am reminded of every day. Through the differently coloured lenses of our cultural backgrounds, we each perceive things from a unique vantage point, offering a rich opportunity for peer learning. Allowing us to each present an academic and community resource that could potentially benefit the rest of the class was a great idea, because there were some amazing gems- websites, books and articles- that could assist us with selecting and adapting our activities, as well as obtaining cheap resources from within our communities.


During mock prac, we had the opportunity to discuss our fieldwork venues in more detail, in terms of the type of clients we would be likely to receive, as well as the resources available and potential barriers that may be present. Knowing that I am likely to receive clients with intellectual impairment, and possible institutionalisation, I can focus a bit more on choosing activities that are more concrete and meaningful to the clients. Of course, until I meet my clients, I'm still navigating blind, but at least I have a sense of direction to focus my research on.



Heading into the weekend, Vona du Toit is going to become my new best friend as I brush up on my Model of Creative Ability notes and dig out my rainbow colour-coded MoCA assessment form. Not only will it be a definite assessment tool, but will also give me a good idea of the type of principles I will need to apply during intervention sessions, and what sort of grading I could use, given that my clients are thus far unknown. It will be a tool I will have to become proficient in to determine a client's correct level of Creative Ability, so that activities are meaningful, achievable and therapeutic.



According to Crouch and Alers in "Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry and Mental Health", in order for an individual to behave creatively and extend their level of creative ability, an individual must

• "  Have a positive attitude towards an occupational opportunity offered to him by a therapeutic activity despite some anxiety (creative response)
• Be actively engaged in 'doing' the activity, which offers the appropriate challenge (creative participation)
• Work towards producing an occupational product or outcome that denotes some activity participation change, be it tangible or intangible"

(Crouch, Alers, 2014: pg.5)

According to the International Creative Ability Network,

"For occupational therapists, the model brings together all the core aspects of occupational therapy practice (activity analysis, grading, purposeful activity, activity groups, therapeutic use of self and the non-human environment) to provide therapists with a tool that is practical and user friendly, enabling occupational therapists to be occupational therapists: the application of activity as a powerful therapeutic tool."

http://www.ican-uk.com/about.php 

 

This means that it is imperative that I select an activity of the correct complexity to meet the creative level of the client,  and apply the correct handling, presentation and structuring principles as per the level of creative ability of my client. It is also important that the activity be meaningful and enjoyable for the client, as this will ensure that motivation, and therefore volition, to participate in the activity is present. There needs to be a balance between offering an activity that the client will be able to achieve success in, and providing an appropriate challenge to allow the client to move to the next level of creative ability.

In the real prac situation, I know it will be a challenge to place the client at the correct level and correctly grade my activities to achieve progress. Hopefully, through practice and continuous learning from mistakes, it will become easier.

With just three days left to prepare, it's time to unpack my craft cupboard, start photocopying assessment forms and officially bid farewell to the holiday: Let Psychosocial Fieldwork begin...

Crouch, R., Alers, V (2014). Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry and Mental Health. 5th ed. John Wiley and Sons: West Sussex


ICan(2010). About the VdT Model of Creative Ability. Retrived from: http://www.ican-uk.com/about.php (6 August 2015)