Occupational therapists in private practice are offering student placements by:
Introducing students to clients as students or trainee occupational therapist (in accordance with the Occupational Therapists Registration Act 2001);
Using written consent of clients to support student involvement;
Charging reduced fees to clients when students are supervised to provide occupational therapy services;
Having confirmed consent of third party payers in the case of Medicare or WorkCover. For other third party payers private practitioners are encouraged to seek consent for student involvement beyond observation;
Developing a Student Charter to clearly outline to the client how students will be involved in the service;
Requesting to interview students prior to placement commencement to ensure the student is suitable for the work of the practice;
Offering part-time placements to students and/or sharing a student placement with another occupational therapist at another practice or facility;
Making contact with the fieldwork team members at your local university to discuss placement development, resources and how to support student learning at their practice;
Developing resources to suit their private practice by accessing resources in the Clinical Supervisors Toolkit;
Reviewing student insurance and professional indemnity cover with the university staff.
