26th Vona du Toit Memorial Lecture - July 2016 Where have all the Occupational Therapy Technicians gone? Creating a responsive and inclusive Occupational Therapy workforce in Africa

Abstract

This lecture places the work of occupational therapy support staff on the national workforce development agenda.  It argues that the reach of occupational therapy in advancing social transformation can be extended through certified capacitation of different levels of occupational therapy staff.  Evidence-based perspectives of the competences of support staff are shared to foreground their contribution to disbability-inclusive development.  Recommendations for securing their formal training and recognition in the South African health workforce are offered and suggestios are made to extend their sense of belonging to the occupational therapy profession in meaningful and purposeful ways so that their role is unequivocally addressed in practice, education and research.