Re: "Keeping the Promises" (Sept. 11, Citizen) by Todd Whitcombe.
We agree with Mr. Whitcombe's assertion that "the focus cannot be solely on "trades training" unless this is some new way of referring to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or engineering. All three are degree programs that should be available in Prince George to qualified students.
Despite being the third largest provincial population behind Ontario and Quebec, B.C. hosts the smallest English-speaking occupational therapy program in Canada with 48 seats in the program at UBC in Vancouver.
Consistently receiving well over 300 qualified applications per year, only 17 per cent of applicants are admitted, often forcing B.C. residents to uproot and leave their home community to pursue occupational therapy education in another province.
Our association has been advocating for expansion of the training for occupational therapy, supporting a distributed "train and remain" model with student cohorts across the province to match the needs of population. This model would also be a step in the right direction to address recruitment and retention in rural, remote and under-served parts of our province and allow qualified Prince George students to train in their community.
Occupational therapists (OTs) improve the health and well-being of people by creating client-centred solutions that help them participate more fully in activities that are important to their everyday lives.
Whether working in homes, communities, hospitals, workplaces or schools, OTs are valued members of health teams as their interventions improve lives and save money.
OTs work with patients in a range of settings with a wide variety of physical, mental and cognitive conditions that are chronic or episodic in nature.
By considering the individual, in his or her environment, determining the necessary competencies and skills set to "manage" the business of "dally functioning and living" OTs are able to unleash an individual's potential so that s/he can participate and thrive in daily life.
- Giovanna Boniface, OT
National Director of Professional Affairs, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
