Military personnel
Occupational therapists have helped and supported armed forces personnel through their recovery for physical and/or mental health problems for many years
Occupational therapists also assist current and past armed forces personnel and their families through their adaptation back into either military or civilian life, to return to work or to help them adapt to their changing needs as they mature or as new difficulties emerge.
Today, there are many examples of how occupational therapists use their expertise and skills to provide rehabilitation, treatment and assistance to facilitate return to independent and active lives
Working within specialist MOD hospitals and community teams in the UK and abroad, or for voluntary and statutory services, occupational therapists are essential members of the multidisciplinary teams and have a vital role when it comes to meeting the wide range of users and carers’ needs across different care pathways. Some examples can be seen in the following presentations:
- The Role of the Occupational Therapist at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine - Sarah Winters
- Occupational Therapy for People Suffering from Complex Psychological Trauma - Geraldine Hamilton
- Working with the Psychological Trauma of Veterans - Carol Evans
- Occupational Therapy and Combat Stress - Karen Miles
- War Veterans - Enabling Reintegration into Civilian Life - Stephanie Morrison
COT resources
- hOT Topic: Working with Military Forces Personnel
- Occupational Therapy with People who have had Lower Limb Amputations: Evidence Based Guidelines
Email network
There is a new email network for members interesting in and/or working with past and current military personnel. If you would like to join this network please contact Paul.Jennings@cot.co.uk
Policy background
This presentation COT Armed Forces and Veterans gives some background to relevant policy and joint working across government agencies:
Other resources
- Clare Picking summarises the BAOT/COT 2010 Election Manifesto, our key requests to the government and outlines some key points in the Military Covenant
- Combat Stress is a UK charity specializing in the care of Veterans’ mental health: www.combatstress.org.uk
- HorseBack UK helps those serving, or who have served in the UK armed forces by providing a safe and secure environment to integrate them into the rural community: www.horseback.org.uk
- Poppy Scotland supports ex service men and women and their families in Scotland: www.poppyscotland.org.uk
- Start Here is an independent organisation that provides a directory of services to connect people at times of crisis, distress or change: app.starthere.org
- Royal British Legion provides welfare for serving, ex-service personal and their dependants: www.britishlegion.org.uk
