3.
Family support
Occupational therapy can provide support and guidance to the family/carers when it is needed.
At this point, we need to recognise that the difficulties and the challenges that are faced by the individual are also deeply affecting the family/carers. If the family is not engaged, included and listened to during the recovery or discovery journey any therapeutic intervention will fail and the positive outcomes that are expected will never materialise.
At Havering OT we offer family support consultations and meetings on a bi-weekly basis. These meetings aim to keep the family engaged , included and informed, give the family a sense of control over their child's/Young person's Care Plan and teach techniques that can be used at home to support recovery.
We aim to share with the families of all users not only their struggles but also their successes and improvements.
We also aim to use parents and carers feedback in order to drive continuous improvement. .
Our Approach
Mental Health has always been our passion. We are an Occupational therapy service with extensive experience, 35 years. We believe in empowering individuals to maximize their skills and achieve independence in their daily life regardless of their struggles and challenges. Developing and maintaining a secure and strong Occupational Identity, with meaningful occupational roles, self-empowerment, self-esteem and resilience is our priority. Our approach follows the strong Principles of the Model of Human Occupation-MOHO as well as the Recovery Model. Occupational challenges are opportunities to maximize and support the individual to learn new skills or re-discover lost ones.These same challenges are faced by the individual's family/carers/peers/physical and social environment. We aim in supporting and providing bespoke recommendations offering a holistic approach to the individual and their context according to their needs.
About Evangelia Theochari
Experienced Service Head and senior leader with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry as well as Special Education (SEMH). Highly Skilled in Adolescent Mental Health, Developmental Trauma, Sensory Processing approaches and interventions, Coaching, Budget management, Case Management, Clinical and Management Supervision, and Occupational Therapy Interventions-evidence based practice. Strong professional support with a highly inclusive and analytical thinking, strong budget management, risk management and service restructure fit for the future .