Project: Public Transport, Community Access & QoL

1. Project: Public Transport, Community Access & QoL Presented by: Tara Thomas and Lyndsay Ray Occupational Therapy Student’s Third Year University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)

2. Presentation Overview • Statistics around mental health • What the research says re: community access • Occupational Therapy • Model PEO • Case study • Stages of change • Interventions & adjuncts • Micro & Macro practice • Conclusion • References

3. National Survey of Mental Health & Wellbeing (SMHWB) 2007 • The 2007 SMHWB estimated that 1 in 5 Australians aged between 16 & • 85 years experienced one or more of the common mental disorders in the 12 months. • before the survey. • 45% of respondents had experienced a mental disorder in their • lifetime. This equates to 7,286,600 Australians aged 16 to 85. • PG 166 Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2010

4. Evidence: Accessing Public Transport • Anecdotal: Through observation & discussion with the PHaMs Team, it was identified that many of the client’s have issues (e.g. anxiety), that creates barriers to accessing public transport. This decreases community access & may result in isolation & maladaptive dependence on workers. • Quantitative: Public transport is a pre-occupation or conduit to accessing a variety of occupations & activities that promote wellness & recovery (Broome, Mckenna, Flemming, & Worrall, 2009). • Not having access to public transport decreases social roles (friendships), productive roles (worker (Dr’s appointments) & leisure roles (movies) all of which are integral to quality of life (QoL) (Broome et al., 2009).

5. Occupational Therapy • OT’s are primarily involved in enabling people to participate meaningfully in the activities of their everyday life; therefore, OT’s can use occupations in a therapeutic way. • OTs work with people who experience social or emotional distress, or mental illness, to assist them to participate in their chosen activities &/or occupations to promote health & wellbeing (Occupational Therapy Australia, 2012).

6. PEO Occupational performance The diagram is called the person-environment-occupation model of occupational performance. ‘Occupational performance results from the dynamic relationship between people, their occupations & roles, & the environments in which they live, work & play’ (Law et al., 1996, p. 1). • Figure 1- Basic Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) framework, for a person with a mental health diagnosis

7. Case Study: Miss Jones Miss Jones is 37 years of age who lives alone in Maroochydore, and in the past has enjoyed having coffee out with friends at the shops. She has a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. Miss Jones does not own a car & has severe fears about catching public transport. This results in her being isolated as she can not access various occupations & services (Dr’s, going to the movies, discovery & social groups, scrapbooking classes, & TAFE training courses). Miss Jones has identified this as a barrier, & would like this to be a goal to work towards with her support worker & OT.

8. Miss Jones & PEO Decreased OP

9. The Recovery Star Without Intervention Often goes without medication between scripts & regularly misses Dr’s appointments Miss Jones has missed the bus in the past & doesn’t trust herself to succeed in the future Doesn’t go to the pool or gym to engage in healthy living Often has little fresh food (e.g. fruit & vegies) in cupboards, will run down to corner store Links some of her low self-esteem with not being able to get access community by not using public transport Miss Jones often misses the bus because she stands further away from the bus stop due to her anxiety Doesn’t meet friends out Has lost contact with sister in Brisbane Misses AA & NSP meetings, if applicable Is not seeking out current employment

11. Interventions & Adjunctive Modalities • Recovery star, solution focused, & motivational interviewing (goal setting, & identify enablers & strengths) • Grading & adapting (task analysis approach) • Backward & forward chaining • Buddy system • Education (resources) • Advocating Adjunctive modalities • CBT • Mindfulness • Narrative therapy • Relaxation (breathing, visualisation techniques)

12. Recovery Star & Solution Focussed Therapy • Client centred (Humanistic Principles) • Goal setting & preferred future • Identifying barriers & enablers (strength based) e.g. Miss Jones has a history of unsuccessful attempts utilising public transport. This increases the anxiety surrounding the use of public transport (barrier). Miss Jones is motivated to attempt this again & in the past she has enjoyed drinking coffee at the coffee club (enabler).

13. Motivational Interviewing Key features of MI (Miller & Rollnick, 2002.): • Identifying and mobilizing clients intrinsic values & goals • Articulating & resolving clients ambivalence • Therapeutic relationship is akin to a partnership • Promotes motivation towards change but NOT change itself E.g. Miss Jones values her autonomy & independence (intrinsically driven) to catch public transport & therefore, is motivated to achieve this goal.

14. Grading & Adapting • If the task is to large from beginning to end then break it down into smaller achievable goals. • Conducting a ‘transport analysis’ will breakdown the occupation (i.e. catching a bus) into smaller tasks (i.e. get up & get ready). This shows problem areas, & provides information for goal setting & interventions (Birge James, 2008).

15. Transport Analysis

16. Backward & Forward Chaining • These interventions can begin anywhere along the transport analysis depending on the area of breakdown • Backward: The worker may first support Miss Jones to become familiar with the destination stop. • Forward: Miss Jones is independent with getting up, & deciding to catch the bus. The worker would therefore not focus on these areas, but rather support Miss Jones while waiting at the bus stop. The next time, Miss Jones would wait at the bus stop without the worker, but the worker would support Miss Jones to get onto the bus, as part of the next goal.

17. Buddy System: • Have a companion/ friend, so person can ‘buddy up’ with them as a form of encouragement & support. This could replace the workers support, to enable the person to become more independent

18. Education: • Internal resources: highlighting strength's already in place e.g. Skills & abilities, personal motivation, drive, etc • External resources: supporting Miss Jones to access current (updated) resources e.g. Bus time tables, social supports e.g. workers/team members, financial supports e.g. Go cards, reduced fares from disability support pension & community cabs

19. Advocating: • Systems level: This may involve providing education programs with the local bus service or government body (i.e. mental illness & what it may look like). This does not function to discriminate or label Miss Jones in anyway, but rather dispel mental illness misconceptions, & increase service provisionthrough the clarification of the rights & responsibilities of service users. • According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), “Article 29- everyone has a responsibility to ensure that the rights of others are respected” (United Nations, 2012). • Individual level: With Miss Jones’ express permission, discussion with the bus driver re: communication needs. • For further information on advocacy please see www.qada.org.au

20. Adjunctive Modalities: CBT • CBT description (Duncan, 2006): • Time limited • Identify unhelpful thoughts & beliefs • Cognitive restructuring • De-catastrophisation • Testing beliefs/ thoughts • Experimentation • Coping skills • Reframing • Planning for completion of therapeutic contract E.g. Catastrophisation- IfI freak out on the bus then everyone will look at me, & judge me, & think I’m a crazy person. De-catastrophisation- You have worked really hard to address your anxiety to get on the bus, you’ve developed coping skills now, you might feel uncomfortable, & think that everyone is looking at you & that's normal but your okay.

21. Mindfulness: • Mindfulness means YOU controlling your mind, instead of letting your mind control YOU. Our thoughts & beliefs determine the intensity of our feelings, & stressful feelings can be due to unhelpful or unrealistic thoughts. • What it could sound like. “Mindfulness involves learning to be in control of what thoughts you pay attention to & focussing on the ‘here & now’, rather than the past or future” E.g. “you are on the bus now, listen to the noise of the bus, feel the cool air on your face” • This could be used as an adjunct during the travel to stay present in the travel moment, empowering the client to move through any anxieties &/or fears. • (Gutman & Schindler, 2007) & mindfulness website: www.mindfulness.org.au

22. Narrative Therapy: • This method may be particularly useful with Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander client’s as it is more congruent with an organic worldview. • Stories are a culturally safe & non-threatening way to explore emotions Dominant stories & nested stories. • Re-authoring your own story. Building self efficacy through empowerment! • Often the problem is the language used to describe the problem(Neill, 2008). E.g. I feel ‘stupid, useless’, everyone else can catch buses but I ‘can’t’. The support worker would skilfully question & support Miss Jones to re-author & re-story her narrative, challenging that negative language ‘e.g. Stupid, can’t, useless’.

23. Relaxation: Visualisation Techniques • Controlled breathing & what it could look like. “Close your eyes & concentrate on your breathing. Take a deep slow breath in through your nose for 3 seconds & then exhale out through your mouth for 3 seconds. Clear your mind & think only about your slow deep breathing. Everything is OK, you are OK” • Progressive Muscle Relaxation & what it looks like. This could be done prior to leaving the house, lying down on the lounge or floor. “Start at your feet & focus on 1 muscle group at a time, tense your muscle as you breathe in & then relax it as you breathe out, move up your body relaxing 1 muscle group at a time” Allow 15 to 20 seconds between each muscle group. • Visualisation & what it could look like. “Close your eyes & imagine a soothing, peaceful scene (e.g. beach, forest or a white room) See your self there, relaxed, peaceful & happy” Reference www.psa.org.au for more information

24. Micro Approach: Person & Occupation • Education on how to access information & bus routes • CBT • Beck anxiety inventory • Beck anxiety inventory • Mindfulness • Relaxation • Narrative Therapy • Relaxation • Breathing & visualisation

25. Macro Approach: Person & Environment In conjunction with the bus service possibly look at moving a stop closer (reforms to future services) Linking Miss Jones to broader service network (council cabs, buses, trains.) Advocacy! Facilitating education sessions to service providers (e.g. Sun bus) Collaboration with stake holders to meet or promote the needs of client groups

26. Supports access to Dr’s appointments, pharmacy to fill scripts for medical stability & consistency The Recovery Star & Transport Intervention Overcoming this challenge is a source of hope to face other challenges successfully Access to public pool or gym If Miss Jones is self reliant in accessing transport this will build her self-esteem as an active member of society. Grocery shopping, cooking classes at Pearl/ Discovery Meeting friends, going places e.g. movies, out for coffee Miss Jones is responsible for learning bus etiquette (e.g. being on time for departure) Visit her sister in Brisbane Enables Miss Jones to look for volunteer, casual, full time work Access to AA or NSPs meetings if applicable

27. What This Transport Intervention Would Look Like! Support Worker: Has a longer standing & unique relationship built on trust & rapport with the client. To support client through intervention & their personal journey through recovery. Liaise with OT student re: public transport intervention. OT Student: Is involved in the actual application of the intervention (may be applied with the 7 week OT prac). Can co-support client alongside support worker through intervention using assessment & adjuncts (e.g. using Becks anxiety scale before & after bus trips, relaxation techniques). Miss Jones (potential client): Would need to be within a ‘preparation stage of change’ & the ‘believing stage no. 5 & 6 of the recovery star’. She should identify public transport use as an important goal alongside her support worker.

28. Conclusion • The overriding goal is to enable Miss Jones to access public transport independently, relatively free of the constraints caused by her anxiety • This increases participation within the community, promoting health & well-being & QoL... Such as: roles (social, productive, leisure, cultural), identity, belongingness, connectedness, hope, self-esteem, self-efficacy, dignity, autonomy & supports recovery

29. References • Birge James, A. (2008). Restoring the role of independent person. In M. ViningRadomski, & C. A. Trombly Latham (Eds.), Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (6th ed., pp. 774-816). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. • Broome, K., Mckenna, K., Flemming, J., & Worrall, L. (2009). Bus use and older people: A literature review applying the Person-Environment-Occupation model in marco practice. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16, 3-12. doi:10.1080/11038120802326222 • Duncan, E. (2006). The cognitive-behavioural frame of reference. In E. Duncan (Ed.), Foundations for practice in occupational therapy (4th ed., pp. 217-232). London, UK: Elsevier. • Gutman, S., & Schindler, V. P. (2007). The neurological basis of occupation: Programs in Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy International, 14(2), 71-85. doi: 10.1002/oti.225 • Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The person-environment-occupation model: A transactive approach to occupational performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(1), 1-15. • Miller, W.R., & Rollnick, S. (2002) Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change. New York, New York: Guildford Publications The guilford Press

30. Reference Cont. • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007. Retrieved from www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442452962 • Neill, C (2008). Story making and story-telling: weaving the fabric that creates our lives. In B, Warren (ed.). Using creative arts in therapy and health care: a practical introduction 3rd edn (pp.135-159). New York, NY: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. • Occupational Therapy Australia. (2012). What is occupational therapy? Retrieved from http://www.otaus.com.au/about/about-ot • Queensland aged & disability advocacy incorporated (n.d.). What is advocacy? Retrieved from http://www.qada.org.au • Self care advice for life: Mental Health 0116 (2009). Relaxation techniques. Retrieved from www.psa.org.au • United Nations. (2012). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Preamble. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

31. Thank you for having us and have a great birthday on Monday Luit! Have a piece of cake for us 