Off Duty - Adam Lo Occupational Therapist

What does your role entail?
I am a Child and youth Mental Health Occupational Therapist with the Department of Health in the Logan- Beaudesert region of Queensland. I work with young people and their families in the promotion of mental well-being, the prevention of mental illness and delivery of appropriate therapeutic interventions to promote independence and recovery from the impact of mental illness. Interventions may include specialised occupational therapy assessment and treatment approaches, family therapy, group therapy, use of creative art activities and other psychotherapeutic approaches such as mindfulness, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, narrative therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Clinical education and supervision, project management and research are other roles that I am currently involved in. In addition, I have been able to contribute towards the professional growth and recognition of occupational therapists in Queensland by being a member on the Occupational Therapy Australia – Queensland Divisional Council.
Why did you decide to become an OT and particularly a Mental Health OT?
The creative industry and the human services industry were always going to be my career choices. I love the creative arts but I also love helping people. When the time came after high school, I chose the health career over the creative arts career. I guess I figured that there were too many rock stars and not enough health professionals in the world anyway (joking).
The reason for choosing occupational therapy was actually very simple. For me, the subjects that we covered at university were diverse and interesting when compared with other degrees. This included anatomy, physiology, sociology, psychology, communications, pharmacology and statistics, just to name a few. I also chose to subsequently work in mental health because I always had a deep interest in human behaviour and the mysteries of the brain.
What inspires you most in your job?

1. Seeing the strengths and resilience that exist within each and every one of us.


2. When an individual or a family unit overcome obstacles and challenges thrown at them.


3. While people in helping professions do not necessary change the world for everyone like a physicist (think Einstein) or rock stars (think Beatles) do, they really can mean the whole world to someone who is in their most desperate times.

What are the challenges you face?
The biggest challenge is resources. There is so much more that we can achieve if more resources are available for providing mental health care. The other key challenge is selfcare; many mental health workers devote themselves to their clients but neglected to look after their own mental and physical well-being.
What would you most like to see improved in your profession?
Recognition and understanding of our profession. Many people in the general public do not know what an occupational therapist truly is. Some people thought we help people who are having issues within their workplace. Well, since occupational therapists cover so many areas of practice that this is kind of true as well. Now, can you see why we are confused?
When you have time off, how do you chill out?
I have many hobbies and interests which include creative art activities, sports such as basketball and dragonboat racing, travelling, aviation and collecting coins. I am also an active volunteer in my community and local church, contributing whenever and wherever I can, particularly in youth mentoring and development. Finally, I enjoy spending time with my family and playing with my one-year-old son.
Describe the perception, versus the reality of your job?
Many people are surprised to hear that occupational therapists actually work in a mental health setting, usually associated with psychologists and psychiatrics. However, our profession has been providing rehabilitation and therapies to people with both physical and mental health problems since the time of its inception. The reality is that occupational therapy covers many areas of practice ranging from paediatrics, physical rehabilitation, hands therapy, disability services, driving capacity assessment and burns management; to mental health care in children, adults, older persons and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
“The biggest challenge is resources. There is so much more that we can achieve if more resources are available for providing mental health care.” Adam Lo
Adam Lo is a Mental Health Occupational Therapist at Metro South Child and Youth Academic Clinical Unit in Queensland. He studied occupational therapy at The University of Queensland followed by a post-graduate degree in mental health from the Queensland University of Technology. He is also a reservist with the Royal Australian Air Force.