Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice Education (CPE)

The Occupational Therapy Department at IMH, in collaboration with the local Occupational Therapy four-year degree programme at Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), provides clinical practice education (CPE) for students from Year 2 to Year 4 of their studies.

During the CPE, SIT students are introduced to the various psychiatric rehabilitative services offered by the Occupational Therapy Department and taught essential skills, such as group planning and facilitation, assessment and training related to activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).

Through regular supervision sessions, students receive feedback on their progress in relation to their coursework requirements. They are also guided on how to improve their clinical reasoning and practical skills.

Observational Attachment

The Occupational Therapy Department offers observational attachments for local occupational therapists who wish to be exposed to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. The objectives are:

• To provide an overview of psychiatric rehabilitation principles and practices

• To equip participants with knowledge in basic psychiatric rehabilitation assessment

• To impart knowledge on treatment goal setting, intervention planning, treatment implementation and treatment evaluation

• To provide exposure to the various psychiatric rehabilitation services offered within IMH

Art Psychotherapy is a new area of recovery and rehabilitative work that the Occupational Therapy Department currently offers for patients with psychiatric conditions.

A small group of art psychotherapists (with a depth of clinical experience) run both individual and group sessions on either an inpatient or outpatient basis.

Through observation attachments in this sector, it is hoped that more will be introduced to the concept and techniques of using art to bring out the inner psychological world of people as part of the therapeutic interventions offered.

Outline of Art Therapy Attachment:

The participant will develop advanced skills and understanding in:

• Overview of art psychotherapy approaches in mental health

• Overview of procedures, organisational systems and multi-disciplinary teams working within the mental health setting

• Art psychotherapy for psychiatric patients (e.g. suitability of intervention, determining treatment plan, interview / family background information, differences between working with children, adolescents and adult patients)

• Overview of organisation and system approaches in a mental health hospital setting

• Clinical intervention that is appropriate to the particular mental health setting and client

• Conducting therapy for groups and / or individuals, as appropriate

Methodology:

Job shadowing, clinical supervision, client presentation and discussion, observation, practical demonstrations, working clinically with patients, as allocated by your supervisor. Weekly monitoring of cases and detailed analysis of client contact.

Pre-requisites:

For art therapy students:

• Art Therapy students from a recognised and accredited training programme.

• Overseas students need to go through police clearance in their own country, if applying for a child psychiatry or forensic psychiatry placement.

For qualified art therapists:

• Masters or Postgraduate Diploma in Art Therapy

• Currently working in a mental health / intellectual disability / paediatric setting and has sought approval from own organisation to engage in clinical attachment.

• Foreign Art Therapists need to go through police clearance in their own country, if applying for a child psychiatry or forensic psychiatry placement.
   

Duration:

Minimum: 8 weeks 
Maximum: 4 months

Clinical supervision will be weekly for up to 2 hours.

Trainers:

Qualified Art Therapist

IMH’s Polytechnic Student’s Attachment Programme is an organised, directed training programme that centres on developing the competencies necessary to provide pharmaceutical care to patients. It is structured to equip prospective pharmacy technicians to deliver safe, efficient and economical use of medications with the aim of optimising patient care.

Students are expected to continue acquiring new knowledge on pharmacy, communication, counselling and organisation through independent learning and on-the-job training. On completion of each sectional attachment, the student is required to write a report on his training. This is to facilitate the upgrading of training standards and to encourage the input of new ideas.

National University of Singapore (NUS) Clinical Psychology Program

The Department of Psychology provides clinical placements to NUS Interns enrolled in the NUS Clinical Psychology program.

IMH is the only psychiatric institution in Singapore which offers comprehensive services catering to the needs of children & adolescents, adults and older persons. Given the complexity of our patients, we work closely in a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) comprising of various mental health professionals, in order to meet the holistic needs of our patients as well as their caregivers, employers and community-based agencies. Through their IMH clinical supervisors, interns will be provided with opportunities to work with our IMH MDT. In addition, we practice patient-centred care using evidence-based and practice-based treatment. In terms of the types of psychological therapies we practice, it would include ACT, CBT, DBT, EFT, IPT and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

During their placements, Interns will be exposed to a range of mental disorders including

1. Anxiety disorders including OCD and GAD

2. Mood disorders including depression and bipolar disorders

3. Forensic psychology – forensic assessment and treatment

4. Personality disorders like borderline personality disorder

5. Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia