There are two important opportunities to advocate for the profession this week, and we’re calling on members to take action.

Have your say: Complete the 2026 NDIS Provider Survey

We know NDIS work can feel like an uphill battle some days, and we want to make sure your experience counts. This is your chance to have your say. OTA wants to know how the NDIS is really affecting you and the participants you support. Last year, more than 600 occupational therapists spoke up, and their voices shaped our submissions, our representations to government and our No OTs No NDIS campaign.

Your responses are confidential. Share only what you're comfortable with. We report on this data in aggregate form only, and no individual business or practitioner will be identified. It only takes around 15 minutes. There are 30 questions, but you're welcome to skip anything that isn't relevant to your practice. There's also a free text box at the end if you'd like to share more.

Whatever your experience, we want to hear it. The more OTs who take part, the stronger our voice for the profession and the people we support.

The survey closes on 23 August. Complete the survey here.

Act now: Email your MP about Thriving Kids

From 1 October, the new Thriving Kids initiative will begin rolling out across Australia. While OTA supports the goal of earlier support for children and families, we are concerned that occupational therapists are not explicitly included in the model, putting continuity of care, family choice and access to essential supports at risk.

We are calling for occupational therapists to be recognised as an essential part of Thriving Kids, including private practice OTs who are often a critical source of support for children and families. We also want continuity of care protected so children can keep working with their current occupational therapists and avoid unnecessary disruption to their development, wellbeing and daily lives.

Please help strengthen our call for action. It takes just 30 seconds to use our advocacy tool to email your state and federal MPs and ask them to protect children’s access to occupational therapy.

Find out more and email your state and federal MPs here.

Support the NSW Thriving Kids Petition

While you're taking action, spend another 30 seconds signing the NSW Thriving Kids petition to help strengthen the call for OTs to be meaningfully included in the design and delivery of Thriving Kids. More than 2,700 people have already signed the Petition, which we launched recently with the NSW Allied Health Providers Group. NSW OTA members, NDIS participants, families, carers and people with lived experience are encouraged to sign by 3 October.

Rollout of Thriving Kids in Tasmania

On 1 October, Thriving Kids will begin to roll out in Tasmania. The model has five parts:

• Navigation, information and advice
• Group supports for parents, carers and kin
• Supported groups for children
• Personalised family support
• Therapy supports

You can find out more on the Tasmanian Government’s website here.

NSW Preventive Health Roundtable

OTA recently participated in a NSW preventive health roundtable, bringing together representatives from occupational therapy, dietetics, speech pathology, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, psychology, podiatry, nursing and pharmacy. The discussion explored a range of preventive health priorities and provided an opportunity to highlight the contribution allied health can make to a broader approach to prevention – one that considers not only disease prevention, but also function, participation, independence and wellbeing across the lifespan.

OTA highlighted the role occupational therapists can play in supporting preventive health across areas including mental health, healthy ageing and early childhood. We discussed the opportunity to embed occupational therapy within early childhood and education settings to identify and address sensory, developmental, behavioural and psychosocial barriers early, supporting children to participate in healthy eating, physical activity, learning and social connection. OTA will continue to engage in this work and keep members updated as work progresses.

Consultation on defining ‘at least moderate care needs’ under Better Access

Through the Better Access Industry Liaison Group, OTA provided feedback to the Australian Government on defining ‘at least moderate care needs’ under Better Access. OTA’s feedback emphasised the need for any proposed assessment tools to consider functioning, participation, risk and psychosocial complexity, and that any guidance developed must explicitly recognise eligible mental health OTs as providers of moderate-intensity care.

Private health insurance reform consultation

OTA provided input to Allied Health Professions Australia’s submission to the Australian Government’s private health sector reform consultation, focusing on multidisciplinary mental health care.

OTA called for explicit recognition of mental health occupational therapists in insurer-funded multidisciplinary programs and sector guidelines; private health insurance items that distinguish mental health occupational therapy from general occupational therapy and reflect the range and complexity of services provided; funded items for assessment, intervention, telehealth, family work, group programs and case conferencing; a specific travel item for clinically necessary services delivered in homes, schools, workplaces and other community settings; recognition of OTA’s Mental Health Endorsement where evidence of additional mental health capability is required; outcome measures covering mental health and wellbeing, everyday functioning, recovery, participation and quality of life; and OTA representation on the reconvened Private Mental Health Alliance.

OTA also highlighted that current private health item structures are inconsistent across insurers and do not adequately capture the distinct contribution of mental health occupational therapy.

OTA advocacy reflected in MHA national workforce priorities

Mental Health Australia has published sector workforce priorities for the next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. The priorities will inform government consideration of workforce commitments for the next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. While they are not binding, they provide important sector-wide support for stronger recognition and investment in the occupational therapy workforce.

OTA is pleased to see our feedback strongly reflected, including through a dedicated occupational therapy section.

The priorities call for OTs to be recognised and supported to work to their full scope in mental health, recognised within the psychosocial workforce, and specifically counted in workforce data. They also support stronger placement and early-career pathways, senior clinical roles, supervision, workforce wellbeing and longer-term service funding.

Presentation at the National Workers' Compensation Summit

OTA was represented at the 27th Annual National Workers' Compensation Summit in Geelong on 11 August. This year’s program had a strong focus on mental health and psychological injury. OTA member Anna Treloar-Tanner delivered a presentation on the role of occupational therapists in supporting people with mental health conditions and psychological injury, and introduced OTA's Mental Health Endorsement Program.