Occupational Therapy Practice in Europe

1
Occupational Therapy Practice in Europe

• C.O.T.E.C
• Council of Occupational Therapists for the
  European Countries

2

• Occupational Therapy is a well developed and
  regulated profession throughout Europe
• The number of practicing Occupational Therapists
  is more than 110.000

3

• Occupational Therapy is a profession concerned
  with promoting health and well being through
  occupation. The primary goal is to enable people
  to participate in the activities of everyday life
  (WFOT, 2004)

4

• The inability of people, groups or society to
  identify, engage in and achieve desired potential
  in the occupations of life, put their health at
  risk

5

• Occupational Therapists enable all people,
  regardless of ability, age or other
  characteristics, to choose and engage in
  occupations, which give meaning and purpose to
  their lives (CAOT,2003)

6

• Occupational Therapists achieve this outcome by
  enabling people to do things that will enhance
  their ability to participate or by modifying the
  environment to better support participation
  (WFOT, 2004)

7

• Occupational Therapy is practiced in a wide range
  of settings including hospitals, health centres,
  homes, workplaces, schools, reform institutions
  and housing for seniors

8

• Occupational Therapists may have different roles
  in each settings like
• clinician role
• managerial role
• consultancy role
• care manager or care coordinator role
• role at a strategic, planning or organisational
  level

9

• The Council of Occupational Therapists for the
  European Countries (COTEC) was founded in 1986
  with the purpose of creating a political will for
  the professional advancement of Occupational
  Therapy in Europe

10

• The members of COTEC are the National
  Associations of Occupational Therapists
• COTEC now represents 25 European Countries and
  more than 60.000 Occupational Therapy
  practitioners

11

• Austria
• Belgium
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland

• Italy
• Latvia
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• UK

12

• In 24 countries the Occupational Therapy
  profession has a legal standing
• In 20 countries there is an official job
  description
• In 15 countries Occupational Therapists have a
  recognized pay scale

13

• COTEC meets twice a year and is made up of
  delegates elected by their National Associations
• The European Congress is the major event of the
  COTEC, being hosted every 4 years

14

• COTEC produce and publish
• European Code of Ethics
• Summary of Profession
• Newsletter on website
• Special Interest Groups Booklet

15

• COTEC liaise with ENOTHE and WFOT and undertake
  together projects which promote the advance of
  Occupational Therapy practice and science

16

• COTEC liaise with other professional and
  non-professional bodies in Europe like WHO-Europe
  to encourage the exchange of information and the
  promotion of Occupational Therapy

17

• The focus for our future act is to disseminate
  the Occupational Therapy values in promoting
  healthy occupations to Europe and to national
  health and social policy decision-makers and to
  the general public

18

• COTEC would act as advocate for the participation
  of Occupational Therapists in a continuum of
  services including primary health, health
  promotion, home and community care

19

• COTEC is supporting and developing services in
  new areas like the Eastern Europe countries that
  are now members of European Union and their
  neighbouring countries

20

• It is our duty to ensure that every citizen in
  Europe have access to high quality Occupational
  Therapy services

21

• Thank you !