I am a 2nd year OT student at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences at Mary Baldwin University. Occupational therapy was founded and has roots in mental health. Occupational therapy is all about the use of everyday, meaningful activities to achieve wellness. OT helps these individuals gain real life skills, such as how to navigate their communities, work with others, and how to gain employment, to name a few. The everyday activities that we can take for granted are milestones that these individuals need appropriate support to reach. OTs look at the whole person, and use a strengths - based approach to empower these individuals to find confidence and autonomy in themselves. 

As a student, I have spent many hours learning evidence-based treatment models and how to run groups with these individuals. We have learned in all our classes to consider the individual from a holistic model. With the prevalence of mental health issues at the forefront of our social landscape, OTs from all practice settings are well versed and knowledgeable in this area. I have worked for the past six months in a psychiatric rehab facility, and volunteered extensively in a local jail with individuals with mental illness. Additionally, I will complete at 12 week clinical rotation at a state run mental health hospital. This equates to 480 hours supervised by a licensed OT. I will also, as part of my doctoral education, complete 16 weeks working with individuals with mental illness gain opportunities to paid employment. This equates to 640 hours under a licensed OT. As a student, I have learned that sometimes the most meaningful thing to a person is just being able to live their life. OTs help people live their best life and give them the supports they need to make it work.

There is a shortage of mental health workers across the board. By making the requirement to become a QMHP even harder, this will undoubtedly lead to even less people working in mental health. The consequences of this could be devasting – the incidence of mental illness is constantly growing. We are at pivotal time in this country, where mental health is talked about more than ever – however, there is not enough professionals to meet the growing need. OT is needed, and we are more than qualified to provide rehabilitative services to help these individuals get back to being productive participants in their environments.

Occupational therapists are licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine. This license states that we as occupational therapists are qualified to work in mental and physical health. Occupational therapists are more than qualified, licensed professionals to be a QMHP in the state of Virginia.

I am asking that Part II Requirements for Registration regulation 18VAC115-80-40 B.5. Requirements for registration as a QMHP-A and 18VAC115-80-50 B.4. Requirements for registration as a QMHP-C be changed to read

18VAC115-80-40 B.5. and 18VAC115-80-50 B.4. Licensure as an occupational therapist by the Board of Medicine (§ 54.1- 2900 of the Code of Virginia) with a master’s or doctoral degree, and an internship or practicum of at least 500 hours with persons with mental illness or one year of experience in a mental health setting.

Thank you. 

Sincerely,

Courtney Roelfs, OTS, Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, Class of 2020