Understand the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) landscape for occupational therapists in Australia, including your annual CPD requirements as an OT, what qualifies as CPD, and more.
Last reviewed: 26 September 2024
Related articles: CPD for Psychologists in Australia, CPD for Counsellors in Australia, CPD for Social Workers in Australia.
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An overview of CPD requirements for occupational therapists in Australia
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to the process through which professionals maintain and enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities throughout their careers. In Australia, the regulation of CPD for occupational therapists is governed by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (OTBA), which operates under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
The OTBA sets the standards for CPD to ensure that occupational therapists meet the necessary competencies to practice safely and effectively. The standard applies to all registered occupational therapists except those with student or non-practising registration. The CPD requirements for occupational therapists are set out in the Continuing professional development registration standard and Guidelines for continuing professional development. These include:
- Minimum CPD hours: Occupational therapists must complete at least 20 hours of CPD activities each year.
- Relevant Activities: All CPD activities that help occupational therapists maintain competence, stay up-to-date and is relevant to a practitioner’s scope of practice meets the OTBA CPD standard.
- Interactive and interprofessional CPD: The CPD standard requires occupational therapists to complete at least 5 hours of interactive CPD activities, as there is some evidence that this facilitates effective learning. Such activities also contribute to maintaining connections with other practitioners and contemporary practice. Interactive CPD activities are any activities that involve other practitioners, including as face-to-face education (in person or through communication platforms such as webinars).
- Planning and reflection: The CPD standard requires occupational therapists to plan and record their learning goals and the activities they complete that help meet these goals, and to complete the CPD activities and record a reflection on how they improved OT practice.
- Record keeping and audits: Occupational therapists should keep records of their CPD portfolio and CPD activities for at least 5 years from the date they completed their CPD cycle. These records must be available for audit or if required by the Board as part of an investigation arising from a notification (complaint).
Staying compliant with these CPD requirements is essential for maintaining registration as an occupational therapist in Australia. For further information, including checklists, fact sheets and additional documents, refer to the CPD page in the OTBA website.
What is considered Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?
The OTBA will recognise any Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity that directly contributes to the achievement of your CPD goals as an occupational therapist. CPD may include both structured and unstructured learning activities which directly contribute to your competence to practice in a chosen field. However, CPD can also relate to the development of new competencies in other areas of practice; as such, it does not always need to relate directly to your current practice.
- Learning formats: CPD can be completed in a variety of formats, including online courses and events, in-person conferences and workshops, self-directed learning (e.g. reading journal articles, listening to podcasts), reflective practice, and more.
- Learning sources: Occupational therapists can access CPD activities from numerous sources including specialist training providers (e.g. Mental Health Academy), industry peak associations (e.g. Occupational Therapy Australia), publications (e.g. peer-reviewed journal and industry magazines), universities and accredited colleges, and more.
Education, training, mentoring or supervision required by the OTBA or a tribunal is generally not considered part of CPD for occupational therapists.
Eligibility for CPD full and partial exemptions
The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (OTBA) expects registered occupational therapists to fulfill the requirements of the CPD standard. The Board believes that the variety of activities and the timeframe offered, including the pro rata option, provide enough flexibility for compliance, except in rare circumstances.
In exceptional cases where circumstances have hindered your ability to practice and significantly impacted your capacity to complete CPD as a registered occupational therapist, the Board may grant a full or partial exemption or modification of the CPD requirements. Each application is reviewed individually, with the Board carefully considering the specific situation before deciding whether to approve an exemption. Depending on the circumstances the Board may also impose a condition or your registration requiring you to complete additional CPD to make up all or some of the CPD that you did not complete.
For more information on your eligibility for CPD full and partial exemptions, including circumstances such as planned absence from practice, maternity/paternity/parental leave, travel, study, and significant illness or injury, visit the OTBA website’s CPD Exemptions page.
How CPD contributes to better client outcomes
Numerous studies have demonstrated how CPD contributes to better client outcomes for mental health professionals. We cover some of the evidence below:
- Enhancing knowledge and skills. A study by Truscott et al. (2011) found that psychologists who engage in CPD are better equipped to incorporate evidence-based practices, leading to improved client outcomes. Research by Bearman et al. (2013) indicates that ongoing training and development are critical in maintaining the quality and efficacy of psychological interventions.
- Improving competency and confidence. A study by Ilgen et al. (2010) showed that CPD helps psychologists develop a broader skill set, leading to more effective problem-solving and intervention strategies. Dunsmuir et al. (2011) demonstrated that CPD contributes to psychologists feeling more competent and confident, which positively impacts their interactions with clients.
- Ethical and legal awareness. A study by Pope and Vasquez (2016) highlighted that CPD activities help psychologists stay updated on ethical standards, reducing the risk of ethical violations that can negatively impact client outcomes. Research by Handelsman et al. (2015) found that CPD contributes to a better understanding of legal issues, which is crucial for maintaining client trust and avoiding legal pitfalls.
- Specialisation and advanced skills. A study by Morrow-Bradley and Elliott (1986) found that psychologists with specialised training through CPD reported better client outcomes compared to those without such training. Weisz et al. (2006) demonstrated that advanced training and specialization through CPD lead to more tailored and effective treatments, particularly for complex cases.
- Networking and professional support. Research by Norcross and Guy (2007) found that professional networking through CPD activities contributes to better client outcomes by fostering a collaborative and supportive professional community. A study by Tharenou et al. (2007) showed that CPD-related networking can lead to shared knowledge and best practices, further improving the quality of psychological services.
Furthermore, a recent synthesis of eight new systematic reviews of the literature about the effectiveness of CPD published since 2003 concluded that “CPD is able to improve clinician performance and patient health outcomes” (Cervero & Gaines, 2015).
Popular CPD courses and training undertaken by occupational therapists
Occupational therapists can accrue CPD hours by completing many of Mental Health Academy’s 500+ CPD courses. Some of the most popular MHA CPD courses undertaken by occupational therapists include:
Evidence-based therapies and clinical interventions
- Helping Clients Deal with Problem Anger: Understanding and De-escalating Anger
- Using Internal Family Systems Therapy for Overcoming Addictive Behaviour Patterns
- Treating Anxiety with Motivational Interviewing
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Medical Problems
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Challenging Problems
- Ketamine-assisted Therapy for Treatment-resistant Depression
- How Behavioural Activation Can Help Your Depressed Clients
Families, parenting and couples
- Coercive Control: Recognise, Manage, Change
- The Parenting Revolution: How to Guide Parents to the Most Impactful Family Solutions
- Helping Clients to Navigate the Shock of a Relationship Breakup
- Working with Men in Distressed and Disrupted Intimate Partner Relationships
- Providing Therapy for Non-Traditional Romantic Relationships
Children and adolescents
- Working with Paediatric Anxiety
- Practical Strategies to Enhance Sensory Regulation in Children
- Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy with Adolescents: Aspirations and Empowerment
- What School Counsellors Need to Know About Behavioural Addictions
- Clinical Work with Gang Youth: Research and Applications
- Universal Mental Health Screening
- Setting Children Up For Success: Building Social/Emotional and Academic Competence Through Evidence-based SEL Programs
- Suicide in Schools: Prevention and Intervention
Diversity and multicultural competence
- Working with ADHD in Adults
- Working with ADHD in Children and Adolescents
- Autistic Patients: The Need for Providers to Embrace Different Thinking
- PTSD in Autistic Adults: Understanding the Causes, Symptoms, & Support for Suicide Prevention
- OnTrac: A CBT Based Manualised Group Program for Adolescents with ADHD
- Deaf Cultural Competency Training for Clinicians
- Anti-Ableism and Accessibility: Thinking Outside the Box
- Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples in Australia
- Cultural Humility: Maybe We’re Doing It Wrong
- 5 Ways to Decolonise Your Mental Health Practice
- Sitting with Aboriginal Clients: Appropriate Modalities
Suicide prevention and risk assessment
- Risk Assessments and Safety Plans
- STEPS: Steps To Evaluate Progression of Suicidality
- The Neuroscience of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviour
- How To Develop a Suicide Postvention Plan in Your Organisation
- Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Older Adulthood
- Post-Traumatic Growth After Suicide Loss Across the Lifespan
- When Suicidal Thoughts Persist: Treating Chronic Ideation
Addiction
- Wellness-Based Addictions Counselling
- Understanding the Biopsychosocial Model of Addiction
- Conceptualising and Treating Sex Addiction
- Digital ‘Addictions’ to Digital Wellbeing: Understanding and Managing Our Use of Technology
- Addressing Internet Gaming Addiction in Clinical Work
- Trauma and Addiction: Taking Motivational Interviewing to the Next Level
- Using Motivational Interviewing with Alcohol Dependence and Depression
- A Narrative Approach to Working with Sobriety and Life Transitions
Trauma-informed care
- Principles of Trauma-informed Practice
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Trauma
- Trauma Informed Care: Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Post-Traumatic Growth
- Understanding Ambiguous Loss
- Understanding the Link Between Trauma and Addiction
- Post Traumatic Growth and Psychedelics
- Incorporating Race-based Stress Into the Discussion About ACEs
Therapist self-care
- Creative Arts Approaches for Reflective Practice and Self-Care in Counselling
- Clinicians as Suicide Loss Survivors: Postvention for Caregivers
- Understanding and Preventing Compassion Fatigue
- Mindfulness Essentials for Therapist Self-care
Visit the MHA catalogue for a full list of available courses, and become a member to access over 750 hours of learning (on-demand, 24/7) for less than $1 day.
References
- Truscott, D., Swartz, K., & O’Donnell, K. (2011). Continuing professional development: A benefit to the entire profession. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(4), 393-398.
- Bearman, S. K., Wadkins, M., Bailin, A., & Doctoroff, G. (2013). Pre-practicum training in professional psychology to close the research-to-practice gap: Changing the culture of training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 7(1), 22-31.
- Ilgen, D. R., Hollenbeck, J. R., Johnson, M., & Jundt, D. (2010). Teams in organizations: From input-process-output models to IMOI models. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 517-543.
- Dunsmuir, S., Atkinson, C., Lang, J., & Warhurst, A. (2011). Supporting the professional development of educational psychologists through a professional practice journal. Educational Psychology in Practice, 27(3), 285-306.
- Handelsman, M. M., Gottlieb, M. C., & Knapp, S. (2015). Positive ethics: Themes and variations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 46(3), 149-153.
- Pope, K. S., & Vasquez, M. J. T. (2016). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling: A practical guide (5th ed.). Wiley.
- R.M. Cervero and J.K. Gaines, ‘The impact of CME on position performance and patient healthcare outcomes: an updated synthesis of systematic reviews’, Journal of continuing education in the health professions , vol. 35, no. 2, 2015, pp. 131-138.
- Morrow-Bradley, C., & Elliott, R. (1986). Utilization of psychotherapy research by practicing psychotherapists. American Psychologist, 41(2), 188-197.
- Weisz, J. R., Weiss, B., Han, S. S., Granger, D. A., & Morton, T. (2006). Effects of psychotherapy with children and adolescents revisited: A meta-analysis of treatment outcome studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 132-149.