Three ways to support health through participation
Globally
You might like to joinUNHCR or Amnesty to protect refugees globally
Locally
You might like to network with government, churches, volunteer and non-government organisations for grass root initiatives and networks
With OOFRAS Inc
You might like to:
The value of D-I-Y occupational wellbeing
We're all constantly adapting to life with Do-It-Yourself (DIY) strategies to manage daily occupations and life roles. You have hopefully experienced social support that is safe, reciprocal, and helpful for your health and sanity. You have probably also accessed health professional input knowing it can complement, but not replace DIY strategies and social supports.
Likewise, notice and honour the occupational experience, DIY strategies, and healing efforts of refugees and asylum seekers and their social supports. Respectful curiosity about what has worked so far is a good start. Do not underestimate the value and healing in sharing every day occupations like watching the kids after school, having a birthday party, sharing a meal.
Always explore and use existing strengths and social supports first and when DIY solutions and social support is not safe/ enough/ appropriate, enlist professional input. Often a small amount of input early is better than a large amount of input for pervasive difficulties and social exclusion.
Ensuring occupational therapy is accessible as needed
Occupational therapy (OT) works to enable participation in daily occupations and life roles to create health.
The World Health Organisation defines health as both body structures and functions AND activity (daily occupations) and participation (in life roles) with the International Classification of Function (ICF). See part 2 of this ICF checklist for activity limitations and participation restriction and how it fits together with body structures and functions to create health.
The OT profession has an ethical obligation to respond to the occupational needs of people regardless of the person's status in society. We want to see equal access to equal OT service for equal occupational need.
OOFRAS is a framework for member action (not a program for refugees) to enact our vision and mission to make quality occupational therapy services accessible whenever and wherever refugees and asylum seekers experience significant occupational problems.
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