Dear Jaime Hoyle,

My name is Rabia Mirza and I am a 2nd year occupational therapy doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University. As occupational therapists, we are educated to provide services and support mental health and wellness, rehabilitation, habilitation, and recovery-oriented approaches. Our education also includes at least one clinical fieldwork experience focused on psychosocial issues. This semester, I am completing clinicals in a residential treatment program for individuals with serious mental illness. My practicum during my final semester of school is going to be extensive involvement with an organization that follows a clubhouse model that aids individuals impacted by addiction, incarceration and homelessness. By the conclusion of my education, well over 600 hours will have been dedicated to psychoeducation and clinical involvement in a setting focusing on psychosocial challenges.

What initially drew me to this profession was its strong emphasis on treating our clients holistically. A client’s motor and processing abilities are not the only things observed. Their contexts and environments, their belief systems, the meaningful activities they do, their personal goals, and their daily habits, routines and rituals are all considered when creating a treatment plan that works for them. This holistic approach not only focuses on physical health and wellness, but mental health and wellness as well. Occupational therapy origins began in the mental health field since the early 20th century, and to this day we provide mental health treatment and prevention services, with a focus on function and independence, for individuals across the lifespan.

Occupational therapy plays a vital role in mental health, and there is evidence that our interventions improve outcomes for those living in the community with serious mental illness. For these reasons, we are asking that the 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 from the current Emergency Regulations to the following replacement:

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,

Rabia Mirza, OTS