Authors: Justin Scanlan, Nicola Hancock, Anne Honey, Megan Still, Jessica Heikkinen
Year: 2019
Event: 2019 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Implementing Cognitive Adaptation Training - an approach to bypassing cognitive difficulties - into routine practice.
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract:
Biography:
Dr Justin Scanlan is an occupational therapist with a clinical background in mental health practice. He is currently a senior lecturer and course co-director for the undergraduate occupational therapy program at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney.
Cognitive Adaptation Training (CAT) is an approach designed to bypass the impact of cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals living with mental illness. CAT uses environmental modifications to assist individuals to improve their independence in a variety of valued daily activities. While there solid evidence for CAT, it has not been adopted as routine practice in mental health services within Australia.
Staff from two government and two community-managed organisations will receive training in CAT and ongoing support and mentoring to implement this approach with services users. Information will be collected in terms of mental health workers’ perceptions of the usefulness of CAT and their initial reflections on barriers and enablers to its implementation.
Cognitive difficulties can create significant barriers to achieving optimal participation in valued daily activities and roles. CAT provides a potentially useful approach to overcoming these barriers and enabling healthier communities by supporting more meaningful community participation for individuals living with mental illness.
This presentation will provide an overview of the principles of CAT and how this can support improvements in wellbeing and daily functioning.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Participants will gain an understanding of the key components of CAT and how this can support improvements in wellbeing and daily functioning for individuals living with mental illness.
Learning Objective 2: Cognitive challenges can create significant barriers to optimal community engagement, participation and citizenship. CAT is one way that these barriers can be overcome.
References
Maples, N. J. & Velligan, D. I. (2008). Cognitive Adaptation Training: Establishing environmental supports to bypass cognitive deficits and improve functional outcomes. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 11(2), 164-180.
Scanlan, J. N. & Still, M. (2015). Cognitive adaptation training demonstrated benefits for individuals living with schizophrenia in terms of community functioning and impact of auditory hallucinations. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62(5), 367-368.
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