For occupational therapy students interested in subscribing to the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section – Mental Health, current membership is only £16.00 per year. Membership benefits include the receipt of the magazine Mental Health Occupational Therapy which is issued three times a year.
New student members are always welcome and application forms can be obtained from this website. The Specialist Section is definitely worth joining, especially as a few reduced rate conference tickets are often set aside each year exclusively for students.
As members, student occupational therapists are highly valued and encouraged to attend conferences, study days and to network with the student rep and other members of the committee and the Specialist Section. These events can be valuable and rewarding experiences, providing students with the opportunity to mix with clinicians, service users and other students from around the country. They are also great opportunities to network and learn at the same time - whatever year of study you are in.
Contributions to the Mental Health Occupational Therapy publication are also greatly appreciated. Previous student contributions include research articles, reflections from placements and reports on personal and professional development during training. Certainly the more you put into your membership, the more you will get out of it.
Jade Nixon is the student rep and she is contactable at J.Nixon3@student.derby.ac.uk