Commentary

By Kathryn Lambert, Molly Beauregard, & Nathalie Klinger

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A central component of occupational therapy (OT) education is the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills on clinical placements. Students typically participate in several placements, each under the full-time supervision of an occupational therapist. Approximately 5%  of placements in Canada are classified as role-emerging placements (REPs) (1). In REPs, the placement setting is an organization that does not have an occupational therapist on staff. Two students work together to independently carve out a role for occupational therapy for the organization’s clientele over the course of the placement. While this role varies according to the nature of the organization, common components include the development of group treatment programs, the creation of educational resources, and the administration of equipment assessments, such as assessing a client with mobility needs for a walker. A professional employee of the  organization supervises the students on-site, while a registered occupational therapist outside of  the organization provides around eight hours of mentorship per a week.

REPs provide a range of potential benefits to students, the target organization, and the profession of OT as a whole. Through REPs, students and professors are able to initiate placement opportunities that facilitate student development of unique and timely skills. By definition, these placements fill healthcare gaps by providing OT services to clients who would otherwise have limited or no access to the profession (1,2). The increased use of REPs has led to an increase in both student willingness to work in non-traditional settings such as not-for-profit organizations and has also added to a number of new job opportunities in such settings (2). Successful REPs through the University of Alberta have resulted in the establishment of permanent OT services at both the Bissell Centre, a not-for-profit organization that supports low-income and homeless Edmontonians, and Henwood Treatment Centre, a residential addictions treatment centre in Edmonton (1).