Occupational Therapy Team in Community Mental Health

Occupational Therapy Team in Community Mental Health Services for working age adults

We make a difference to the lives of adults with enduring mental health conditions across Bedford and Luton using tailored one-to-one interventions and assessments that promote independence and improve daily function.

"Providing an occupational lens to identify, assess and provide evidence-based therapeutic interventions to address service user's occupational needs"

Our Occupational Therapy team works across six Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) in Bedfordshire and Luton, supporting adults aged 18 - 65 experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties within community settings.

Occupational Therapists focus on how mental health affects a person's ability to participate in everyday activities and roles. Through assessment and intervention, we support people to develop the skills, confidence and routines needed to live independently and engage in meaningful occupations.

About Occupational Therapy in Mental Health

Occupational Therapists help people participate in the activities that are important to them, whether that is managing a home, maintaining relationships, returning to work, engaging in education, accessing the community, or developing healthy routines.

We take a holistic approach, considering the person's strengths, goals, environment and the impact of their mental health on everyday functioning.

Our work is person-centred, recovery-focused and evidence-based.

How We Support People

Our Occupational Therapists provide assessment and intervention in areas including:

Daily living skills and self-care
Establishing routines and structure
Independent living and household management
Community access and social inclusion
Education, employment and volunteering
Sensory processing and regulation
Confidence, motivation and engagement
Meaningful occupation and leisure

Interventions may include:

Functional assessments
Occupational formulation and goal setting
Graded exposure approaches
Activity and routine planning
Independent living skills development
Sensory assessment and intervention
Recovery-focused one-to-one intervention

We work closely with service users, carers and multidisciplinary teams to support recovery and maximise independence.

What Our Service Users Say:

"My Occupational Therapist was really helpful and made me feel comfortable, listened to and understood."

"Everyone was approachable and supportive. It felt like a safe space where I could focus on my recovery."

"The support I received helped me regain confidence and get back to doing the things that matter to me."

What our staff say:

"Being part of the CMHT OT team has given me opportunities to develop my skills, work collaboratively and support people in their recovery."

"I have felt supported to develop within my role and have been given opportunities to continue learning and progressing professionally."

"There are opportunities to work across different service areas, develop new skills and progress within the wider OT service."