Making workplace mental health work: Occupational therapy in action (November 24, 2026)

Presented by: Kelly Sward

Occupational therapists have a role in supporting mental health in the workplace with evidence-informed, systems-level approaches, such as assisting employers with the development of processes and procedures, recommending universal design principles, and implementing work disability prevention strategies (CAOT, 2025).  This webinar will present an evidence-informed occupational therapy model for workplace mental health developed through sequential research, pilot implementation, and economic evaluation. Topics include early needs-identification research conducted through occupational therapy student thesis projects, a supported employment occupational therapy bridging pilot, and the use of Social Return on Investment analysis (Marques et al., 2025) to strengthen sustainability and funding pathways. The final section focuses on applied employer consultation, highlighting how occupational therapists can translate evidence into practical, scalable strategies within real-world workplace settings.

After taking part in this webinar, participants will be able to: 

1. Describe how occupational therapy research and pilot projects can be leveraged to develop and refine workplace mental health service models.
2. Identify key evidence-informed occupational therapy strategies to support employers in building mental health-inclusive workplaces.
3. Apply systems-level and occupation-based reasoning to consider how similar workplace mental health models could be adapted or scaled within their own practice contexts.

Level  Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Area of practice Equity & Justice, Mental Health, Return to Work, Workplace Health & Safety  

Client age group Adults (20-64 years old)