Abstract
A multidisciplinary team works to eliminate the negative consequences of substance abuse in addicted clients. In addition to a psychiatrist, psychologist, addictologist, social worker, activation worker, nurse, and a physiotherapist, the team should include an occupational therapist.
He/she has an important role in addressing the needs of addiction clients, who exhibit changes in a range of areas, including the psychosocial, cognitive, and physical ones. Occupational therapy has an irreplaceable role in addiction treatment, as it helps clients to resume a full- fledged life and perform meaningful activities.
Addiction clients often find that their return to a healthy lifestyle helps them stay sober longer. Our aim is to present work and competences of the occupational therapist and discuss their opportunities on the labour market on basis of clinical experience and recent evidence.
The effective Czech legislation governing the competences of an occupational therapist was reviewed and selected databases were searched for relevant evidence. The article is conceived as the discussion of the possibilities of an occupational therapist in working with clients experiencing different types of addiction.
An occupational therapist has a wide range of interventions to apply. In the Czech Republic, occupational therapists often focus mainly on relaxation techniques and handicrafts.
However, the scope of occupational therapists' competences is much wider; they can focus on self-sufficiency, cognitive functioning, productivity and leisure time, relapse management, the prevention of the priming process, working with distorted thinking, stress management, the development of social skills, working with the family, and community work.