A Practice Placement Education Model Based upon a Primary Health Care Perspective Used in South Australia

Abstract

Undergraduate education programmes play a major role in the development of the profession; providing practice placement education opportunities across a range of settings prepares graduates for the diversity of practice. This paper describes a practice placement education model, developed in South Australia, which enables graduates to work effectively from a primary health care or social health perspective to engage actively with the paradigm shift occurring in health. The model consists of three phases. Phase one comprises academic input relating to social health philosophy and the link with occupational therapy, as well as knowledge and skills in project management. Phase two allows students to explore a range of community-based agencies and potential project opportunities. Phase three involves the implementation and evaluation of a project aimed at addressing a specified need in the community in a sustainable manner. A synopsis of several projects is provided to demonstrate the variety of agencies and issues that can be addressed using such a model.