New York Occupational Therapists Continuing Education Requirements

This course provides a very brief introduction to the use of herbal remedies, based on a publication from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Herbs at a Glance – A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements. In this course, clinicians will learn about the historical use of herbal medicine, the beneficial effects and potential dangers of commonly used herbs, and the scientific evidence for their effectiveness. Completion of this course does not provide sufficient education for prescribing herbs professionally; however, any clinician may provide self-help and educational materials to clients.

Dying isn’t a subject that Americans like to think about. Our national character is vibrant, optimistic, life-affirming. These qualities have been a great advantage to us as a people, but they have a down side. They make us less inclined to think about the inevitable sad events such as death. Consequently, we are often less prepared for it, psychologically and otherwise, than people in other cultures. The “Butterflies are Free” program was designed by the Staff Associates at Life Care Center in Sarasota, FL to help overcome this problem and to enable healthcare workers and come to prepare for an ill person’s passing. This course presents a case study which reveals how the Life Care Center created and implemented an effective End-of-Life program for their residents. The purpose of this course is to introduce the history, ideals, and practices behind the program in the hopes that it may be adopted in other nursing home facilities.

Self-defeating behaviors are negative on-going patterns of behaviors involving issues such as smoking, weight, inactive lifestyle, depression, anger, perfectionism, etc. This course is designed to teach concepts to eliminate these negative patterns. The course is educational: first you learn the model, then you apply it to a specific self-defeating behavior. A positive behavioral change is the outcome. Following the course, participants will be able to identify, analyze and replace their self-defeating behavior(s) with positive behavior(s). The course also provides an excellent psychological “tool” for clinicians to use with their clients. The author grants limited permission to photocopy forms and exercises included in this course for clinical use.

So often, we think of nutrition and its relationship to our bodies from the neck down. How it affects our heart, how it affects our colon, for example. Why do we not acknowledge its impact on our brain health as well? If a patient were to undergo an elective surgical procedure, he or she may be advised to lose weight, gain weight, or avoid certain medications or herbs beforehand. These recommendations are made to help ensure maximum recovery with minimal complications. Why would we not take this approach when dealing with mental illness as well? Shouldn’t we try to achieve optimal nutritional health of the brain if we are trying to heal it?This course discusses how good nutrition impacts a person’s mental health and well being. Includes discussions on “mental wellness” versus “mental illness,” hypothyroidism and it’s impact on mental health, neurotransmitters and amino acids, glycemic index, vitamins, fatty acids, caffeine, chocolate and aspartame, and herbal supplements and medications. Case studies are provided. This course will give the reader some insight into this concept, by providing the student with clinical research, anecdotal information and a good background for understanding the role nutrition plays in mental health.