STHS Behavioral To Host Special Webinar Focusing On The Role Occupational Therapy Plays In Mental Health Treatment

For the next installment of its monthly webinar “Let’s Talk Mental Health” series, STHS Behavioral will highlight how occupational therapy improves mental health while providing strategies to enhance overall well-being

Occupational therapy plays a vital role in mental health treatment. By addressing a patient’s physical, psychological and cognitive requirements, it can help them regain skills and routines, improve social engagement and enhance overall well-being through meaningful activities and interventions.

As part of the treatment team, occupational therapists work to help patients develop, recover and improve the skills needed for everyday life, including how they act, think and feel daily.

“When poor mental health prevents a person from living a full and productive life, occupational therapy can help patients adapt and participate more fully in the activities that give their lives stability, purpose and joy,” says Kevin Trussell, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing, South Texas Health System Behavioral. “While patients are typically referred to an occupational therapist after a disability, an operation or a severe medical event, this form of therapy can also have a positive impact on adults living with a severe mental health condition.”

Using a range of targeted strategies, occupational therapy includes activities that are designed to help individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction and co-occurring disorders.

Whether a patient is wrestling with loneliness or battling anxiety, mental health occupational therapy can help them develop coping strategies and self-help skills needed to lead a stable and successful life.

Additionally, occupational therapists can also provide support and education to families to help them better understand their loved one’s condition and how to best support them.

So, this Occupational Therapy Month, South Texas Health System Behavioral will dedicate its latest Let’s Talk Mental Health webinar to occupational therapy in mental health treatment.

The monthly webinar, part of an initiative to help break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Rio Grande Valley, will stream live via STHS’ Facebook page on Thursday, April 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Led by a mental health professional at STHS Behavioral, the online seminar It will provide a better understanding of how occupational therapy can aid in the treatment of mental health conditions and highlight strategies to enhance overall well-being.

For more information on the webinar, visit the STHS Facebook Events Page. To watch previous Let’s Talk Mental Health Seminars, visit STHSLetsTalk.com.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.