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University of Western. He grad-uated in 2001 and enrolled in Western’s doctorate program in rehabilitation sciences, grad-uating in 2007.

During his time at Western, Dr. Freeman says he “caught the research bug” which became his driving force for applying and accepting the teaching position at Laval – ranked among the top 10 Canadian universities in terms of research funding.

“My research on profes-sional practice is considered a little out of the mainstream.,” he says. “I was lucky enough to get a job at Laval University as it was important for me to find a university where my health- related research would be a good fit.”

Laval’s vocational training approach for its occupational therapy program is based on research that proves a person’s ability to engage in occupation increases their overall health and well-being. “As occupational therapists we want to help people reconstruct their lives. This is part of the therapeutic relation-ship. We want to help people move forward.”

For more than four decades, the university has been training occupational therapists to under-stand not only the medical and physical limitations of a disabil-ity or injury, but also the psychosocial factors that affect a person’s ability to function inde-pendently.

“The continuum program combines theoretical leaning and clinical skills in the field of occupational, biomedical, psy-chological and social sciences,”

says Dr. Freeman, adding that occupational therapists are con-sidered an integral part of inter-disciplinary teams working in the Quebec health system. With his research interests focused on policy structure and the context of practice, Dr. Free-man says the director position allows him to wear the research hat. “I am able to see the big picture. Not only am I bringing my clinical experience to the role so I understand why these students want to work as clini-cians, but I am able to make the connection between theory and practice.”

As the director, Dr. Freeman is responsible for the program’s overall quality. This includes making sure the courses being offered are good, monitored and evaluated. He is also directly responsible for student progress and making sure admissions into the program are done properly. And while Laval’s occupa-tional therapy program has main-tained its common threads while evolving with the profession, Dr. Freeman says the next 15 to 20 years will be extremely impor-tant.

“Our profession continues to be confronted by the challenge of clearly defining its contribu-tion relative to that of various other professions.” He says. “Looking back at our historical roots has been helpful in clarify-ing how we look at the profes-sion and, in turn, how our educational programmes prepare future practitioners.”

One measure taken to address this challenge at Laval University is the creation of a

framework document titled:

Référentiel de compétences du programme d’ergothérapie . “We have developed a competency framework to guide the occupa-tional therapy program in effec-tively managing the learning taking place. The framework will help us define good professional

practice.”

The framework, which launched internally in June, will take about a year to implement and link to all courses.

For more information on the occupational therapy pro-gram, visit www.fmed.ulaval.ca/ readaptation.

Feel comfortable and safe while boarding with an established occupa-tional therapist in a beautiful townhome in Central – South Ottawa. Quiet home and neighbourhood, close to public transportation, community centre, parks

and shopping. Includes fully furnished bedroom (double bed), all utilities, Inter-net, and T.V. Full access to shared living areas, including kitchen, laundry room, deck, BBQ etc. Meals are not provided. Students must have an assigned clinical

placement. Boarding costs are $150.00 weekly. Home has an alarm system for further comfort. Pictures of home can be provided.

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Accommodation for occupational therapy students during clinical placements in Ottawa, Ontario