Clinical Navigator, Occupational Therapist (Kinesiology, BA)

Laura Harrison, Baycrest Hospital

By: Lauren Di Iulio, Outreach & Support Peer

As a Laurier Kinesiology student, Laura Harrison was attracted to the idea of a profession in healthcare but was unsure of what role she wanted to play within that field. As a fourth-year student, Laura completed a placement in a nursing home where she encountered her first experience with Occupational Therapy (OT) in the home’s Snoezelen room. Laura began to understand how OTs work with a holistic lens and consider the entire person. This experience served as the catalyst for pursuing her master’s degree in OT at Queen’s University.

Upon graduation from Queen’s with an MSc (OT), Laura was fortunate to begin her role as an OT at the GAIN geriatric clinic within the Scarborough Health Network, one of her placement organizations. This is where Laura solidified her passion and commitment to geriatrics and where she continued working for 11 years directly with patients, their families and the interprofessional team.

Currently, Laura is working as a Clinical Navigator with the Behavioural Supports Ontario Coordinating Office at Baycrest Hospital. As a Clinical Navigator, Laura’s main responsibility is the intake and complex triage for the Virtual Behavioural Medicine (VBM) Program. Laura works remotely from home as this position does not involve direct patient care. A typical day includes the intake of new referrals, where Laura conducts an in-depth chart review, assessing past medical history, behavioural presentation and all recent documentation to ensure the patient meets the criteria for the VBM program. Laura then summarizes the patient's case to prepare the chart for the VBM team and speaks with the patient's family or decision-maker to explain the program and obtain consent to proceed. Laura also ensures the patient is connected with Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) resources, which focus on non-pharmacological approaches to behavioural care planning. Laura also participates in meetings with the Behavioural Neurology Unit (BNU) at Baycrest to assist in navigating and coordinating BSO supports upon discharge from the unit in collaboration with the BNU team.

According to Laura, the most important skill to possess as an OT is the ability to build rapport with clients and families. This profession requires information gathering and interviewing patients and their families in a way that feels more like a conversation, especially when speaking about sensitive topics such as mood and cognition. This skill is essential to earning trust, which fosters greater confidence in the guidance being provided. Laura also mentioned the importance of learning to be a critical thinker as this is a vital aspect of her work as an OT helping with complex triage, individualizing care plans with patients and families, as well as when navigating challenging cases.

When asked about career advice for Laurier students, Laura emphasized the importance of mentorships and seeking out people currently working in the field you are interested in. Building connections, asking for a phone call or meeting, networking and job shadowing opportunities can support you on your career journey.

Becoming an OT requires the following:

• Undergraduate degree in any field (min GPA set by each institution)
• Master of Occupational Therapy from an accredited university
• Passing the National OT Certification Examination (NOTCE)

If the role of an OT interests you, it is best to learn more about the role from professionals themselves, especially those working with clinical populations of specific interest to you.