Primary care is often the first point of contact within the healthcare system. Increasingly, healthcare systems are adopting team-based models of care that address not only medical concerns, but also the everyday factors that influence health and well-being. Occupational therapists play an important role in these models by helping people manage health challenges and participate fully in daily life. At Mentor Clinic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, occupational therapy is an integral part of this collaborative approach to care.
A Collaborative Approach to Primary Care
Mentor Clinic was founded with the goal of providing a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to primary care. Rather than focusing solely on treating illness, the clinic emphasizes prevention, education, and long-term health management through an interdisciplinary team. Patients are supported by a range of healthcare professionals—including Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, a Dietician, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Physiotherapist, and Exercise Physiologist—who work together to address the many factors that influence health. This collaborative model allows providers to look beyond a single diagnosis and consider how physical, mental, social, and environmental factors affect a person’s well-being and ability to function in everyday life.
Establishing the Occupational Therapy Role
Occupational therapy has been part of Mentor Clinic’s interdisciplinary model since it first opened. Its founders recognized the potential value of occupational therapy within primary care and recruited an occupational therapist from Cornerstone Occupational Therapy Consultants to help establish the OT role at the clinic.
Our associate, Ashlee Baskey, approached this opportunity with curiosity and an open mind. Rather than entering the clinic with a rigid definition of what the role should look like, she focused on understanding the needs of both the healthcare team and the clinic’s patients. She provided a presentation to the team outlining the broad scope of occupational therapy and the potential contributions OTs can make within primary care; the approach was collaborative and exploratory. In essence, her message to the team was: let’s find out what our patients need and how occupational therapy can best support them. This openness allowed the role to evolve organically in response to the real needs of the patient population.
Addressing Mental Health in Primary Care
It quickly became clear that a significant need within the clinic was support for patients’ mental health. Many individuals were experiencing challenges that extended beyond what could be addressed through brief medical appointments alone. As a result, a large proportion of occupational therapy referrals began to focus on concerns such as:
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- Chronic fatigue
Occupational therapy sessions provided patients with practical tools to better manage their daily lives. This often involved helping individuals develop structured routines, cope with stress, and build strategies to support attention and organization. Education around sleep hygiene and the development of consistent, healthy sleep routines was also an important component to help patients manage energy levels, and support mental health and cognitive functioning. For chronic pain and fatigue, interventions included pacing, activity modification, and gradual return to meaningful activities—helping patients stay engaged in work, school, and family life.
Supporting Cognitive Health and Concussion Recovery
Another important component of the OT role at Mentor Clinic involved screening and supporting cognitive functioning. Patients experiencing concerns related to memory, attention, or executive functioning could be referred for cognitive screening and functional assessment. The OT supported concussion recovery by helping patients safely return to daily roles and responsibilities, including work, school, and household activities.
Through education, activity modification, and gradual return-to-activity planning, occupational therapy helped patients navigate recovery while minimizing the risk of prolonged symptoms.
Promoting Safety and Independence for Older Adults
Occupational therapy services at the clinic also supported older adults in maintaining safety and independence. This included providing falls prevention education and completing home safety assessments to identify environmental barriers that could contribute to falls or difficulty with daily activities. Recommendations focused on reducing risks and improving daily function, helping seniors remain independent at home.
Supporting Participation in Work and School
Occupational therapy at Mentor Clinic also supported patients in maintaining participation in work and education. For individuals experiencing health challenges that affected their performance, the OT provided recommendations for workplace or school accommodations.
These recommendations were patient-centered, but often included things like adjustments to workload, scheduling, workspace setup, or strategies to support attention and energy management. This focus on function enabled continued engagement despite health challenges.
A Unique Opportunity to Work with Families and Newcomers
One of the most unique aspects of the OT role at Mentor Clinic was the opportunity to work with entire families. In many traditional occupational therapy settings, therapists work with a single client and rarely provide services to multiple members of the same family.
In the primary care environment, however, Ashlee was able to support parents, partners, and other family members within the same care context. This allowed occupational therapy interventions to consider family dynamics, shared stressors, and the ways in which one person’s health challenges could affect the entire household.
The clinic also serves many newcomers to Canada, creating opportunities for occupational therapy to support individuals navigating new systems, environments, and cultural transitions. These situations often required flexibility, cultural humility, and creative problem-solving to address barriers affecting participation in daily life.
A Trauma-Informed and Anti-Oppressive Approach
Throughout the development of the role, Ashlee emphasized delivering care through a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive lens. This meant recognizing how past experiences, systemic barriers, and social determinants of health can shape a person’s ability to access care and participate in daily activities. By prioritizing safety, respect, and collaboration, occupational therapy sessions aimed to empower patients while acknowledging the broader contexts that influence health and well-being.
Demonstrating the Value of Occupational Therapy in Primary Care
The integration of occupational therapy at the Mentor Clinic reflects a broader shift in healthcare toward whole-person care. By addressing the everyday activities that shape health, occupational therapists help bridge the gap between medical treatment and daily life. The development of the OT role at Mentor Clinic illustrated the value of occupational therapy in supporting healthy lifestyle changes, addressing barriers to participation in everyday activities, promoting physical, cognitive, and mental health, and ultimately improving patient outcomes. Today, the full-time OT role continues to support the clinic’s mission of empowering patients, promoting preventive care, and helping individuals live healthier, more meaningful lives. Cornerstone was honored to play a part in establishing the role of occupational therapy at The Mentor Clinic!
To learn more about the role of occupational therapy in primary care, see this document: OT practice document: primary care.