Allied Health Assistants

Population Health > Allied Health > Allied Health Development

Allied Health Assistants include the job titles Allied Health Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Therapy Assistant, Physiotherapy Assistant, OT Aide, Rehabilitation Assistant).  Allied health assistants work under the delegation, monitoring and supervision of allied health professionals.  They assist in the provision of a range of services including:  inpatients, ambulatory care, rehabilitation, outpatients, aged care, and community (paediatric and adult).  Their work setting may include hospitals, community health centres, schools and clients homes.  Whilst some allied health assistants only work within one discipline (e.g. OT Assistant), may assistants work across disciplines, providing assistance to multiple health professionals.  WACHS currently employ over 50 allied health assistants.

Resources and Tools

• Allied Health Assistant Recruitment Orientation and Induction (WACHS, 2009) 
• Allied Health Assistant Orientation and Induction Workbook (WACHS, 2009) 
• Allied Health Assistant Learning, Development and Support (WACHS, 2009)
• Allied Helath Assistant Delegation, Monitoring and Evaluation (WACHS, 2009)
• Allied Health Assistant Role Audit Tool (WACHS, 2009)
• Allied Health Assistant Governance Tool (WACHS, 2009)
• Rural and Remote Allied Health Competencies:  Allied Health Assistants (WACHS, 2009)
• Allied Health Assistant Training Series (Order Form for DVDs)
• Allied Health Assistants Training Mini-Module:  Documentation (WACHS, 2009)

Reports

• Rural WA Therapy Assistant Project (2002)
• WACHS Midwest Murchison Therapy Assistant Project (2003)
• WACHS DSC Therapy Assistant Initiative Training Report (2005)
• WA Health Workforce Survey Profile Report:  Assistants in Allied Health (2008)
• WA Health Allied Health Assistant Discussion Paper (2008)

Publications

Goodale BJ, Spitz S, Beattie NJ, Lin IB.  Training rural and remote therapy assistants in Western Australia. Rural and Remote Health 7 (online), 2007: 774. Available from:  http://www.rrh.org.au.

Lin IB, Goodale BJ.  Improving the supervision of therapy assistants in Western Australia: the Therapy Assistant Project (TAP). Rural and Remote Health 6 (online), 2006: 479. Available from: http://www.rrh.org.au.

Lin, Ivan., Goodale, Belinda., Villanueva, Karen., & Spitz, Suzanne.  2007.  Supporting an emerging workforce: Characteristics of rural and remote therapy assistants in Western Australia.  Australian Journal of Rural Health, 15(5): 334-339.