1. Sarah A. Surace
79 Auckland St, Perth WA 6006
9242 4358 (home) 0401 745 762 (mobile)
email: sarah.a.surace@gmail.com
Relevant Work Experience inChronological Order
Occupational Therapist, Graylands Hospital
December 2014 – Present
 Planned, implementedandevaluatedcomprehensive Occupational Therapytreatmentplansfor
individualpatients,usingacollaborative andinter-disciplinaryapproach.
 Conductedholisticandin-depthpsychosocialassessmentsof eachpatient,toidentifytheirstrengths
and limitationsthatimpactedontheirfunction.
 Utilisingfunctional andobservationalevidence-basedOccupationalTherapyassessments,including
the DomesticandCommunitySkillsAssessment(DACSA),the CanadianOccupational Performance
Model (COPM) and the Model of Human OccupationScreeningTool (MOHOST).
 Workedwitha highdegree of autonomy,prioritising andorganisingmyowncaseload tocomplete
urgentrequestssuchas assessmentsof functional capacityfordischarge inatimelymanner,aswell
as participatinginclinical reviewsandcase conferencestoensure thateachpatient’scare planis
regularlyoptimised,withcontributionsfromall keystakeholders.
 Undertookcomprehensivedischarge planning,includingthe creationof holisticdischarge summaries
witha setof OT recommendations,aswell asliaisonandcoordinationwithappropriate community
organisationstoensure smoothpatienttransition.
 CoordinatinganddirectingOccupational TherapyAssistantstoimplementtherapeuticinterventions.
 Designed,conductedandanalysedapatientsurveythatinvestigatedpatientsatisfactionof OT
servicesandtheirvisionof whatOTserviceswouldbestmeettheirneeds.
 Contributing member of Hospital Extended Care Services (HECS) working group, tasked with
developing a new Model of Care.
 Produced succinct, informative and relevant documentation in the form of progress notes,
OT functional assessment reports and discharge summary reports.
 Engaged in continuous professional development, including a 1 day workshop on
collaborative care planning and working in a recovery based manner.
 Engaged in regular weekly supervision sessions with Senior OT and multiple supervision
sessions with the OT Manager as needed.
 Liaised with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop and implement plans to
modify individual patient behaviour.
 Conducted a tutorial for medical students; explaining the role of OT at Graylands Hospital.
Therapy Assistant, Aegis Aged Care- Sandstrom
May 2014 – December 2014
 Implementationof mobilityandexercise programstoresidentsonanindividual andgroupbasis.
 Implementationof painmanagementandupperlimbmobilitypromotingstrategieswithresidents
experiencingpainand/orcontractures.
 Implementationof therapybasedactivityprograms.
 Assistedresidentstoengage ina surveyexaminingcurrentopinionsof therapyservicesofferedatthe
facilityanddirectionsforfurtherimprovement.
 Engagedinregularand effectivedocumentationfollowingeachgroupandindividual intervention,
indicatingwhichACFIcategorieswere pertinentasnecessary.

2.  Assistingwithresident’smeal timesbyusingverbal promptstopromote theirmaintenanceof
independenteating.
Occupational Therapy Assistant / Support Worker, Carers Plus
August 2014 – December 2014
 Administergroupactivityprogramstoresidentsinavarietyof residential care locations.
 Assistwithresidentsduringmeal times.
 Engage individualswithdementialivingatresidential care facilitiesin1:1 communityoutings;
supportingtheirindependence,engagementandenjoymentandutilisingbehaviourmanagement
strategiesasnecessary.
Occupational Therapy Student, Osborne Park Older Adult Mental Health
January 13th 2014 – March 12th 2014
 Regularlyconductedthe Hierarchal DementiaScale (HDS);anassessmentthatexaminescognitiveand
perceptual abilitiestodetermine how theyimpacteachindividual’sfunctional capacity.
 Conductedarange of assessmentsincludingthe CanadianOccupational PerformanceMeasure,
interestchecklist,cookingfunctionalassessmentsandWestmead.
 Independentlyledandco-facilitatedOTMental HealthandDementia-Specificgroups,including
relaxation,motivationand Sparkof Life groups.
 Conductedbasicseatingassessmentstoimprove patient’sfunctional abilitiesandreduce the riskof
pressure injuries.
 Managed all referralsfrom7-bedMental Healthwing,conductinginitial interviews,creating and
adaptingcare plans,conductinggroupand1:1 interventions.
 Liaisedwithmembersof inter-professional team(e.g.OT,OTA,PT,SW, nursing,RMO),to coordinate
and adaptpatientcare.
Occupational Therapy Student, Amana Living- St George
July 1st 2013 – August 16th 2013
 Gainedproficiencyinindependentlyadministeringthe HDS,Cornell Scale forDepressioninDementia
and the PsychogeriatricAssessmentScales(PAS).
 Managed case-loadof six residentswithbehavioursof concerninthe data collection,analysisusing
the Newcastle Model,assessment,implementationandevaluationof strategiestoreduce or
eliminatesaidbehaviours.
 Learnedto workprofessionallyandindependentlyinaclient-centredmanner.
Education
Master of Occupational Therapy, Curtin University (completed)
January 2012 – March 2014
 RegisteredOccupational TherapistwithAHPRA.
 Learningthe meaningof occupationandits’role inimprovingthe healthandwellbeingof individuals,
groupsand communities.
 Developingmyknowledge andpractical experience inthe areasof paediatrics,mental health,physical
and intellectual disability,ergonomicsandcommunitybasedrehabilitation.
 Developingessential skillsinverbal andwrittencommunicationandpractisinginanevidence-based
manner.
 Memberof the WA OT Associationsince 2012.

3. Bachelor of Biomedical Science, University of Western Australia (completed)
March 2008 – November 2010
 Learninghowto conductexperimentsandwrite upreportsinline withthe scientificmethod.
 Gainingan in-depthknowledgeof grossandmicro anatomyand physiologyandhow itrelatesto
humanfunctioning.
 Learninga repertoire of laboratorytechniques includingmicroscopy,dissection,cellculturingand
physiological systemmonitoring.
Certificate II in Business, Perth Modern High School (completed)
January – December 2007
 Learninghowto create wordprocessingdocuments,spreadsheetsandsimple databases.
 Developedkeyboardandpersonal computerskills.
 Workedsoloand as part of a teaminthe designandcreationof organisational documents.
Certification
 RegisteredOccupational TherapistwithAHPRA.
 Currentmemberof the WA Occupational TherapyAssociation
 Currentholderof a validWesternAustralianautomaticdrivers’licence.
 Currentholderof a validBasicFirstAidand CPR Certificate.
Training and professional development
Year Course Provider Duration
2015 CollaborativeCare
PlanningandRecovery
Focusedlanguage
Departmentof Health 1 day(7.5 hours)
2014 The Art of Supporting
Recovery;A Chance to do
the ThingsThat Matter
RichmondFellowshipof
WesternAustralia
1 day(7 hours)
2014 UnderstandingDementia
Online Course
Universityof Tasmania 27 hours
2014 Seatingtheoryand
applicationworkshop
CurtinUniversity 7 hours
2014 Home visitingworkshop OT servicesinthe home
interestgroup
1 hour
2013 Woundmanagementinan
interprofessional context
workshop
SilverChain 1 day(7 hours)
2013 Healthand wellnessin
agedcare workshop
JuniperHealthand
WellnessClinic
4 hours
2013 Mental HealthWorkplace
TrainingProgram
Marion Centre 1 day(9 hours)
2013 Mental HealthRecoveryis
withinyourreachlecture
SupportingRecovery
ThroughOrganisational
Change
2 hours