Helen Bourke-Taylor PhD is: 

• Honours by research project coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy
• Unit coordinator for  OCC3072 and OCC4091 in the Research stream for the BOT(Hons)
• Chair of the Research Committee, Department of Occupational Therapy 
• Course Coordinator of the Master of Advanced Health Care Practice including subsumed awards: Master of Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice; Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice; Master of Advanced Medical Imaging Practice; Master of Advanced Radiation Therapy Practice; Master of Advanced Paramedic Practice
• An active researcher in the School of Primary and Allied Health Care 

Helen Bourke-Taylor is an occupational therapist and Associate Professor (Teaching and Research) at Monash University, Melbourne Australia. Since graduating in 1990, Helen has worked as an occupational therapist in paedatrics in Melbourne (Royal Childen's Hospital) and with adults in neurorehabilitation in Chicago (Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch). Helen has worked with mothers of children with a disability in her codesigned and codelivered program Healthy Mothers Healthy Families since completeing her PhD in 2010.  

Research Summary

Recognised as a research leader and contributor in her field, Helen is one of 25 Fellows of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy. Helen’s research interests include participation and education issues for children and young people with disabilities, support for families, maternal health and wellbeing, and psychometrics related to scale and outcome tool development. Helen is author of over 100 peer reviewed publications and recipient of more than 5.6 million in grant funding for high impact community activities related to the ehalth, wellbeing and participation of mothers of children with disabilities and children/young people with disabilities.  

As designer of the evidence-based Healthy Mothers Healthy Families (HMHF) programs and an expert in online teaching and learning, Helen has created a self paced package for mothers of children with a disability and professionals who work with mothers. The site is freely available here: https://healthymothers-healthyfamilies.com/. In partnership with Association for Children with a Disability (Victoria) 23 HMHF workshops were delivered face to face in Victoria and Tasmania in 2018-2020. Helen was awarded Best poster presentation for the codesigned and co-delivered HMHF and peer mentor research at the March, 2022 Australian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disabilities conference. Research of the co-delivered workshops demonstrated effectiveness.  In partnership with Kindred, 34 HMHF online workshops were and are being delivered online 2020-2024. HMHF programs also include health professional delivered Health Promoting Activty Coaching, which was piloted in 2019-2020, and a pilot feasibility study demonstrated acceptability and significant change for the participants in the intervention group (Qualitative study here and upcoming article in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy).  

Helen has four psychometrically sound assessment tools including the Health Promoting Activities Scale, the Child’s Challenging Behaviour Scale, the Assistance to Participate Scale and the MyFACE (My Families Community Accessibility and Engagement). The scales have been translated to several languages and used in various studies to measure health behaviour change in carers, refugees and injured service personal, as well as measuring the relationship between childhood disability and parental self management. 

Helen has served as Associate Editor, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal and an editorial board member for Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. Helen has provided research consultancy to Cerebral Palsy Education Centre (Melbourne Australia) since 2010. Helen is a top peer reviewer with Publons as contributor to scientific peer review in her fields. 

Helen has been invited and contributed to numerous projects at an Australian Federal Government level including; Department of Social services projects to create new criteria for the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance, Australia's $9 billion payment support for people caring for a family member with substantial care needs; the Carer Online Education Reference Group to create the Carer Gateway  skills based modules; and the Students with Disability Advisory Council (2011-2014) to better support students with disability. Other national projects include: school education resources for students with type one diabetes and current appointment to the Families Project Expert Reference Group (ERG), to Diabetes Victoria.  

Research Interests and specific skills:

• Evidence based practice in occupational therapy, particularly paediatric practice
• Outcome tool development
• Packaging interventions online and for face to face delivery including embedding outcome measures 
• Maternal health and wellbeing
• Family focused research
• Online teaching and learning
• Occupational therapy curriculum
• Advancement of occupational therapy and allied health research

Teaching/research Summary

Helen has integrated pedagogy and curriculum packaging throughout her research activties, including within the HMHF programs, designing the first fully online continuing professional development Supporting People with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their Families for Occupational Therapy Australia, the peak body for Australia's 25,000 OTs.

Helen leads the Honours by research project stream in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Monash University. Helen designed and implemented an embedded manuscript thesis for the occupational therapy department in 2017 and coordintates OCC3072 and OCC4091.

Helen is the coordinator of the Master of Advanced Health Care Practice, a post professional Masters program with coursework for 4 disciplines (paediatric physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical imaging, radiation therapy), and 5 research streams (as previous disciplines plus paramedicine).  

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS, PROJECTS AND COMMITTEES:

June 2022     

Invited member, Diabetes Australia, Victoria “Families project Expert reference group” to review purpose, content and research of type one diabetes child-camps.

March 2022

Best poster presentation for the codesigned and co-delivered HMHF paper titled: Peer mentor training: Pathway to competency for facilitators of Healthy Mothers Healthy Families. Australian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disabilities conference.

2021            

Second editor of occupational therapy textbook, titled: Occupational Therapy in Australia: Professional and Practice Issues 2^nd Ed. Taylor and Francis. Chapters include: Chapter 1: An introduction to occupational therapy in an Australian context.  (first author); Chapter 13: Research in occupational therapy (first author); Chapter 21: Emerging professional practice areas (second author); Chapter 22: Occupational therapy assessment: An introduction to general principles and specific examples developed by Australian practitioners (second author); Chapter 28: Conclusion to book (second author).  

June 2020    

Research Associate with the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cerebral Palsy (CRE-CP, Australian Centre for Health, Independence,
Economic Participation and Value Enhanced Care)-- Letter of invitation from project lead Professor Dinah Reddihough, June, 2020.

July—Dec 2019      

Data analysis of Young Carer Education Bursary applicants for Carers Australia and University of South Australia. Report titled: ‘No space in my brain to learn’: Young carers and educational engagement: An analysis of applications to the Carers Australia Bursary Program 2018-19.

July 2019     

Awarded a Fellow of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy 25 Australian Research Fellows out of 25,000 occupational therapists).

May 2019—Dec, 2019  

Diabetes Australia, National Program Advisory Committee, Diabetes in Schools Program. Creation of three level tier support for students with T1D in schools: School, teacher, individual supports and education.

Sept 2018—May 2019     

Carers Australia for the Department of Social Services funded Carer Online Education Reference Group to assist to create online education materials for carers nationwide through Federal site, the Carer Gateway— https://skills.carergateway.gov.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=10841470526&utm_adgroup=127961577114&utm_term=carer%20skills&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsqZBhAlEiwAqAHElekGlN28ICOUlz_q7A7lpxsA9xFZjW06iRoGzmn08JYBiXohnAeGwxoCEKwQAvD_BwE

Oct 2018      

Lead editor on special issue for Australian Occupational Therapy Journal: Special Issue: Innovations in occupational therapy measurement. Managed 35 manuscripts personally. Volume 65, Issue 5. 

Oct 2017-     

Scientific Committee, 7^th International Carers Conference Committee, Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia.

2016-2018   

Diabetes Australia Victoria Consumer Advisory Committee representing parents of a child with Type One Diabetes. Voluntary position.

Nov 2015—2019            

Research Associate with the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cerebral Palsy (CRE-CP)-- Mental Health and Participation subcommittee. Letter of invitation Nov, 10, 2015.

2015-2016   

Second editor of occupational therapy textbook, titled: Occupational Therapy in Australia: Professional and Practice Issues. Contract Allen and Unwin. In press for release 2017. Chapters include: Chapter 1: An introduction to occupational therapy in an Australian context.  (first author); Chapter 13: Research in occupational therapy (first author); Chapter 21: Emerging professional practice areas (first author); Chapter 22: Occupational therapy assessment: An introduction to general principles and specific examples developed by Australian practitioners (second author); Chapter 28: Conclusion to book (second author) Second edition pending 2021.

Oct. 2016-Oct. 2020     

Occupational Therapy Australia Proxy member for CEO: Reference Group for the improved assessment for the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance Project. Department of Social Services, Australian Government, Canberra. Three full days of advising on measurement related to carer responsibilities and qualifying for government support.   

2015-2016    

Assistances to project team for the report for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2016) OUR SAFETY COUNTS: Children and young people’s perceptions of safety and institutional responses to their safety concerns. Publication: Moore, T., McArthur, M., Heerde, J., Roche, S. & O’Leary, P., 2016, Our safety counts: Children and young people’s perceptions of safety and institutional responses to their safety concerns. Melbourne: Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University.

Sept. 2015   

Speaker/expert witness, Educator and Disability Industry advisor, Occupational Therapy Australia, Australian Government Senate Inquiry into Current levels of access and attainment for students with disability in the school system and the impact on students and families of inadequate support. 

2014-2015   

Member Scientific Committee, Occupational Therapy Australia Limited National Conference, Melbourne July 2015. Convened Consumer forum.

2013-2015   

Occupational Therapy Australia Representative for the National Reference Group, Hunter Institute of Mental Health, Child Illness Family Resiliency Program.  (see http://www.himh.org.au/home/our-programs/child-youth-and-wellbeing-program/childrens-illness-resilience-program)

2013            

Invited contributor, Melbourne University. Practical design fund projects for National Disability Insurance Scheme: 1. Developing Training Guidelines for Local Area Coordinators (LACs) Working with Children and Young People with Disability and their Families ; 2. The Well Being of Parents and Carers Program.

2012-2014    

Invited member of Australian Occupational Therapy Association, National Disability Insurance Scheme Working Party.

2012-2013    

Invited Advisory Council member of Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Schools Disability Advisory Council. Role: Academic and Allied Health representative, see http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Programs/Pages/SchoolsDisabilityAdvisoryCouncil.aspx (Council discharged, Hon Christopher Pyne, Nov 2013)

2012            

Invited comment and contribution to two research reports by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission: Investigation into the residential placement pf children with disabilities in Victoria, see http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/our-resources-and-publications/reports/item/153-desperate-measures-the-relinquishment-of-children-with-disability-into-state-care-in-victoria-may-2012; and lack of opportunity for Victorian students with disabilities, see http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/our-resources-and-publications/reports/item/184-held-back-the-experiences-of-students-with-disabilities-in-victorian-schools-sep-2012.  

2011-2012    

Member Australian Occupational Therapy Association committee to address Paediatric Occupational Therapy Workforce Issues.

2011-2012    

Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Early Career Development Grant recipient. 

2010-2011   

Emerging Leaders Program. One of 16 occupational therapy academics nationwide selected to participate in a year long mentorship program with Professor Sylvia Rodger, titled Building capacity among emerging occupational therapy leaders in curriculum renewel and evaluation at University of Queensland and nationally. Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant, 2011, see http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:342937/ALTC_good_practice_guide.pdf

2011            

Occupational Therapy Australia Limited 24^th National Conference, Best Paediatric Paper Finalist.

2010-2011    

Member of committee and online designer of Cartmill, L., Rodger, S., & Bourke-Taylor, H.M. (2010). Online Self-Paced Education Package: Occupational Therapists guide to Helping Children with Autism. E-learning site delivered through Occupational Therapy Australia—funded by Federal Government Helping Children with Autism Initiative.

2005-2009    

Australian Government Post Graduate Scholarship Award holder (PhD scholarship—3.5 years)