Background and Rationale: The Arab population in Jerusalem, about 40% of the city’s residents, faces challenges in accessing mental health (MH) services due to language barriers, political complexities, and a lack of culturally appropriate opportunities. Occupational therapists (OTs) have played a vital role in housing, employment, leisure, and education services in the community. In recent years, Arabic-speaking OTs have expanded beyond traditional rehabilitation into key roles within the Ministry of Health’s MH division in the Jerusalem region, a position typically held by social workers, most of whom speak Hebrew.
Objective: To illustrate how OTs have transitioned from rehabilitation roles to leadership positions, increasing access to MH services for Arabic-speaking communities in Jerusalem.
Approach: This presentation explores three key areas of the OT’s transition:
• Expanding Reach: Transitioning from direct service to systemic change, impacting hundreds annually, optimizing rehabilitation services, and fostering professional forums.
• Organizational Influence: Integrating OT perspectives into policy, training future therapists, and demonstrating systemic impact.
• Culturally Responsive Practice: Embedding OT terminology within organizations while ensuring services meet cultural needs.
Practice implications: Emphasizing contexts, habits, and routines from both cultural and systemic perspectives has been crucial in ensuring service accessibility for communities. Examples from Jerusalem show how Arabic-speaking OTs bridge language gaps, lead MH service committees, and coordinate professional forums. Language exchange initiatives enhance service accessibility, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and occupational justice.
Contribution to the occupational therapy profession: This presentation highlights the role of an Arabic-speaking OT in a leadership position as a case study demonstrating how OTs in high-impact roles can drive systemic change, breaking linguistic and cultural barriers, and shaping equitable, responsive MH systems.