What knowledge, skills, and attributes are sought by employers hiring occupational therapists to work in mental health services?

INTRODUCTION: Occupational therapy education programs need to prepare graduates for contemporary mental health practice. Previous research has identified knowledge, skills, and attributes prioritised by clinicians, educators, and consumers, but contemporary Australian employer perspectives are less well understood. This study explored the knowledge, skills, and attributes sought by employers hiring occupational therapists to work in mental health services in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: A qualitatively driven mixed methods design was used across four sequential phases. Phases 1 and 4 involved qualitative content analysis of job advertisements for mental health roles in New South Wales that were open to occupational therapists. Phase 2 involved an online survey of employers about their hiring priorities, and Phase 3 involved a follow-up focus group to further explore survey findings. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Consumer and employer advisory panels informed survey development, supported interpretation of emerging findings and advised on dissemination. RESULTS: Across the four phases, 37 key areas of knowledge, skills, and attributes were identified. Employer priorities included knowledge of mental health conditions, recovery-oriented practice, trauma-informed care, assessment, communication, therapeutic relationship-building, collaboration, reflective practice, and self-care. Employers also identified future-facing capabilities, including knowledge of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, ability to use telehealth, and commitment to environmentally sustainable practice. Job advertisements showed that generic mental health roles remained common across both time points, and Phase 4 advertisements included a greater proportion of regional roles. CONCLUSION: Employer perspectives aligned with recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and person-centred practice, while also highlighting employability, relational attributes, and emerging service-system capabilities. Findings can inform mental health occupational therapy curriculum by supporting integration of knowledge, skills, and attributes across authentic practice contexts and by helping graduates articulate the occupational therapy contribution in generic and interdisciplinary mental health roles.