Nerena Kuppasamy

Dynamic Occupational Therapist, enhancing patient outcomes through individualized treatment plans and interdisciplinary collaboration. Skilled in clinical reasoning and patient assessment, I foster independence and improve quality of life, advocating for patient needs and streamlining therapy processes for optimal care delivery.

• Supervised team of 9 staff members.
• Speaker at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) Mental Health Symposium.
• Member of Independent Investigation Team for

Kwazulu-Natal Department of Health.(05/2021 to 07/2021).

• Appointed by the Head of the Department of Health as an experienced Occupational Therapist in Psychosocial Rehabilitation to investigate the psychosocial rehabilitation programmes at Non-governmental organisations in Kwazulu-Natal.
• MEC's Service Excellence Awards (07/2018) Department of Health, Province of Kwazulu-Natal. 3rd place in category 'Best Implemented Programme/Project for the 'Skilled Hands-Healthy Hands Desk Repair Project'.
• Centre for Public Service Innovation Awards (11/2018), Department of Public Service and Administration. 1st runner up in the category 'Innovative Service Delivery Institutions' for the 'Skilled Hands-Healthy Hands Desk Repair Project'.
• MEC's Service Excellence Awards (06/2019), Department of Health, Province of Kwazulu-Natal. Special Recognition Award for the 'Skilled Hands-Healthy Hands Desk Repair Project'.

The 'Skilled Hands-Healthy Minds' Desk Repair Project saw patients with mental illness repair broken school desks for schools where children came from low socio-backgrounds (non-fee paying schools). The money that would have been spent on desks, could then be used for sustenance gardens, libraries, sanitary pad banks, stationery or school uniforms. These schools had their desks repaired for free. Fee-paying schools were charged a small fee, with huge savings nonetheless, for desks repaired. This 'fee' would eventually be used to incentivise the patients involved in repairing desks.

I used the 'pay-it-forward' concept, where schools who had their desks repaired would donate 5 to 10 desk frames to the project. These frames were used to build desks for children in rural areas with little to no school infrastructure. The project also saw private companies and corporate businesses adopt the project as a social responsibility project, reducing the cost of consumables for desk repairs. 

The project also focused on de-stigmatisation, and creating awareness about mental health and mental illness, where the OT and patients would discuss these topics with the children during school assemblies or awareness days. The patients also felt a sense of accomplishment and improved self-worth. 

This project saw multi-sectoral collaboration amongst the Departments of Health and Education and the private sector to achieve common goals.