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Helen van Huet is a part time lecturer in occupational therapy. She joined CSU permanently in mid 2002 after casual involvement with the course from 1998. She has worked in a variety of clinical practice settings, including psychiatry, orthopaedic and neurological rehabilitation, pain management and vocational rehabilitation. She has a specific interest in neurological rehabilitation, upper limb rehabilitation and chronic pain management.

Helen completed her PhD with the University of Sydney in 2011 researching chronic pain and it’s management from the perspectives of clients with pain and occupational therapists working in that practice area.

She is currently undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning and has a strong interest in students’ First Year Experience (FYE) and student retention.

Helen teaches in technique and practice-related subjects which focus on applying theory to practice. To enhance her skill set Helen is currently undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning.

Positions and Roles

• First Year Occupational Therapy Student Coordinator
• Honours Supervisor
• Post-Graduate Research Supervisor

Teaching

Helen has been teaching at CSU for over 10 years. In 1998 she commenced as a Casual Lecturer and in 2002 she became employed in a permanent part-time capacity.

Helen has taught across all years of the Occupational Therapy course, with a focus on foundational and practice-based subjects. She has also taught into other allied health courses within the School of Community Health, including Health and Rehabilitation Science and Physiotherapy.

Subject Delivery

• OCC100: Occupation and Occupational Therapy

Innovations in Teaching

Helen holds  a particular interest in the First Year Experience (FYE) for students. As a part of the First Year Teaching Team, she has been involved in developing innovations in subject delivery, use of technology and transitioning students to university.  Helen has trialled iPads in class as part of the Mlearn project and this has be expanded to include the purchase and set up of iPads for class use. She has also trialled the use of Quick Response codes as a way of transforming learning materials that can be scanned and stored by students on mobile devices.

Research and Publications

Research Interests

Helen retains a regular interest in professional innovative practice in occupational therapy professional practice and her academic research experiences have targeted  interest areas including: 

• Chronic pain management.
• Qualitative research.
• Occupational engagement and occupational therapy practice in stroke rehabilitation.
• Student First Year Experience.
• Innovations in teaching.
• Research codes (FORs) 1117.

List of Publications

• van Huet, H., Innes, E., & Stancliffe, R. (2013). Occupational therapists perspectives of factors influencing chronic pain management. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 60(1) 56-66
• van Huet, H. (2011). Living and doing with chronic pain: Clients’ and occupational therapists’ perspectives. (Doctoral dissertation: The University of Sydney, 2011).
• van Huet, H., Blackwood, K., & Rodger, S. (2011). Developing your team’s curriculum vision. In S. Rodger, Good practice guides and cases to support curriculum development and renewal in occupational therapy [ALTC Fellowship Report]. Queensland: University of Queensland
• van Huet, H., Parnell, T., McLeod Boyle, A., & Mitsch, V. (2010). Enabling engagement in self-care occupations In M. Curtin, M. Molineux, J. Supyk (Eds.).Occupational therapy and physical dysfunction (6th ed.) Oxford: Elsevier
• van Huet, H., Innes, E., & Whiteford, G. (2009). Living and doing with chronic pain: Narratives of pain program participants. Disability and Rehabilitation,
• van Huet, H., & Williams, D. (2007). Self-beliefs about pain and occupational performance: A comparison of two measures used in a pain management program. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 27 (1), 4-12.
• van Huet, H., & Innes, E. (2006). Chronic pain stories and reflection on self in occupation. In G. Whiteford (Ed). Voice, Identity and Reflexivity: Proceedings of the Second RIPPLE Qualitative Research as Interpretive Practice Conference, 2005, Australia (pp.201-208).
• van Huet, H., & Lyneham, J. (1997) NRS 235- Pain Management, Occupational Therapy Supplement. Bathurst: Charles Sturt University.
  

Community Engagement

Memberships and Affiliations

• Australian Occupational Therapy Association. National Registered Occupational Therapist.
• OLT Occupational Therapy Academic Leaders Network (OTALN). This includes representatives from universities across Australia and New Zealand. Members meet to engage in educational initiatives across universities, focus on areas of curriculum development and network.
• CSU Women in Leadership Program. This involves work shopping with women across CSU campuses, both academic and professional to explore issues related to leadership in CSU and promoting leadership skills into the future.
• CSU Mlearn project which is focusing on the use of iPads in teaching and paperless marking. Helen has negotiated the purchase of iPads for the School of Community Health.
• Local Murray Area Occupational Therapy Group.
• Victorian Pain Management Special Interest Group.
• Volunteer for Carevan, which provides meals for homeless and disadvantaged persons.