(Faculty of Health Studies) Martin Fitzgerald, Occupational Therapy Lecturer at the University of Bradford Skip to content
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Martin Fitzgerald

Occupational Therapy Lecturer

Faculty/Dept/School School of Allied Health Professions and Midwifery
Emailm.fitzgerald@bradford.ac.uk
Telephone +441274 236592

Biography

I qualified in 1997 as an occupational therapist from the Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. I have worked as an occupational therapist in learning disabilities and mental health for the past 18 years. This is my second career, before that I worked in the music industry as a promotor; managing bands, venues and music events. It was while working as a volunteer in a homeless night shelter in London that I first became interested in mental health and occupational therapy. So I returned to New Zealand and retrained. On graduation I worked in learning disabilities, but after two years I returned to the UK and worked on acute psychiatric wards. For the last 12 years I have managed an occupational therapy service in a low secure hospital for patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act and who experience serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Since 2015 I have worked as a lecturer at the University of Bradford. Whist working as an occupational therapist and as a lecturer I have developed three main areas of academic and research interest: The development of technology based interventions to engage hard to reach patients in their treatment The development of evidence to support the role of the occupational therapist in the assessment and treatment of serious mental illness The development of family work Interventions in secure services I work 0.7 hours FTE over three days. I am in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Also spend half a day a week doing research.

Research

2015 – Co Lead, Mental health App Proof of Concept development and Evaluation. University of Bradford, Bradford District Care Trust. Sponsor: Health Education Yorkshire and Humber 2014 - The development and evaluation of a serious game intervention to support the recovery of detained service users in long-stay rehabilitation services who experience serious mental illness. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, University of Central Lancashire, University of Bradford. 2011 - Peer reviewer for the Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. 2009 - Research Assistant. INSPIRE: Investigating Staff Patient Interactions and Relationships: An evaluation study. School of Psychological Sciences University of Manchester. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust R&D panel member. 2008 - Chief Investigator. Social Inclusion Study. The Efficacy of an Occupational Therapy Social Inclusion Programme for Patients with SMI at a Forensic, Low Secure Rehabilitation Service. Research and Development Department, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. Researcher Assistant. Snapshot assessment of security need, quality of life, substance misuse and risk of violence and aggression in the North West, low secure mental health, population. Sponsor: North West Secure Commission. 2006 - Chief Investigator. Recovery Styles and Insight Study. Comparison of Recovery Style and Insight of Patients with Severe Mental Illness in Secure Services with those in Community Services. ScHARR, University of Sheffield. I am currently involved in two research projects: The development of a porotype digital technology intervention (mobile application) for people engaged in an early intervention in psychosis service The development of a serious game intervention to engage detained patients who experience serious mental illness in their recovery process. 2015 – Co Lead, Mental health App Proof of Concept development and Evaluation. University of Bradford, Bradford District Care Trust. Sponsor: Health Education Yorkshire and Humber 2009 - Research Assistant. INSPIRE: Investigating Staff Patient Interactions and Relationships: An evaluation study. School of Psychological Sciences University of Manchester. Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust R&D panel member. 2008 - Researcher Assistant. Snapshot assessment of security need, quality of life, substance misuse and risk of violence and aggression in the North West, low secure mental health, population. Sponsor: North West Secure Commission.