Occupational Therapist - Deana Quissy
Meet Deana Quissy, an Occupational Therapist in Blenheim
Her background
Deana Quissy is a full time Occupational Therapist with the Ministry of Education in Blenheim.
She works with 40 to 50 children and young people aged between five and 21 located in the upper South Island. Deana’s been with the Ministry for 10 years and worked as an Occupational Therapist for 12. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Occupational Therapy.
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Her story
Waking up and knowing she can make a difference in a child’s life is what gets Deana on the road each morning.
Yet, the Occupational Therapist is also quick to add that she’s just one of many people working with a child. It’s the team approach that really makes the difference. All assessments involve tapping into the knowledge and expertise of other specialists.
Settling a child into school can mean working with teachers and teacher aides, parents, project managers, architects and orthopedic surgeons.
"It’s a wonderfully varied workforce – one that’s really rich with knowledge, skills and a shared commitment to seeing kids succeed," says Deana.
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The rewards and challenges
Deana lists the range of learning opportunities with the Ministry as the big rewards in her career to date.
She enjoys regular meetings with health and education specialists in the region and across the South Island. And she’s loved the two-year lead practitioner role she took on with the aim of improving occupational therapy services in her district.
Recently she tried something out of the ordinary and ran a wheelchair training day at the Ministry’s Nelson office.
"It was an opportunity for parents, siblings and students to see what life’s like in a wheelchair – it was an awesome day, with a really effective message."
The hard part of the job is squeezing everything into an eight-hour day, particularly with the big distances she travels. Sometimes work takes Deana as far afield as Kaikoura or Hokitika.
It’s the catching up that can be tough going, she says.
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Her future aspirations
Deana’s future looks bright. There’s plenty more to learn and plenty of opportunities ahead, she says.
"I remember how overwhelming it was starting out. Nowadays, the challenges are what keep you motivated and interested. It’s great."
Want to talk to someone like Deana about a career as an Occupational Therapist? Give us a call on 0800 622 222 or send us an email special.education@minedu.govt.nz [no spam]