Occumax

03/12/2025

Today is the International Day of People with Disability and this year the theme is "Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress." With the holiday season almost upon us, this got us thinking of two wonderful programs that help foster inclusivity in our society and social participation:
🎫 Companion Card: Provides free admission for your carer so they can accompany you to places where you might need their assistance. For example, the movies, shows at the MECC, theme parks, public transport and even on services like the ferry to the Whitsunday islands!
🌻 Hidden Disabilities Sunflowers: This simple tool helps you to voluntarily share that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent – and that you may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces.

To find out more information about both of these programs, visit https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/out-and-about/subsidies-concessions-passes/companion-card and https://hdsunflower.com/au/

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally-recognised symbol for non-visible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or invisible disabilities. Some people choose to wear the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to discreetly identify that they may need support, help, or just a little more tim...

03/12/2025

☎️The tech gremlins have got into our office phone number today so if you get a "this number has been disconnected message" please try our temporary number 07 2104 0508 while we try to sort out the issue. Please leave a voice message if we don't answer and one of our team members will get back to you as soon as they can. Alternatively you can reply to your appointment sms reminders and we will be able to receive your text You can also email us at admin@occumax.com.au . Thanks for your understanding.☎️

18/10/2025

Mackay Police are hosting their last two Learner Drive Nights for 2025 on Saturday 25 October and Sunday 26 October!

These sessions are designed for young drivers to feel more confident when interacting with emergency vehicles and personnel on our roads.

Learner drivers will learn:
🚨 How to let emergency vehicles pass
🚗 What to do when being pulled over by emergency personnel
🚔 Safe practices when dealing with emergency situations
👮‍♂️ RBT processes, with a full simulation
👉And much more!

Attendance is free, however there are only a limited number of spots in each session. To book your spot, visit:

Saturday 25 October 👉https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/learner-drive-night-tickets-1789815960719?aff=oddtdtcreator
Sunday 26 October 👉https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/learner-drive-night-tickets-1789873914059?aff=oddtdtcreator

ℹ️ You must hold a Learner or higher driver’s license to participate

03/10/2025

Farewell Dr Goodall and thank you so much for all that to did for occupational therapy, occupational science and our understanding of primates, tool use and occupational behaviour.

While you may only know Dr Jane Goodall for all the amazing conservation work she did, if your child has ever see an occupational therapist for fine motor problems, your life has been touched by her too. Her research was core reading for many first year occupational therapy students. While she wasn't technically and occupational therapist, she held the position of Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California from 1990 to 2003. We will be forever grateful for her service to our profession and the world.

25/07/2025

Today we have be celebrating . Join us in supporting children in foster care by making a donation to the Pyjama Foundation. https://fundraise.thepyjamafoundation.com/fundraisers/occumax

14/07/2025

Ever thought about trying Wheelchair Basketball? Why not come along this Friday to Mackay Basketball Stadium in Juliet St to have a go at either the Special Olympics Basketball program from 4-4:30pm or Wheelchair Basketball from 4:30 - 5pm.

29/05/2025

Occumax has come of age! This month marks Occumax's 18th birthday. Who would have thought from one OT in a van we would have grown to the service we are today. From the bottom of our hearts, Natalie and Damien thank all of our past and present clients, team members and community supporters for helping to make Occumax what it is today. We are so honoured and proud to have been able to provide occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work and psychology services to a generation of Mackay children.

We are also excited to announce that Natalie, our Director and Occupational Therapist, has been quietly working behind the scenes to bring a new type of occupational therapy service to a different generation of clients in Mackay and via telehealth! Yes you read right, we are now opening our books to adults!

Natalie has just opened her waiting list to offer occupational therapy informed by Lifestyle Redesign® to anyone who would like to create health promoting habits and routines, prevent chronic disease, or better manage their disability, chronic health condition or symptoms so that they can better manage their life. Natalie has a special interest in supporting clients with their lifestyle and wellbeing goals, particularly if they are at a transition time of their e.g., becoming a parent, considering a career change, going through perimenopause or menopause, or building a business. She is passionate about helping clients manage chronic stress, have more energy, balance their roles and daily activities, and find ways to implement sustainable habits and routines so that they are taking care of themselves while they are busy taking care of everyone else.

We have not had a chance to update our website about our new occupational therapy offering for adults but we wanted you be able to have better health and wellbeing without delay so here is our referral form. If you are ready to redesign your life or simply want to check out some of the lifestyle goals Natalie can help you with please click this link:
https://occumax-pty-ltd.splose.com/public-form/c7ed3f03-c4bf-46e9-9a2b-3ced54a71913

28/05/2025

Post catch up: Getting into the spirit of Harmony Day to celebrate Australia's cultural diversity and inclusion back on 21st March. While we may have all been born on 3 different continents we are fiercly committed to serving kids and families across the Mackay region.

28/05/2025

Last week we said goodbye to Hannah Keogh, our speech pathologist, who has been a part of Occumax's story for nearly 10 years. Hannah was our first ever speech pathologist and over the years she moved into the roles of senior speech pathologist and then allied health team leader. Not only is Hannah a talented speech pathologist who is a master of her craft and always went above and beyond for her clients, she showed creativity, vision and leadership skills as we grew our team. Hannah from the bottom our our hearts, we thank you for all that you have done for our clients, team and organisation. We wish you all the very best during your upcoming maternity leave and wherever the next chapter of your life leads you. ###

18/03/2025

A very big happy World Social Work Day to our amazing Social Worker, Courtney, and all the Social Workers across our community who work tirelessly advocating for human rights, social justice, and wellbeing across all generations. We thank you and celebrate your impact today! 👏❤️👏❤️👏

06/03/2025

Do you know our next Speech Pathologist? We are on the hunt for a who is ready to take their career to the next level and loves giving a voice to communicate to the world! anyone? Please like and share our post to help us continue serving the . For more information or to apply, visit https://www.seek.com.au/job/82567014?ref=direct-share-hirer-jobs-list

30/06/2024

🤾‍♂️The next round of FairPlay vouchers opens at 9am this morning and available to all QLD children aged between 5-17 (you don't need a health care card or pension card like previous rounds). You can apply for a voucher valued up to $200 which can be used towards your child's sport and active recreation membership, registration or participation fees. There are a limited number of vouchers each round so apply sooner rather than later. 🤽‍♂️

Families can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child to pay membership, registration or participation fees with activity providers.