New Zealand Rehabilitation Association

30/11/2025

Kia ora koutou NZRA whānau,
For those who may not have heard about this opportunity .... there is one week left to register your interest in being part of Te Ara Whakatika, an important national project led by the National Trauma Network to strengthen the quality, equity, and cultural responsiveness of trauma services across Aotearoa.

The project team has just updated the webpage with extra information—including responses to FAQs and a PDF of the survey questions to help services prepare before completing the online form.
👉 More information is available here: https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-work/trauma-work-programme/trauma-project-expressions-of-interest/

If your service is keen to participate, please submit the online application form by Friday 5 December 2025.
The application form can be found here: https://forms.office.com/r/XsKxBeA7Wq

For any pātai not covered on the site, you can contact:
📧 jessica.lockett@majortrauma.nz
(Jessica Lockett, Quality Improvement Advisor)

30/10/2025

💡 ACC Secondary Care Online Market Event – Invitation to NZRA Members

ACC will be hosting its next Secondary Care Market Engagement Event on Tuesday 25 November, 12:00–1:00pm, focused on sharing early design concepts for an enhanced service delivery model aimed at achieving better outcomes for people with musculoskeletal injuries.

This builds on earlier engagement with both primary and secondary care sectors in May, where sector insights helped shape ACC’s thinking on how best to strengthen continuity, equity, and timeliness of care. You can watch recordings of ACC's previous events on their website: https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.comms.acc.co.nz%2F%3Fqs%3D5d5ab99c9d21c1063d1a0e41eab6226c8198bc3cfbbcd99bc4e9ef113433503a7917ee4f676f3633fa394d5b0fd4656cb815979a637f5432&data=05%7C02%7Crachelle.martin%40otago.ac.nz%7Cd9e114529a66418bf03108de15ab4fae%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C638972022721834870%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0t%2FaNzz3RKBdww6fbVcwzun%2Bvb4VurYCVmTd0pj%2BhEI%3D&reserved=0

At this upcoming session, ACC will:
🔹 Present initial design concepts and how they respond to current system challenges
🔹 Share updates on work to improve elective surgery performance
🔹 Outline opportunities to give feedback and ask questions

This is a valuable opportunity for those working across rehabilitation, musculoskeletal care, and service delivery innovation to contribute to shaping the next phase of ACC’s service model design.

🗓️ Tuesday 25 November, 12:00–1:00pm
📍 Online
🔗 Register here: https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.comms.acc.co.nz%2F%3Fqs%3D5d5ab99c9d21c1062c5f04238055163d85ef1f6318c9efde28a7d06e0042b19783e03bc930d10db25c29f5ed251cd8083f73c2828f46203c&data=05%7C02%7Crachelle.martin%40otago.ac.nz%7Cd9e114529a66418bf03108de15ab4fae%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C638972022721851576%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sTs7W9C9%2FPcZ2vKWgDfvr5qP8Ib5jBHJpQcr1YhCAKs%3D&reserved=0

If you have questions, contact engage.secondarycare@acc.co.nz

It’s vital we work with experts like you in helping New Zealanders get back to work and independence after injury. 2025 is about focusing on how we work with the health sector and commission for services to improve outcomes for injured people.

30/10/2025

🌿 Invitation to Participate in Research on Individualised Funding in Aotearoa New Zealand 🌿

Samanthi Bandara, a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury, is conducting a study exploring how Individualised Funding (IF) impacts the choice, control, participation, inclusion, and equity of disabled New Zealanders, their whānau/families, and carers.
She is wanting to speak with disabled people who live in Canterbury and who currently use IF. She wants to better understand how IF works in practice.

🗣️ Participation involves a relaxed, one-on-one conversation at a location that suits you — including your home or residential setting.
🌏 Participants from across the Canterbury region are welcome, particularly Pacific disabled people and Tāngata whaikaha Māori, including those in Kaikōura, Waitaki, Hurunui, and Waimakariri.
✅ Approved by the University of Canterbury Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2025/53).

If you or someone you know uses Individualised Funding and would like to contribute, please reach out to Samanthi directly:
📧 samanthi.bandara@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
📱 021 0277 8644

Please share this post or pass it on to others who might be interested. Your voice and experience can make a real difference in shaping the future of funding for disabled New Zealanders.

20/10/2025

You’re invited!
Join us for the final NZRA Rehab Conversation of 2025

The New Zealand Rehabilitation Association (NZRA) warmly invites you to our last Rehab Conversation for the year — a free online session to gather, connect, share ideas, and support each other in our learning and practice.

🗓 Monday 24 November
🕛 12:00 – 12:50 pm
💻 Online (free event)
Register here: https://nzrai.wildapricot.org/event-6387412

Topic: Reaching Rural: A Telehealth Collaboration for Stroke Rehabilitation

In 2024, Te Matua a Māui and the CCHV districts of TWO-HNZ partnered on a regional initiative to improve access to stroke rehabilitation in the Wairoa area. Using Telehealth and Virtual Clinical Mentoring, the team supported a new Community Physiotherapy role, bringing specialist stroke care closer to home for a rural community.

In this session, Kit and Nic will reflect on their experiences working within this Telehealth/Tele-support model - exploring how innovation, collaboration, and equity-focused practice can transform rehabilitation delivery across Aotearoa New Zealand.

✨ These free online conversations are part of NZRA’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration and shared learning across the rehabilitation community. Please share this invitation widely within your networks!

09/09/2025

🌏 2026 WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research – Applications Now Open!

The WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research provides funding for pilot projects or small-scale feasibility projects that can build or strengthen research capacity in occupational therapy.

📌 Key Details:
• Grants of up to US$5000 available
• Offered once every 2 years
• Applicants must be WFOT members (all OTNZ members are automatically WFOT members)
• Deadline: 30 September 2025

📄 While research priorities are outlined in the guidelines, local, culturally and contextually relevant projects are preferred.

📄 For more information, please see the WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research Guidelines: https://tinyurl.com/33cz7h3f

Please consider distributing this opportunity to your networks and communities

09/09/2025

🌿 Save the Date: ASSBI 2026 in Christchurch 🌿
The Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI) will be hosting its 2026 conference in Ōtautahi Christchurch, from May 7–9, in partnership with the New Zealand Special Interest Group in Neuropsychology (NZSIGN).

🧠 Conference Theme:
Te Whiri Ī Te Ara Kī Te Whakaora – Weaving Pathways to Recovery
This theme reflects a powerful commitment to integrating evidence-based practice with the rich social, cultural, and environmental contexts that shape recovery after brain impairment.

👥 Whether you're a clinician, researcher, whānau member, or someone with lived experience, this event is a chance to connect, collaborate, and contribute to shaping inclusive recovery pathways.

📢 Abstract submissions are now open!
We encourage NZRA members and others in the rehabilitation community to submit and share widely.
🔗 https://assbi.com.au/ASSBI/NZSIGN-Conference-2026

See you in Christchurch!

Conference conveners: Josh Faulkner, Nic Ward, Karen Below, Jonathan Armstrong, Christine Canty, and Kath Murrell.

13/08/2025

🌟 Free Online Event – Hot Topics in Rehabilitation 2025 🌟

📅 When: Wednesday 3 September, 7:00–8:00pm (NZ time)
💻 Where: Online – join from anywhere!
✅ Cost: Free – everyone welcome!
🔗 Register here: https://events.otago.ac.nz/rehabhottopics2025

The Te Whare Whakamātūtū – Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit (RTRU) at the University of Otago, Wellington invites you to an evening of fresh ideas, practical tools, and inspiring discussion for anyone involved in – or interested in – rehabilitation.

You’ll hear from three speakers on:

✨ Smart Use, Safe Practice: GenAI for Busy Clinicians – Professor Jean Hay-Smith
Understand what GenAI is and explore how to use it wisely, ethically, and in ways that make your work easier (no tech expertise required!).

✨ Co-producing Housing Policy & Practice with Disabled People – Dr Rachelle Martin
Housing shapes health and wellbeing. Learn co-produced recommendations to ensure disabled people and their whānau can find homes where they feel safe, connected, and able to thrive.

✨ Art in Action: Creative Approaches to Health & Wellbeing – Dr Hem Devan
From storytelling to theatre, see how art-based approaches can be used in clinical practice, research, and knowledge translation – with chronic pain as a case example.

ℹ️ More details about the talks and speakers here: https://events.otago.ac.nz/rehabhottopics2025

📚 At the end, we’ll also share a quick overview of our distance-taught Rehabilitation study options for 2026.

💬 Tag a friend or colleague who might be interested – and we’ll see you online!

10/08/2025

What an incredible few days!

The RMSANZ–NZRA Rehabilitation Conference held in Christchurch in July, brought together people from all corners of the rehabilitation world. We learnt from each other, shared our experiences, and strengthened connections across Aotearoa, Australia & the Asia-Pacific.

From interactive workshops to inspiring oral presentations and engaging posters, every aspect of the conference helped us explore how to make rehabilitation more equitable, person-centred and effective.

Thank you to everyone who came, contributed, and made it such a success. We can’t wait to see where these conversations take us next!

03/07/2025

The New Zealand Occupational Therapists’ Research and Education Trust fund is holding a public meeting on Tuesday, July 29th 12.30-1pm to introduce the new Trustees and signal upcoming funding opportunities, exclusively for Occupational Therapists who are members of OTNZWNA. This is the first of ongoing quarterly public meetings where we will share Trust activities and opportunities. We are excited to connect with members through this activity and hear your questions and ideas. Any OTs are welcome to attend this meeting.

The Research and Education Trust has been in existence since 1986. Bequests and other funding sources have resulted in a fund of ~$180,000. The Trust has been in recession since 2019. Trustees have recently decided to issue grants from the capital fund enabling us to offer a range of funding opportunities commencing 2025. Funding streams offered by the Trust will include: professional development, research projects, enterprise initiatives, postgraduate study.

The agenda is as follows:
Introduction of current Trustees and explanation about the Trust fund
A brief summary of Fund management, activity and current status.
Presentation of proposed funding streams, application dates and requirements
Explanation of opportunities to get involved in specific and time limited Trust activities.
Questions and discussion are welcome throughout this 45 minute meeting verbally and via chatbox.

The meeting will be held on Zoom: https://otago.zoom.us/j/2039612348?pwd=YmFRdEJQMW5qSi84TFpEYm03cmhEZz09 ID: 203 961 2348 PWD: 540219

To receive direct messages from the Trust of funding events, dates and opportunities to get involved with the Trust please register your interest here> https://otago.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ag8fM4UIB84oCpw

To contact Trustees directly, please email randetrust@gmail.com.
Trusteees:
Assoc Prof Fi Graham (Chair); Postgraduate Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit, University of Otago
Estelle Borer; Specialist Rehabilitation Services
Dr Ema Tokolahi; School of Occupational Therapy, Otago Polytechnic

13/06/2025

The latest issue of the New Zealand Rehabilitation Review is now available.
https://www.researchreview.co.nz/nz/Clinical-Area/Other-Health/Rehabilitation/NZ-Rehabilitation-Research-Review-Issue-71.aspx

In this issue, you will find commentary (offered by Prof Nicola Kayes) on papers about:
- Telehealth for delivering rehabilitation services
- Facilitators and barriers to physical activity in hospital
- Older Māori experiences of injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation
- OPTIMAL theory application in people with multiple sclerosis
- Virtual rehabilitation tool for cognitive rehabilitation after TBI
- Early intervention vocational rehabilitation following traumatic injury
- Timing of physical therapy initiation and duration of LPB disability
- Lived experiences of chronic pain among indigenous peoples
- Tools for ageing well with TBI
- Role of non-surgical clinicians in degenerative cervical myelopathy

Rehabilitation Research Review features key medical articles from global Rehabilitation journals with commentary from Professor Kath McPherson. Covering topics such as alcohol rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, respiratory rehabilitation, addicti...

11/06/2025

Auckland University of Technology invites physiotherapists to take part in an anonymous, online survey exploring current physiotherapy practice for people with concussion or mild traumatic brain injury in Aotearoa New Zealand.

They would like to hear from all NZ-registered physiotherapists who have worked in NZ for the past year and treated at least five patients with concussion in the past year. Your input will help build a clearer picture of current practice across the profession.

Be in to win! Complete the survey to enter the draw to win a $500 Prezzy card!

COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE: https://redcap.aut.ac.nz/surveys/?s=4WLTYAJMJEMTL9W3

Closes Mid July.

This research is being led by Dr Sharon Olsen, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at AUT, and Daniel Lambert (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa), an AUT Physiotherapy Honours student. Co-investigators include Richard Ellis, Duncan Reid, Olivia Galea, Katherine Forch, Gemma Alder, Emma Gomes, and Nada Signal. Ethics approval number AUTEC 25/25.

04/06/2025

🏡 Our Homes, Our Voices – You’re invited!

Join us for a free, 2-hour online event exploring the findings from Hua Tahi – Flourishing Together: Including disabled people’s voices in housing policy and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

📅 Date: Wednesday 18th June
🕑 Time: 1pm – 3pm
📍 Location: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration)

This is an opportunity to listen to disabled people involved in the research - along with the research team. They will share their own housing and home experiences, and discuss the collaborative knowledge-making processes that underpinned the project.
We’ll unpack key insights and policy recommendations that call for more inclusive, accessible, and responsive housing systems—ones that honour the aspirations, rights, and lived experiences of disabled people across Aotearoa.

Whether you're a disabled person, advocate, housing provider, or policymaker—this is your chance to listen, learn, and connect around the shared goal of enabling housing choice and control.

🔗 Register now to be part of the kōrero: https://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/about/events/online-event-our-homes-our-voices
If you are unable to attend the event but wish to know what is being discussed, please register to receive a link to the recording afterwards.

Let’s keep the momentum going—because everyone deserves a place to call home, on their own terms.