Ms Joanna Bellia

Ms Joanna Bellia

Ms Joanna Bellia

  B.A.,M.Sc.(Exon.),Dip.Occ.Ther.,S.R.O.T.

Senior Associate Academic

Room 17
Block A, Level 1
Mater Dei Hospital
Msida
  +356 2340 1159
Ms. Joanna Bellia was the first member of staff of the Department of Occupational Therapy Division in 1992 when the Faculty of Health Sciences was part of the Health Department. She was coordinator of the Diploma Courses run by the Institute of Health Care. She obtained her Diploma in Occupational Therapy in 1986 in the first locally run course for occupational therapists. This was a course approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. She also obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Malta in 1992.

In 1999 she obtained her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Exeter. Her research study focused on the Mental Health Reform and the changing roles of Occupational Therapists.

In the same year she collaborated with Professor Emerita Dr. Ann MacRae to set up the first first locally run Bacelors Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Lately she has completed an EU sponsored course on Gender Based and Domestic Violence for Human Resource Personnel.

Throughout her career, her main focus has been student recruitment, retention and support. Her lecturing portfolio has a wide range of subjects, which combine her knowldege in OT psychology and sociology. Lecture topics are varied and include Occupational Therapy and Psychosocial Dysfunction, Professional Issues, OT emerging roles of practice, OT evaluation, OT in acute medical and sub-acute medical care. She has a special interest in domestic and intimate partner violence, transtheoretical models of change, addictions, personality disortders, PTSD, professional ethics, dance movement therapy and EMDR.

She is currently the Coordinator for student placements in hospitals and community sites. She sits on the Department's Board of Studies and assists with curricular development.
__ResearchInterests
__Publications
  • OCT1012 - Human Occupation Across the Lifespan
  • OCT1014 - Practicum and Seminar
  • OCT2022 - Introductory Concepts to Physical and Paediatric Practice
  • OCT2023 - Introduction to Psychosocial Dysfunction
  • OCT3023 - Conditions in Psychosocial Dysfunction
  • OCT3060 - Interventions in Acute and Sub-acute Medical Care
  • OCT4025 - Occupation Focused Role Emerging Practice
  • OCT4103 - Professional Issues
__Other

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