Dr Michele Harrison

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Dr Michele Harrison

Associate Clinical Fellow

My profile

Biography

I work one day a week at Manchester Metropolitan University as Associate Clinical Fellow (Occupational Therapy) and am the Professional Lead for the MSc pre-registration Occupational Therapy programme. 

I have previously held teaching and research roles in Occupational Therapy and clinical roles working across inpatient and community health services with people with complex mental and physical health conditions, as a clinician, manager and leader. I am passionate about the use of evidence informed practice for students and practitioners, and focus on collaborative approaches when working with stakeholders from health and social care, third sector organisations, service users and carers to implement and develop evidence informed practice that meets the needs of the community. 

I continue to work in the NHS, and am currently the interim Head of Allied Health Professionals and Social Workers at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. 

Academic and Professional Qualifications

Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Sciences (2019), Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

MA Community Mental Health (2003), University of Birmingham. 

Diploma of the College of Occupational Therapists (1990), Derby School of Occupational Therapy.

Expert reviewer

I have peer reviewed for the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Health and Social Care in the Community and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference. 

Membership of Professional Associations

Registered Occupational Therapist, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Professional member, Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Get in touch

Brooks Building

Teaching

I led the development of the MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) and provide teaching input to this programme.

Courses

MSc

Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

Postgraduate

Research outputs

My research focus is on the identification of features of the environment that support participation for people with complex health needs in a range of living environments, including understanding how the individual’s experience of their living environment impacts on their recovery. 

My initial research work was an action research focused grant redesigning pathways for people with complex mental health needs who required rehabilitation.  The outcome of the research was the identification of optimal environments to support the rehabilitation of service users in hospital and community facilities, including the development of enhanced supported accommodation delivered by multiagency teams. 

I am co-author of the Residential Environment Impact Scale 4.0 (2014), a Model of Human Occupation informed environment assessment, developed collaboratively with international colleagues, which resulted in a psychometrically tested tool which is used in international practice contexts. 

My doctoral research focused on identifying the personal and contextual factors associated with discharge from hospital and identification of Self-Directed Support needs for people with complex mental health analysing linked national datasets.

My continued research interests are around how environments impact on people with mental health issues participating in the things they need, like and want to do in their life, including how places support people with mental health issues to create and develop identities to support a sense of self and citizenship.

  • Journal articles

    Harrison, M., Irvine Fitzpatrick, L., Maciver, D. (2024) 'Predictors of Discharge from Hospital to Supported Accommodation and Support Needs Once in Supported Accommodation for People with Serious Mental Illness in Scotland: A Linked National Dataset Study.' Health and Social Care in the Community, 2024

    Harrison, M., Forsyth, K., Murray, A.L., Angarola, R., Henderson, S., Irvine Fitzpatrick, L., Fisher, G. (2023) 'Establishing the measurement properties of the Residential Environment Impact Scale (Version 4.0).' Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 30(6) pp. 898-907.

    Jose, A.L., Harrison, M., Roy, A.S., Fitzpatrick, L.I., Forsyth, K. (2021) 'The level of formal support received by people with severe mental illness living in supported accommodation and participation: A systematic review.' International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 67(7) pp. 854-866.

    Harrison, M., Singh Roy, A., Hultqvist, J., Pan, A.W., McCartney, D., McGuire, N., Irvine Fitzpatrick, L., Forsyth, K. (2020) 'Quality of life outcomes for people with serious mental illness living in supported accommodation: systematic review and meta-analysis.' Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(8) pp. 977-988.

    Harrison, M., Angarola, R., Forsyth, K., Irvine, L. (2016) 'Defining the environment to support occupational therapy intervention in mental health practice.' British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(1) pp. 57-59.

    Bredski, J., Forsyth, K., Mountain, D., Harrison, M., Irvine, L., Maciver, D. (2015) 'What in-patients want: A qualitative study of what's important to mental health service users in their recovery (Wayfinder Partnership).' Mental Health Review Journal, 20(1) pp. 1-12.