Browsing by Subject "community practice"

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    The Efficacy and Feasibility of Occupational Therapy Programming Focused on Health and Wellness within a Homeless Shelter
    (2021-04) Munson, Victoria; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Hoffman, Lisa
    Homelessness is a serious problem and can have many negative effects, including poor health (Hodge et al., 2017). Homelessness is closely tied to occupational deprivation and occupational injustice (Cunningham & Slade, 2019). The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to address the occupational needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. By working with the Wheeler Mission Center for Women and Children, this project aimed to decrease occupational deprivation and increase overall wellness through the implementation of occupation-based programming. Occupation-based programing was introduced over the course of 14 weeks, in combination with ongoing program evaluation. Success of the program was evaluated in a number of different ways, including distributing pre- and post-program surveys, evaluating results from the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and by receiving verbal feedback from staff members. Participants were recruited from the Foundations of Wellness program at the Wheeler Mission and included individuals with a wide range of health concerns. Results indicated that participants had statistically significant increases in satisfaction with programming following the implementation of occupation-based programming, as well as significant increases in self-perceived occupational performance and satisfaction. These results can be used to advocate for the role of occupational therapists within homeless shelters, as they can increase occupational engagement and participant satisfaction. Additional research is needed to further define the role of occupational therapists within homeless shelters and to further investigate the impact occupational therapists can have on homeless populations.
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    Occupational Therapy Program Development at Lakeland Center Inc.
    (2022-05) Goode-Collins, Lauren; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Menke, Christy
    This capstone project involved creating a proposed occupational therapy hippotherapy program in partnership with an adaptive horseback riding school in a rural, underserved area. Many studies support hippotherapy as a treatment strategy in occupational therapy. Data from semi- structured interviews of relevant stakeholders and clinicians that utilize hippotherapy as a treatment strategy were analyzed using thematic analyses. Results yield promise for development of an evidence-based program in a rural, underserved location. Additionally, results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing thematic analyses and qualitative data to inform community program development.