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Item Advocacy as an Environmental Modification: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Stigma Reduction to Increase Occupational Performance in Children with Learning Disabilities(2022-05) Klukken, Angela; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Petrenchik, TerryOccupational therapists have a pivotal role in advocating for their clientele across various settings. The present study adds direction and suggestion for enhancing occupational therapy’s role in client advocacy, through the use of therapeutic skills utilized in teacher training to reduce the harmful effects of disability-based stigma for children with learning disabilities in a public elementary school setting. The author suggests that stigma reduction may serve as a powerful environmental modification; as disability accommodations and self-advocacy alone do not always permit equitable occupational participation. Teacher training in the area of pediatric learning disabilities with an emphasis on bias reduction, information, empathy, self-reflection and interpretation of anonymous student school experiences was implemented in a public elementary school by an occupational therapy doctoral capstone student. Medium effect sizes were found among some aspects of psychological flexibility with regard to stigmatizing thoughts among teachers. Significant results were found among students answering questions in class, and teachers’ awareness and ability to identify learning disabilities in their students. Results suggest that teachers were overall satisfied with training and have implemented changes in support of learning disability accessibility in their classrooms following intervention.Item An Approach to Providing Occupational Therapy Services Within a Post-Intensive Care Clinic(2022-05-01) Manning, Jeremy; Zeigler, Jayson; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Khan, SikandarPatients discharged from lengthy ICU stays due to critical illness are often accompanied by post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). PICS is a condition that presents with physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychiatric deficits that often interfere with everyday activities. This study included a sample of 25 ICU survivors within a post-intensive care follow-up clinic. Data was extracted from self-report assessments for anxiety/depression, self-care, mobility, administered cognitive assessment and further data was collected utilizing grip strength measures. Data collected through the clinic provided evidence that would yield the need for occupational therapy services within this patient population. Additionally, a rapid systematic review was completed with the aim of expanding the role occupational therapists have within this post-intensive care population. Data collected within the clinic and results from the systematic review provide evidence for the potential role of occupational therapy within this patient population.Item Area Agency on Aging and Occupational Therapy(2021-05-07) Minnich, Victoria; DeRolf, Annie; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Ziegler, Dustin; Stinson, KelseyArea Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and the profession of occupational therapy have similar values as they pertain to the promotion of aging in place amongst community-dwelling older adults. AAAs provide a wide range of services that allow older adults to safely and productively age in their own homes rather than in institutionalized settings (National Association of Area Agencies on Aging [n4a], n.d.). Occupational therapy practitioners have an essential role in promoting quality of life, health, and participation in meaningful occupations amongst community-dwelling older adults (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2016). Despite these similar values, there are few partnerships between the two entities as fewer than 3.2% of occupational therapists even work in community settings with older adults (AOTA, 2020b). The goal of this capstone project was to evaluate an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and provide the organization with an evidence-based, client-centered proposal on how a staffed occupational therapy practitioner could fit within their organization. Outcomes of this capstone project consisted of five tailored recommendations for the organization as well as an increase in knowledge and perception of the scope of occupational therapy amongst the organization’s staff. Future research should be conducted on the outcomes associated with partnerships between AAAs and occupational therapy practitioners.Item Bridging the Humanities and Health Care With Theatre: Theory and Outcomes of a Theatre-Based Model for Enhancing Psychiatric Care via Stigma Reduction(APA, 2022-12-22) Wasmuth, Sally; Pritchard, Kevin T.; Belkiewitz , Johnna; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human SciencesObjective: This article describes the rational, methods, implementation, and effectiveness of Identity Development Evolution and Sharing (IDEAS), an evidence-supported, narrative theater-based training that reduces stigma among health care providers to increase health care equity in psychiatric rehabilitation. Method: The IDEAS model has been used to reduce provider bias toward patients. From May 2017 to January 2020, we interviewed people from three patient groups who have been harmed by stigma, including Black women, transgender, and gender-diverse people, and people with substance use disorders. These interviews informed the creation of three theatrical scripts that were performed by professional actors for audiences of health care providers from January 2020 to May 2022. The performances aimed to raise conscious awareness of implicit provider biases and to provide a reflective opportunity to ameliorate these biases. The purpose of IDEAS is to improve experiences in health care settings such as psychiatric rehabilitation of patients from groups who have been harmed by stigma. We used paired-samples t tests to compare pre/postprovider stigma, measured via the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Stigma (AAQ-S). Results: Sociodemographic factors for providers who viewed IDEAS were similar across all three performances. IDEAS significantly decreased AAQ-S scores (t = 11.32, df = 50, M = 13.65, 95% confidence limit: [11.32, 15.97], p < .0001). Conclusions and implications for practice: IDEAS reduces provider stigma to support positive clinical encounters with diverse patient populations. These findings are relevant for psychiatric rehabilitation settings, which seek to establish positive rapport between providers and patients.Item Developing the Role of Occupational Therapy to Address the Effects of Early Childhood Trauma: A Community Capacity Building Approach(2022-05-03) Nycz, Kimberly E.; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Carter, PatriciaResearch supports early childhood trauma significantly impacts a child’s development and growth into a successful adult. As childhood trauma continues to be a public health issue in Missouri, community organizations need ways to improve and expand their trauma-informed and trauma-specific services to the children and families across the state. One way to address this is through implementation of an educational program. This program aimed to develop the role of occupational therapy within these sites to integrate the ideas of occupational therapy and trauma-informed care to improve and expand the sites’ services and promote the development of trauma-exposed young children. A series of three trainings were created, with each one focusing on a different topic to enhance the occupational therapy and trauma-informed knowledge of the participants. Two separate sites, one with 5 participants and one with 4 participants, were provided the trainings. Data was collected using pre- and post-surveys prior to and after each training and through retrospective interviews to evaluate effectiveness of each training, assess participant satisfaction, and to further inform the project impact. Based on the participants post-survey responses, results show a positive trend in the participants’ confidence and understanding of the training topics. The results indicate the training program was effective in improving the participants’ understanding and ability to implement more occupation-based interventions with trauma-exposed young children. This study supports the continued role of occupational therapists collaborating with community organizations to provide education on occupational therapy and trauma-informed topics to reduce the effects of trauma on young children.Item Development and Implementation of a School-Based Assistive Technology Team(2023-05-01) Barker, Haylee; Sego, Daniel; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Sunbury, KathyAssistive technology (AT) is an overarching term to describe any equipment, program, or device used to increase participation and function within individuals. Technology allows individuals with disabilities and impairments to achieve functional growth in numerous areas of everyday living, whether that be leisure, work, or at school. AT can be classified as simple as a pencil grip and be as advanced as an eye-gaze communication device. The wide range within the technology field correlates with decreased interest and knowledge, leading to limited research and implementation across all therapeutic areas. The purpose of this capstone was to address the lack of knowledge, training, and awareness on technology implications within a school-system to effectively develop an interprofessional assistive technology team focused on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Research suggests technology should be implemented throughout the entire school day to increase the students ability to fully participate in school, social, and play-related tasks. The capstone student identified supportive research in other well-established teams and provided training and materials to support the development of this technology team. The student created sustainable materials for future students, practitioners, and teams to use as references for future team developments.Item Doctoral Capstone Experience: Acute Care Occupational Therapy Neurological Vision Rehabilitation(2021-04-16) Northquist, Jessie; Albright, Megan; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Metz, Emily; Homner, LaurenThis paper focuses on an occupational therapy student’s Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) at a large, level I trauma hospital in the neurological rehabilitation department. The site lacked an occupational therapy vision rehabilitation protocol among staff and lacked the time to develop such a protocol. Neurological injuries often result in visual deficits, with 85.7% of participants in a study on strokes and 90% of people with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) reporting changes in vision (Norup et al., 2016; Robert's et al., 2016). Occupational therapy focuses on providing neurological vision rehabilitation in the setting of functional deficits. Participants consisted of 14 occupational therapists. The capstone student collaborated with site mentors and the Indiana University Occupational Therapy (IUOT) department to develop educational materials and a survey measuring the improvement of participant understanding of vision OT. The participants improved in all portions presented, including assessments, interventions, and referrals, with the most improvement in their knowledge on appropriate interventions. The project is sustainable long term via access to the materials digitally and in print.Item Doctoral Capstone Report: Brain Breaks with the Joseph Maley Foundation(2021-04-16) LeGault, Marissa; Wilburn, Victoria; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Maley, VivianIn order to address the needs of elementary school teachers and students in the Indianapolis area in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Person-Envionrment-Occupation-Performance Model of occupational therapy was utilized to develop Brain Breaks. Brain Breaks in the category of mindfulness were created to be shared with Indianapolis area schools with the goal of addressing both physical and mental health of students in the community while they adhere to social distancing guidelines. To create easily accessible and useful content for teachers, Brain Breaks were developed in the context of videos with corresponding traditional style teacher guides. Literature suggests that students engaging in mind-body activities during the day may improve attention-to-task and overall enjoyment of lessons.Item Doctoral Capstone: A Process Evaluation of the Implementation of Trust-Based Relational Interventions within Indian Creek Schools(2023-05-02) McGillem, Cassandra L.; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Long, EricThis doctoral capstone project focuses on conducting a process evaluation of the implementation of Trust-Based Relational Interventions (TBRI) within Indian Creek Schools. TBRI is a trauma-informed approach that focuses on connecting with, empowering, and correcting children to obtain positive behavior changes (Purvis et al., 2013). With increasing literature surrounding trauma and its negative impact on the occupation of education, occupational therapists have the opportunity to advocate for trauma-informed practices within the school setting. This doctoral capstone began with a needs assessment and literature review which allowed the capstone student to gather pertinent background information regarding TBRI and the site. The capstone student attended a TBRI caregiver training, created and distributed surveys to the teachers at Indian Creek Schools, and conducted interviews with the teachers. 15.6% (n=21) of the teachers (n=134) completed a survey and 6.7% (n=9) of the teachers participated in an interview with the capstone student. While this was a low response rate, the capstone student was able to share with the site the data regarding the evaluation of the implementation process. The process evaluation revealed that the teachers felt either unequipped to apply TBRI or did not see the value in utilizing TBRI. Both of these factors lead to the inconsistent implementation of TBRI within Indian Creek Schools. This low implementation fidelity has led to many teachers abandoning the program prior to meeting desired outcomes. Understanding the current process of implementation is a key baseline component to ensure the future success of TBRI in meeting the needs of the Indian Creek Schools.Item Effect of Virtual Reality Interventions on Occupational Participation in Stroke Patients: A Rapid Systematic Review(2023-05-04) Gillen, Grace; Huff, Nichole; Messenger, Elizabeth; Russell, Rachel; Butcher, Madison; Chase, Tony; Sego, Daniel; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human SciencesThis rapid systematic review of the literature examines the literature on effective occupational therapy virtual reality (VR) interventions in rehabilitation of individuals poststroke. This review provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of 25 studies that addressed common themes, including: upper extremity (UE) mobility, functional outcomes, Quality of Life (QoL), and functional performance, related to increasing occupational participation through VR. Findings reveal moderate strength of evidence for the use of VR interventions, in addition to conventional occupational therapy (OT), in supporting individuals’ occupational performance and relative, functional factors contributing to participation in occupations, among individuals following a stroke. This review supports the use of VR interventions for individuals poststroke due to their innovativeness, adaptability, and ability to simulate real-life activities of daily living (ADLs), and supports the use of occupation-based VR interventions which can inform and guide intervention approaches for OT practitioners working in stroke rehabilitation.