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Item Power Wheelchair Skills Training for Pediatric Power Wheelchair Users(2025) Seigel, Brynn; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Chase, TonySkills on Wheels (SOW) is a wheelchair skills training program for children who use manual wheelchairs. Although it is recommended that all individuals who receive a manual or power wheelchair participate in wheelchair skills training, very limited training is available. Literature suggests that play-based wheelchair skills training in a safe environment that reflects the values of the child and family leads to improvements in skills capacity, performance, participation, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Unfortunately, clinicians often lack guidance on how or when to provide training and may focus only on basic skills. The effect of wheelchair skills training on participation can be explained using the Person-Environment-Occupation Performance (PEOP) model, which emphasizes how occupational performance is shaped by the interaction of personal abilities and values, with environmental supports and barriers. This model emphasizes strengths over deficits and illustrates how improved mobility skills can support participation in meaningful activities. The capstone student used the recommendations provided in the literature to implement play-based power wheelchair skills training into SOW’s existing program by planning games and activities that target wheelchair skills, recruiting participants, recruiting and training volunteers, and ensuring safe and effective skills training. The participant who attended the program demonstrated increased skill performance, confidence, and frequency of skill use. However, there was no increase in participation, possibly due to environmental barriers and limited time for generalization to everyday environments. This project may lead to future research on power wheelchair skills training programs and continued power wheelchair skills training at SOW.Item Advancement of Clinical Skills and Interoceptive Assessments at Cincinnati Children's College Hill Campus(2025-04-30) Brown, Katelyn; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Duncan, ChadCincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital Center is known throughout the country as one of the leading medical centers for providing current evidence based pediatric care. Every department is responsible for having research teams in charge of finding literature to support best practices being utilized at the clinic. This capstone project aims to create an evidence based binder of interoceptive assessments to bridge the gap between occupational therapy services and mental health settings. The binder was created for the Translating Research and Clinical Knowledge (TRACK) team, a group of occupational therapists at the College Hill campus that work to advance research in mental health. The capstone student also gained clinical skills within a pediatric mental health setting during the capstone experience. Advancing skills in this setting will situate the student as a potential leader to advance the field of mental health into other settings. These skills help to advance the profession of occupational therapy by being able to address mental health during all sessions and settings. The capstone student was able to advance skills through leading group sessions, attending rounds, administering standardized assessments during evaluations, and completing one on one treatment sessions. The capstone student worked alongside other occupational therapists on site to ensure all groups were covered each day and that everyone’s caseload was equal for the day. This capstone project also helped to bring awareness to the work occupational therapists can accomplish in mental health settings.Item Implementing Aging-in-Place Programming for LGBTQ+ Older Adults: A Doctoral Capstone Project(2025-05-08) Gurevitz, Shelley; Wasmuth, Sally; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Fogel, JanineOut of the eight areas of occupation, social participation is a key pillar of health and wellbeing that can be unaddressed by healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists (OT). Older adults are at significant risk of social isolation and loneliness due to many psychosocial factors; however, older adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and other identities (LGBTQ+) are at a greater risk of social isolation and loneliness at an alarming rate. Through a doctoral capstone project, the occupational therapy capstone student developed and implemented an eight-week social support group at an Indianapolis Gender Health clinic, with the purpose to facilitate increased social participation and connection amongst LGBTQ+ older adults. Additionally, aging-in-place elements were used as patient education material throughout the group. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale-Revised was utilized as an outcome measure to assess loneliness prior to the support group intervention and following sessions. Qualitative data, such as field notes, were also taken during the last session accompanied by post-group feedback. Responses indicated a moderately high level of loneliness amongst LGBTQ+ older adults who participated in the support group. Additionally, the level of loneliness remained unchanged. This project overall was received positively by group members to foster a sense of identity, inclusivity, and social connection. Additionally, this project adds to the existing LGBTQ+ and gender health programming to support occupational therapy’s role in addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ older adults.Item Gender as Occupation: The "Doing" of Authentic Expression and Reciprocally Affirming Care for Transgender Individuals(WMU, 2023) DeRolf, Annie; Belkiewitz, Johnna; Wasmuth, Sally; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human SciencesThe current predominant view of gender as binary, alongside limited training of affirmative care practices, is severely and negatively impacting transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. This paper urges the re-conceptualization of gender as an occupation, suggesting that gender is a doing that allows for positive identity development, roles, habits, and routines. Doing gender facilitates meaning-making and the ability to engage in other occupations. However, occupational injustices rooted in discrimination, stigma, and/or implicit biases impede TGD people’s ability to engage in the doing of gender and other occupations. Articulation of conceptual guidelines and interventions to support TGD people’s ability to do gender and other occupations is a critical area of need in occupational therapy literature and practice. In accordance with the profession’s ethical mandate to promote occupational justice, it is critical that occupational therapists become educated and involved in providing affirmative services to support occupational participation for this population.Item Applying the Ecological Model of Human Performance and the SlutWalk Movement to Support those Affected by Rape Culture in the Context of Occupational Therapy(WMU, 2023) Klukken, Angela; Wasmuth, Sally; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human SciencesImproving the occupational lives of others is at the heart of occupational therapy practice. Advocacy for clientele is central to this improvement, both at individual and structural levels. We argue that interventions in the Ecological Model of Human Performance (EHP) and the social movement theSlutWalk can offer increased opportunity for occupational therapists to address the harmful implications for clients affected by sexual assault and rape culture. In addition, through the principles of the EHP and the SlutWalk, we propose that occupational therapists can have a hand in eradicating the culture that facilitates and tolerates sexual violence. This paper highlights the barriers women and sexual assault survivors may face to equitable occupational participation, where occupational therapists may establish/restore, alter, create, prevent, and adapt intervention approaches in the client’s context to elicit optimal engagement in meaningful activity.Item Tier 1 Interoception Interventions in an Elementary School(2024-05) Oleshchuk, Oksana; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Miller, KariInteroception, or the perception of one’s internal body signals, is a building block for emotion regulation and may be protective against adverse health experiences. Interoception is not innate but is rather a skill that must be learned as a person ages. While elementary schools tackle many facets of development, there are minimal interventions to address interoception. The main site is an elementary school in a high poverty neighborhood that offers a large amount of support to students in many areas but did not have any formal interoception interventions. This capstone project developed a tier 1 interoception intervention, piloted the intervention, educated teachers on interoception, and presented the intervention to staff members to address continued use of the intervention. The program that developed was a 6-session program implemented over 6 weeks adapted from The Interoception Curriculum: A Guide to Developing Mindful Self-Regulation for use in the inclusion general education elementary classroom. The program showed weak quantitative evidence but strong qualitative evidence showing the program was successful at addressing interoception in the participating classrooms by increasing body awareness, vocabulary for expressing needs and emotions, and increasing related communication. Along with the success of the pilot intervention, facilitators and barriers to continued implementation were found and analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Facilitators to future implementation were found to include the innovation, the compatibility, resources and connections in the inner setting, and the need of the individuals. Barriers to success included structural characteristics of the inner setting and the capability and motivation of implementing individuals. This project details the development of a tier 1 interoception intervention for elementary school students.Item Development of an Occupational Therapy Health Promotion Group Protocol in a Gender Diverse Population(2024-05-06) Schrader, Kate; DeRolf, Annie; Wasmuth, Sally; DeRolf, Annie; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Wasmuth, SallyThe transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population faces systemic and individual discrimination, high rates of poverty and houselessness, and a frequent lack of social support. TGD patients also have higher instances of mental illness and neurodiversity which can be a barrier to accessing healthcare and establishing health behaviors. Considering these disparities and the complex medical needs of TGD patients, it is imperative to increase equitable access to affirming healthcare. Introducing an occupational therapy (OT) health promotion group in the safe and affirming environment of a gender health program within a public hospital addresses this need. To inform the development of a group that addressed the needs of both the patient population and implementation site, interview questions were created using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, staff within the gender health program were interviewed, and data was analyzed and applied to create a group protocol and implementation plan. Content analysis produced the following themes: 1) valuing an interdisciplinary approach; 2) establishing an affirming environment; 3) increasing accessibility; 4) existing lack of patient resources; 5) emphasizing patient feedback, 6) developing life skills; 7) challenging beauracratic red tape; and 8) fostering community to improve health and wellbeing in the TGD community. These themes were used to develop a group protocol and delivery plan that would maximize implementation success within the site. This capstone is important for OTs seeking to integrate gender affirming health promotion groups within hospital settings and can provide insight for all OTs on factors that support affirming and equitable care.Item Pediatric Recreation and Staff Education: Disability and Diversity Inclusive Education on Play and Leisure at a Pediatric Residential Services Facility(2024-04-24) VanBuskirk, Allyssa; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; None, NoneRecreation is vital for promoting physical, social, and mental health for children through play and leisure. Children with disabilities face obstacles to recreation that can negatively impact their overall well-being, but caregiver intervention can improve these challenges. Children at a community residential facility experienced decreased recreational participation with staff due to low schedule adherence, language and cultural differences, and poor knowledge on recreation. The purpose of the capstone project was to address these barriers through employee education, training, and development of disability and diversity-inclusive activities in order to improve staff proficiency and engagement in recreation. Preliminary surveys completed by 31 workers yielded baseline data on their demographics, learning styles, and viewpoints on recreation. This information was used to create project materials including educational handouts, activity ideas, and equipment guidelines the student and staff could utilize for recreational engagement. Implementation challenges hindered initial project delivery and shifted the focus toward the creation of educational presentations for employees at the site. A learning survey given to 14 new hires and four recreation staff at these presentations evaluated the project’s effectiveness in improving knowledge and motivation for recreational engagement. Pre- and post- test data analyzed through paired t-tests found overall improvement in new and current workers’ knowledge, motivation, and confidence in recreation after presentations. Additionally, employees at the site reported greater engagement in recreational areas by the conclusion of the project. These findings demonstrate the capstone project increased competency, education, and participation in recreation for staff with children at the site.Item Girl Power: A Girls Empowerment and Social-Emotional Skills Program at the Boys and Girls Club(2024) Kelly, Chandler; Wasmuth, Sally; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Harris, LeeAnnDue to the circumstances of the home environment or living conditions, many of the students attending the Boys and Girls Club have experienced trauma and thus have high adverse childhood experience (ACE) scores. According to research, emotional regulation and coping skills can contribute to minimizing racial trauma and preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Additionally, the program director of the Boys and Girls Club identified that many of the members have difficulty with emotional regulation, coping skills, and self-esteem. The purpose of this capstone project was to address and meet these needs by developing and implementing a girls empowerment, social-emotional skills program. Intervention activities focused on emotional regulation, coping skills, interoception, and self-esteem. The girls demonstrated satisfaction with their participation in the program by stating that they enjoyed the activities, reporting something they learned, and recommending the program to other girls. A digital and physical program handbook was created to improve sustainability and increase likelihood of continuation of program implementation after the conclusion of the capstone.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.