1. Appreciates the influence of socio-cultural, socioeconomic, political, diversity factors, and lifestyle choices on engagement in occupation throughout the lifespan.
If anything, my fieldwork experiences have shown me that occupational therapy has the power to touch all; No matter your race, socioeconomic status, or political stance. An opportunity for promotion arose during my psychosocial fieldwork rotation, when I observed that their occupational therapy specific brochure did not reflect this sentiment. The brochure was dated, as made painfully obvious by the photographs featuring white clientele only. When the opportunity presented itself, I was thrilled to revamp and revise this brochure! My educator and I collaborated and decided to feature a wide variety of clients in the brochure. We treat clients from many walks of life, and felt that there was no better way to show our respect and appreciation for these individuals than to feature as many as we could on the revised brochure. Due to time constriction, I was unable to take these photos or insert them into the brochure I created. However, I feel privileged to play a part in planning and to make such a contribution to my fieldwork site. A second piece of evidence for fulfilling this criteria is available via the link below, where I discuss integration of a client’s unique needs (resulting from his cultural background) with occupational therapy treatment.
2. Communicates effectively with a wide range of clients, peers, and professionals both verbally and non-verbally.
My communication skills were put to the test during my psychosocial rotation, when an individual with limited English was added to my caseload. He was referred to occupational therapy primarily for decreased home management skills. He was living in supported housing, and the staff reported that they were on the verge of kicking him out. They shared that he had become a danger to the entire building. Not only was his apartment unclean, he also had grease buildup on his stovetop that served as a fire hazard. When the housing staff attempted to address these issues with the client, he would become outraged and yell at them. Aware that communication would be a barrier, my educator and I chose to utilize an interpreter via a telephone-based service. Ultimately, this decision would be a step in the right direction regarding his success. By empowering him to more effectively communicate with those around him, he was able to express himself and explain the rationale behind his actions. With open lines of communication and increased understanding of one another, we were able to work together to make his apartment clean and safe. My communication skills were improved by this experience in a number of ways. Firstly, I walked away able to communicate with both an interpreter and a client simultaneously. This experience also gave me the opportunity to communicate more effectively with colleagues, including the client’s team and his housing staff. Effective communication with these individuals was evidenced by these professionals’ ability to see the benefits of using an interpreter following occupational therapy’s lead and coaching.
3. Collaborates with clients and caregivers in establishing and maintain a balance of pleasurable, productive, and restful occupations to promote health and prevent disease and disability.
A need for balance amongst pleasurable, productive, and restful occupations was unmistakable for a geriatric client I encountered during my physical dysfunction rotation. This particular client, aged 89, was receiving therapy services at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital secondary to a total hip arthroplasty. Her three daughters were supportive of their mother and wished to be highly involved in her treatment. It quickly became clear, however, that they were unaware of the limitations and life changes one faces with an aging body. Despite good intentions, they encouraged their mother to engage in occupations such as dressing, grooming, and mobility, in a manner that was unsafe. Wishing to please her daughters, the mother pushed herself to the limit. Safety-related education for all was clearly needed. I engaged the client in completion of these activities of daily living in a way that was safe, as her daughters observed, listened, and asked questions. Additionally, I made obvious to both the client and her family the importance not only of productive occupations, but also of pleasurable and restful occupations. I explained that, without such balance, the client was at risk for harming herself. Together, we established appropriate occupations, boundaries, and limitations. Collaboration ultimately led increased safety and independence for the client.
4. Inspires confidence in clients and team members.
According to the CliftonStrengths finder, my number one strength is that I am a “developer.” This reflects my natural tendency to recognize and cultivate the potential in others (Rath, 2007). I thrive when I feel as though I am encouraging others to grow! This encouragement leads to those around me feeling capable and confident, as it is human nature to feed off of and become a reflection of the attitude of those around them. Because I genuinely believe in others’ abilities, they often embody this feeling towards themselves. My strength of “positivity” also tends to inspire similar feelings in my clients and team members. An example of such embodiment occurred during my rotation in an outpatient pediatric setting. My educator was a recent graduate, and I was her very first student. She would occasionally convey feelings of uncertainty regarding her supervision style and process to me. During these times, I made intentional efforts to reassure her, sharing that her supervision and actions were beneficial to me. I would specifically cite her methods that I found most beneficial. Ultimately, I feel as though we both enabled one another to grow and benefit from our time together.
Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press.
5. Considers client motivation when using occupation based intervention to maximize functional independence.
My experience has shown that selecting interventions that are motivational can serve as problematic for the adolescent population, in particular, as they are often battling to establish a more “adult” identity. An additional challenge is seen when serving this population at a typical outpatient pediatric clinic, where the setting and interventions available are typically geared towards a younger population. Such a challenge arose when a 16 year old female client was added to my fieldwork educator’s caseload. She was receiving services for visual motor and fine motor deficits. Despite the age difference, many of the same interventions or games used with our younger clientele were utilized. I found her lack of motivation to be understandable, and recognized a need for change to better suit this client. To encourage maximum participation in her sessions, I allowed her interests to guide my choice of interventions. She had recently attended a camp where her favorite activity was cooking; an excellent place to start! Provided with a selection of simple and cost-effective recipes, the client selected her favorite recipe. Because her selection required decoration of cookies, an opportunity to encourage and practice pincer grasp arose! Handwriting and tripod grasp was incorporated when she transcripted the recipe into her cookbook. Creation of a cookbook, in turn, led to the idea of creating photo album. This client enjoyed photography, and had been in a photography club at her previous school. She wasn’t confident in her skills, however, and was reluctant to join the photography club at her new school. Through creating a photo album together, I was given the opportunity to encourage her self-confidence and assist her in developing her skills, as pincer grasp was utilized when handling the photos and tripod grasp was utilized when writing descriptions beside each photo. 6. Applies theory regarding the therapeutic use of occupation and adaptation to screen and evaluate, plan, and implement intervention, while establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with the client.
I utilized the Person-Environment-Occupation model (PEO) (Law, et al., 1996) with every client I encountered during my physical dysfunctional rotation, from their initial evaluation until their discharge. The evaluation used in my inpatient rehabilitation hospital explored the three concepts seen in this model. Amongst the information gathered was identification of their environment and occupations. The entire evaluation itself shed light on the client and the roles they held. The information gathered guided my interventions and areas of focus. Finally, the individuals capabilities in the identified areas of importance were measured upon discharge. I have found that use of the PEO strengthens my client-therapist relationships. The client typically seems to appreciate the factors of their life that the PEO shines light on, such as their unique self, where they come from, and what they enjoy doing or must do. People love feeling cared about! They enjoy talking about themselves, and feeling as though someone is listening. PEO gives guidance to conversations and interactions that pay mind to these factors.
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, J., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The person-environment- occupation model: A transactive approach to occupational performance. Can J Occup Ther, 63(1), 9- 23.