Increasing Occupational Performance in Adults with Serious Mental Illness: A Train the Trainer Model
Graduation Date
2011
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy
Department
Occupational Therapy
Department or Program Chair
Ruth Ramsey, EdD, OTR/L
Thesis Advisor
Ruth Ramsey, EdD, OTR/L
Abstract
People living with a serious mental illness experience functional limitations that interfere with their ability to live meaningful and productive lives (Kelly & McKenna, 2004; Perese, 2007). Adults with a serious mental illness have the ability to move beyond their role as a patient and recreate a new life as an active participant in their recovery process (Krupa et al„ 2009). Psychosocial rehabilitation programs can facilitate recovery in adults with a serious mental illness (Roe et ah, 2007).
The project developers worked with a community mental health program to teach staff how to integrate key concepts from occupational therapy in mental health including task analysis, grading of activities, and the use of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure assessment into their client services. The outcome of this workshop seminar was that Buckelew staff members were provided with a better understanding of occupation-based strategies they can use with adults with a serious mental illness and to demonstrate the role occupational therapists can have in a mental health setting. The workshop demonstrated that occupational therapy has a lole in consultation and training in community mental health.