Date of Award

Spring 5-7-2022

Document Type

Oral Presentation/Poster

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Health Science

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Whitney Lucas Molitor

Keywords

individuals experiencing homelessness, occupational therapy, occupational participation, occupational justice, homelessness, well-being, qualify of life, individual interventions, group interventions

Subject Categories

Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Individuals experiencing homelessness often have decreased occupational participation in all domains of occupational therapy practice. The purpose of this capstone experience was to explore the role of occupational therapy among individuals experiencing homelessness. in Rapid City, SD. A Needs Assessment was developed in collaboration with Fork Real Community Café and the HOPE Center in order to identify the occupational needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Rapid City community. With the needs identified, I led holistic, client-centered, individual and group interventions to increase the occupational participation of guests. For individual interventions, guests completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure to determine specific areas of occupational deprivation and injustice in their lives. Group interventions followed the structure of The Peer Support Program, a group-based occupational therapy program for individuals experiencing homelessness. I assessed the effectiveness of group interventions using the Personal Recovery Assessment Measures. The results of the post-test assessment from individual interventions show the benefit of occupational therapy services among this population. The findings align with literature regarding occupational therapy’s role in assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. Occupational therapy is a unique profession that can positively impact this population.

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